Does what you eat effect your BM?

[bessie26]

Last night DD2 (4wo) was unsettled during the night, more gassy than usual & woke every 1.5hrs whereas it's usually more like 4hrs.

I just wondered if it could have anything to do with the onion bhaji I ate that evening? DD1 suffered with gas too & I always wondered if it was related to my diet, but the people I asked all said that was an old wives tale & I shouldn't alter my diet....

Do you think it could be due to my diet? Or do I just make farty babies?!

What you eat does affect your bm. For example bf mums of lactose intolerant babies have to cut out dairy in their diet. Same with gluten. I've heard onions give babies onion breath. You can work out what upsets your baby by eliminating things in your diet.

it can alter the taste of the milk apparently, but is unlikely to give them wind. our wind comes from bubbles of gas in our digestive system and there aren't bubbles going into our bloodstream to make windy milk.

things like caffeine and alcohol will be in the milk in small amounts.

as mentioned above, if your baby had a specific intolerance, diet change might help.

I've only one DS and he was pretty windy at that age too, he seemed to grow out of it as he got bigger, i didn't change what i ate. maybe their wee digestive systems just settle down. :)

www.kellymom.com has some good info on this i think.

lilham - just a small point, but breastmilk is full of lactose regardless of what you eat, and lactose intolerance is very rare in babies! But cow's milk protein can go through breastmilk.

I agree with jaggythistle though, what you eat can alter the taste of bm but I don't see how something that gives you wind, can give a baby wind.

Agree with Ritamorgan: lilham you are confusing a lactose intolerance with a cow's milk protein allergy.

Bessie26 - in my personal experience of bfing three children, I can't say for certain that any food or drink negatively effected my breastmilk.

My ds supposedly had a cow's milk protein allergy and I cut down on cow's milk products, but I don't think it made much difference and he is now 2.7years, still bfing and has been discharged from the allergy clinic because he is no longer showing signs of any allergies.

Thanks for your replies! The Kelly Mom site has a specific page about bf & gassy babies and, as you say states that it can't be due to what I ate & is just down to an immature digestive system. I'm not sure whether to be pleased or not that there's nothing I can do about it!?

Definitely! My milk even chanegs colour. I get a grenny/blue hue to my milk frequently!! I drink loads of blackcurrant cordial! But in reality I dont think its that straightforward. Ive noticed a pattern of my milk changing in texture and colour throughout the day, as it gets nearer evening time, my milk tends to be thicker and creamier. In the morning its thinner, almost as though refreshing baby after a nights sleep!