What should I avoid eating when breastfeeding and what about booze?

[parsleymad]

Hi
Just gave birth yesterday to my 3rd but can't remember all the things you shouldn't eat in case they make the baby windy/uncomfortable. And what about a glass of wine?

You shouldn't have to give up anything whilst BF and alcohol is fine in moderation. Only very few babies are senistive to their mother's diet.

Congratulations on your baby!

I'm 99.9% sure that no food has ever been proven to cause a baby wind or anything else like that via breastmilk. I'm sure someone else will confirm. You might decide your baby reacts to cetain things but there are no general rules.

As for booze...I've bf DS sober, I've bf him after a glass or two, and I've bf him after many glasses (e.g. weddings). It seems to make absolutely no difference at all. So, a glass will be fine I'm sure!

Congratulations!

Alcohol only lasts as long in your breastmilk as it does in your blood so their is no need to 'pump and dump' and only tiny amounts pass into your milk anyway. I doubt you will be planning on a huge bender so the odd glass of wine will be fine.

parsley congratulations!

i only have 2 so not an expert- however my first was very gassy and colicky, i avoided all green leafy veg, lentils, sparkling water, garlic etc. made no difference. with dd2 i ate everything and even drank the odd glass of wine, and she was never upset. if i were you i'd just wait and see if you've got a gassy baby, you may not need to deprive yourself of anything!

Thanks so much all of you, you are all so encouraging!!

I have had to stop eating chilli (well, it was a lot, and every day) and DS has stopped having such painful farts.

There is nothing you have to avoid while breastfeeding....unlike the recommendations in pregnancy. Some babies will be more sensitive to some foods but it will simply be a trial and error process. If you feel something might be bothering your baby, eliminate it, or at least cut back on it, and see if it makes any difference.
The occasional drink is fine...if it causes you concern, you can always feed baby before you have the drink.

Recent thinking about colic in babies (Chloe Fisher) suggests that colicky behaviour is far more to do with latch and other physical breastfeeding issues than anything you're eating, and she sees no link between the hoary old 'culprits' of tomatoes, onions, cabbage etc, and painful wind and colicky behaviour in babies.

Personally, I never noticed a difference in response from DS when I ate various things - he was (is) a milk monster regardless! I do drink a little in the evenings - a few units a week, spread out very leanly. It leaves the milk at the same rate it leaves the bloodstream - approximately one unit per hour. And the amount is pretty negligible, as TBOM said earlier.

Enjoy feeding your new baby!