After having to be careful about their diets while pregnant, many new mums can’t wait to tuck into their favourite food and drink once the little one has arrived.
Most breastfed babies don’t have any problems with what you consume, but there are products you need to be wary of.
CAFFEINE
When you have caffeine in your bloodstream, a very small amount ends up in your breast milk. Newborn babies can’t break caffeine down easily, so it can accumulate in their system – they start to process it more efficiently after about three months. It’s hard to know how much caffeine is too much, but some experts recommend no more than 300mg a day. That’s around two to three cups of coffee, depending on the size. In some cases, drinking more than that can cause the baby to become irritable or jittery, and affect their sleeping. As well as coffee, caffeine is also found in tea, soft drinks, energy drinks and chocolate.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol can also get into your breast milk, and although your baby will be exposed to just a fraction of the alcohol you have drunk, there is no amount that is considered safe for a baby to consume. Newborns eliminate alcohol from their bodies at only half the rate of adults. If you have had a drink, experts recommend avoiding breastfeeding until the alcohol has completely cleared your breast milk. This typically takes two to three hours for every standard drink you have.
FISH
Fish can contain mercury, so there are recommendations that pregnant women avoid some types, as mercury can affect an unborn baby’s development. However, the Government’s Foodsmart website says the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh any risks posed by the small amount that may be present in breast milk. But if you want to err on the side of caution while breastfeeding, you may choose to avoid those types of fish more likely to contain mercury, such as shark, swordfish and southern bluefin tuna. It’s also worth knowing that freshwater fish from geothermal regions are more exposed to mercury, because it can be found in volcanic emissions.
DAIRY PRODUCTS
It is thought there may be a link between symptoms of colic in some babies and what their breastfeeding mum has eaten. Dairy products appear to be the most likely foods to cause colic. In some studies, a number of babies with colic seemed to improve when their mums cut dairy out of their diet while breastfeeding. Other foods that have been linked to colic include onions, beans, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Some mothers also notice that their babies seem to react when they eat spicy foods, so be wary of that Indian takeaway treat.
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