To ask what I can't eat when breastfeeding?

[CustardCreamLover]

My husband has decided he has a medical degree and is now trying to dictate what I can and can't eat while breastfeeding. According to him I definitely can't eat chocolate and all vegetables have to be cooked to a mush. I think this is all crap especially reading advice from NHS and such like.
And to be honest reading the internet I shouldn't eat anything apart from air 🙄

So maybe if there are some medical professionals out there who can tell me what I can't eat I can take it to him (although multiple midwives in the hospital told us that there isn't anything off limits just in moderation and apparently he still knows better because it's what his mother and sister have done). Because otherwise I think I'm going to divorce him.

Thanks ladies. I have a feeling even hard evidence is not going to prove to him that he's wrong. We've just had a huge fight about how he's always right so this should be fun....The baby is alert and lots of wet nappies and wet me when he decides to widdle while I'm changing him! I'm just worried he has constipation and isn't eating or isn't eating and it's causing constipation. This is a roller coaster!!

I’ve got 3 children. I’ve breastfed them all. I’m still breastfeeding my 2 year old. There’s nothing you can’t eat or drink. Infact, drinking alcohol whilst breastfeeding is the ideal time for a glass of wine because you’re sitting down and it hasn’t passed into your milk at all!

You might have a really efficient feeder. My number 3 was a speedy eater and was perfectly satisfied after 5 mins. If you’re getting plenty of wet nappies (and poo’s, although breastfed babies don’t always poo as often) and he’s bright and alert I wouldn’t worry.

Your DH is being a knob. But I think you know that

Eat the

@CustardCreamLover

What's his weight gain like? If that's OK then he's clearly getting enough. Tell your husband he has control issues, then get your HV to speak to him.

Chocolate is a source of calcium so essential in breast feeding mums.Not sure why it wouldn't be a problem when you were pregnant and your baby was getting nutrition directly from you but is when it's your milk!
Also you need your veg not overcooked to prevent you getting constipated.
Babies feeding are unpredictable.if they're happy,alert when awake and maintaining weight then they're fine.

Your DH needs some evidence based research, try the breastfeeding network website.
If you're concerned try and find a breastfeeding consultant to see in person. If you're getting wet nappies and still putting on weight, alert, all sounds good.
Mine has never had more than one side at a time as I was overpriducing at about 5 weeks, do you have a forceful letdown?

Holy moly! I'm a midwife and can confirm that you can eat anything! If you are cooking veg to mush you are likely reducing the nutritional value of them too...

The advice is that if you have lots of caffeine, you may have a more alert baby. For some, foods with lots of chilli may give the baby a more runny nappy but that shouldn't stop you eating it unless the baby is unsettled. Please go out and buy yourself a huge bar of chocolate to eat!

It's really unlikely that your baby is constipated. Breast milk is full of water and natural laxatives. It's quite normal for them not to produce loads of poo, breast milk is tailored uniquely to their needs so once they get settled into a rhythm there isn't much that needs to be turned into waste product. So long as the poo itself is soft you're fine (even if they do lots of over dramatic grunting and scrunching and straining to get it out!)

5 minutes is ok if your baby is an efficient feeder. You'll probably find he feeds more again soon when he hits his next growth spurt.

Is your husband always such a knob? Claiming to be always right, ignoring facts, dictating what you do with your body - he isn't coming across well here.

(Ps babies don't need their veg cooked to mush when they wean either, but that's a debate for another time!)

It's like he's got confused with what weaning babies can eat...

It's good for you to eat a wide and varied diet.

Is he controlling generally?

Good grief. Stop trying to convince him, people who are being unreasonable can't be reasoned with. Eat what you like. Tell him you're eating what you like. And to sod off and stop being a prick. You just grew, birthed and are now nourishing a whole human. You cannot be doing with pandering to nonsense.

Your baby's probably stopped eating in protest at the lack of chocolate in your system poor little bugger.

You can eat anything - well take precautions with alcohol (it can pass into your milk) and avoid high risk food poisoning foods - not that it will harm your baby but you can't feed if you are ill! Cooking to mush is worse because all the vitamins leach out.

You have to eat chocolate he's insane!! I don't know if they help but I made breast feeding cookies which were delicious, filling and easy to eat with one hand.

Tell him he can't eat them because they'll make him lactate ( he won't)

Once I made aloo gobi using up Cauliflower and my DD farted loads for the following couple of days and needed lots of leg cycling and tummy rubbing but it might have been a coincidence.

You can have a couple of drinks too.

You really need to nip this idea in the bud - that your body is any one else's responsibbility, that he has the right to try and control what you eat be ause of his baby etc.
Was he controlling during the pregnancy?

You can eat what you want. Is he always this controlling?

Your baby might just be a fast feeder - mine were. But best to keep an eye on him and ask an actual proper medical person (rather than your husband!) if you think there's a problem.

The food info is shite but you already know that! Does he think there’s a direct passage between your stomach and your milk? But the feeding stopping, I would find a local bfing clinic (maybe at your hospital) or post on the feeding pages here or phone an advice line - needs to be looked at.

Is it a control thing with these men? I’m pissed off on your behalf!

I’m breastfeeding my 3 week old and this shit is hard enough without some know it all arsehole trying to dictate your diet!
Eat all the chocolate OP, you’ve earned it. Breastfeeding is hard work, I’ve currently got a blocked duct and consoling myself with a cinnamon bun.

Only thing I know you can’t have is codeine.

You can eat what you want and you are burning loads of extra calories too, so you shouldn't be stinting yourself.

You may notice some foods have an affect on the baby - mine would usually have bad wind after I'd eaten anything spicy! I do agree that foods that are high-risk for food poisoning may be best avoided, only because you don't want to be dealing with a food-borne illness while your baby is so tiny. Last time I looked, that didn't include chocolate.

Ahh yes, the wonders of Dr Google. Absolutely everything is fine to eat and a little alcohol is also fine. It’s completely different to pregnancy food wise but you do still need to be careful with some medications.

Enjoy your chocolate.

Don't drink too much fruit juice, I decided to be healthy and drink orange juice and grapefruit juice whilst breastfeeding, cue baby projectile vomiting everywhere 😂

My husband has decided he has a medical degree

Did he buy it from the internet? or just decide he has one ?

A degree in what exactly ?

Oats are good so I recommend chocolate covered flapjacks. Do not share with your DH. Science DEFINATELY proves that if you share with DH his penis will fall off.

SleepingStandingUp made me lol

I ate everything in sight when I was BF. It was me who got fat, not DS. If I remember correctly breast milk contains what it contains and not much else. It's not like it's tastes of banana after you eat a banana etc (although mixed reviews about pineapple. I tested this theory and mine tasted the same....) Don't stress over it too much. Try and avoid anything which may lead to food poisoning

The only role your dh should have in what you eat while breastfeeding is making sure you have plenty of it and within arms reach. As many many other pp have said, eat what you like, literally nothing is off limits. When your husband can breastfeed the baby, he can worry about what he eats while he does so. Until then, your body, your choice. Baby will be fine.

I would also be very wary of this kind of controlling behaviour. It seems to me the first time baby gets nappy rash, or a sickness bug or whatever hes going to be looking to blame you for eating something wrong. Nip that in the bud now is my advice

I just like to share my scientific knowledge Serenity45. I got it from a cornflakes box, like OP's husband 😂
When I was expressing in hospital the milk must have been about 40% flapjack and 40% chocolate milk, 20% sandwiches and ready meals!