The Myth:
There are a number of foods that people (and Pinterest) will tell you to avoid eating while breastfeeding. Beans will make the baby gassy, dairy and citrus will make the baby break out, cabbage will give baby a tummy ache, spices will make the baby fussy, caffeine will make the baby sleepless, and alcohol is pretty much the same thing as child abuse. I even saw one article that said to avoid garlic, because it has a strong flavor.
The Truth:
Variety is the spice of life. Any thing that you drank or ate all the way through your pregnancy, is going to make your milk taste familiar and delicious when you are breastfeeding. Garlic has actually been proven to make babies eat MORE at the breast, not less, and as long as your baby has been exposed to caffeine in the womb, it is unlikely it will affect them that much outside of the womb. Eat what you like, drink what you like, and keep it all in moderation. Science has also proven, the more variety you eat while pregnant and nursing, the less of a picky toddler you will have on your hands. BONUS!
If you are the kind of person who likes rules, here are some:
- Don’t go crazy with the carbs and sugar, because yeast LOVES sugar
- Don’t restrict calories
- Watch your baby, if a certain food doesn’t agree with him, don’t eat it as much.
- Don’t go overboard with alcohol because:
- In SUPER high doses it can affect the baby’s eating and sleeping
- It can inhibit your letdown reflex, and cause the baby not to get as much milk
- No one wants to deal with a newborn with a hangover! However, pumping and dumping is not recommended. You can’t get the alcohol out of your milk by pumping any more than you could stop being drunk by draining your blood.