Nutrition and Breastfeeding

[mmiotte]

Am about 1-2 weeks away from having my first and wanted some advice on nutrition to make the best quality BF milk. I normally have a pretty healthy diet - lots of fruit and veg. However, have been advised to avoid farty veg eg onions, garlic, organges, peas, beans, tomatos etc which I have tended to eat a lot of. Has anyone found a good list of things I can eat and still maintain an interesting diet? Any good nutrition website links would also be appreciated.

Thanks all.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Generally, it really doesn't matter what you eat. Eat what you like, and what makes you happy. You may well find yourself ravenously hungry in the first weeks.

Some children react to various foods, but neither of mine did. Better to just start out eating what you like, and only fiddle with your diet if your baby's having a notably hard time of it.

[hunkermunker]

You can eat what you like (except in rare cases). I always have and have had two perfectly content bfed babies.

A slice of cake around 4pm gives you enough milk for the night. Actually, that's not true, but it does give you a slice of cake

[milward]

Eat what you want - no need to avoid anything.

[milward]

My reason for snacks HM

[sorrell]

Breastmilk is always good quality! People talk a lot of nonsense about it really. I wouldn't cut out anything, especially healthy food. Just eat a good diet for your own sake and you'll be fine.

[3andnomore]

MMiotte....just eat a healthy and varied diet!
If you do find that you lil one reacts to certain things you eat then leave those out and reintroduce at a later stage...but otehrwise there is no need to avoid anything...oh, other then Peanuts...but not sure if that still stands now or not...but that was the only advice I was given with my 2 youngest sons...so, 4 and 2 years ago...!
If you do like oats (Porridge, etc...) then that might be a good choice for Breakfast,it's meant to be good when lactating

[hunkermunker]

Oh, also I'd say that if your baby seems fussy one day, don't start making a mental list of what you've eaten and trying to eliminate things.

Babies are just fussy sometimes. It's their job.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh yes, what HM said. I love cabbage, which is often listed as a problem for babies. Once, DS2 was unsettled after cabbage, so I cut out cabbage for a few weeks. It sucked. And when I had cabbage again, he was fine.

[poppynic]

I went to a breastfeeding seminar once and we were told that breastfeeding uses the same energy as mining. Whether or not this is true I found it very useful to quote to anyone who implied I might be eating or resting too much..... When you think of the incredibly varied diets all over the world eaten by women who successfully breastfeed their babies I think you've got a pretty wide range of foods to choose from. I got into hot chocolate when feeding my first son although a friend of mine got into Complan, which was possibly a slightly better option.

[katyjo]

mmiotte, I lost my appetite for a few days after giving birth, I guess it was the tiredness then I was starving for good old british grub ie meat and 2 veg.
If you want to prepare yourself make sure you have plenty of stocks in your cupboards and freeze a few meals if you can be bothered. Having a few meals at hand will make things easier for you.
It is a great reason to eat the things you feel guilty about, cakes sweets etc are a great source of fat, which I like to think is essential!!! Enjoy treating yourself!! Good luck you are going to have such a special time over the next few weeks, months, years!!! xxx