{"id":31612,"date":"2022-08-24T20:28:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T20:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=31612"},"modified":"2022-08-24T20:28:04","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T20:28:04","slug":"foods-to-avoid-while-breastfeeding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/foods-to-avoid-while-breastfeeding\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit While Breastfeeding"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, you\u2019ve welcomed your little one into the world\u2014congrats! You\u2019ll need to keep your strength up if you choose to breastfeed your baby. But while your diet doesn\u2019t need to be quite as strict as it was during pregnancy, there are some foods to avoid while breastfeeding<\/a>. Nutrition experts explain everything you need to know.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

Most women know the importance of being cautious about what they eat, drink, and do while pregnant, but few realize that much of this behavior continues for as long as they are breastfeeding. Even though your pregnancy journey is over, there are still some foods to avoid while breastfeeding. That\u2019s because the bulk of the nutrients that make up a mother\u2019s breast milk come directly from her own diet, meaning some of what she consumes can seep into her breastmilk and be delivered to her growing and still-developing baby.<\/p>\n\n\n

For this reason, optimal postpartum nutrition<\/a> is key. \u201cA nutrient-dense diet full of complex carbs that include fiber<\/a>, healthy fats<\/a>, and protein<\/a>, plus adequate hydration, can help heal your body, stave off bone loss, replenish your iron stores, and much, much more,\u201d says Lisa Bruno, RDN<\/a>, a registered dietitian and owner of Well Done Nutrition<\/a>. \u201cIf you are breastfeeding, you also have to stay conscious of consuming enough calories to support the energy your body is using to produce breast milk, as you might need to eat a little more\u2014about an additional 330 to 400 calories a day\u2014to give you the energy and nutrition to produce milk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

To help keep your baby healthy and thriving in the months post-birth a nursing mom not only has to be calorie- and nutrient-cautious, but they also have to watch out for certain foods\u2014and drinks\u2014that could be potentially harmful to their baby. Luckily, the nursing period<\/a> comes with fewer restrictions than the pregnancy period, but there are still a few that should be avoided or, at best, kept to a minimum, for the optimal health and safety of your growing baby. Here, nutrition pros share the beverages and foods to avoid while breastfeeding.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

What Not to Eat (or Drink) While Breastfeeding, According to Experts<\/h2>\n\n\n

1. Alcohol<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can you drink while breastfeeding? You\u2019re already accustomed to avoiding alcohol<\/a> during pregnancy, as it\u2019s been linked to a myriad of health problems that could occur in a developing fetus, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>, but you may not have realized that imbibing can also be harmful while you\u2019re breastfeeding. \u201cAlcohol is transferred into breast milk, and the effects of alcohol on a breastfeeding infant are directly related to the amount mom consumes,\u201d warns Elizabeth Ward<\/a>, RDN, author of Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy<\/em><\/a>. \u201c<\/em>The more a mother drinks, the higher the alcohol level of her breast milk.\u201d The CDC<\/a> warns that consuming more than one drink per day while breastfeeding could have a negative impact on an infant\u2019s development, growth, and sleep<\/a> patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n

You might have heard of the old \u201cpump and dump\u201d technique, which involves imbibing and then \u201cdumping\u201d your breastmilk out either by pumping or manually expressing it out and getting rid of the milk. According to the CDC<\/a>, this technique does not reduce the amount of alcohol that is present in your body or milk any quicker than if you let it digest naturally.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth pointing out, however, that most medical practitioners agree that an occasional drink is likely safe, as long as you\u2019re cautious about the amount and timing. \u201cAlcohol levels are usually highest in breast milk 30 to 60 minutes after an alcoholic beverage is consumed and can be generally detected in breast milk for about two to three hours per drink after it is consumed,\u201d says Bruno.<\/p>\n\n\n

2. Coffee and Caffeine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Your morning cup of joe is probably not something you\u2019re willing to give up easily\u2014especially during those foggy first few months of newborn life where sleep is hard to come by. So, can you drink coffee while breastfeeding? While you don\u2019t have to totally eliminate coffee and caffeine while breastfeeding, it is a good idea to monitor your intake. Research published in the peer-reviewed journal Swiss Medical<\/em><\/a> Weekly has shown that some caffeine can end up in breastmilk. This can be an issue, according to Bruno, because babies have a hard time breaking down caffeine. \u201cIt can accumulate, and in return, your baby could be irritable and have trouble sleeping,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

The CDC<\/a> recommends limiting caffeine intake to no more than 200-300 mg daily, equivalent to about two to three cups of coffee, depending on the strength.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

3. Some Seafood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Fish can be a nutrient-rich protein that can be quite beneficial for both mom and baby. \u201cSpecifically, two types of omega-3 fatty acids <\/a>found in fish are important for brain development in infants\u2014docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),\u201d says Bruno. But can you eat seafood while breastfeeding? Unfortunately, certain fish contain more mercury than others, so it\u2019s a good idea to be choosy when selecting which fish to eat while pregnant or nursing. \u201cMercury is a metal that can be toxic and acute high-level exposure could affect your infant\u2019s central nervous system,\u201d says Bruno. She recommends avoiding fish such as, bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish, and tilefish. Instead, Bruno suggests choosing fish like salmon, light canned tuna, Atlantic mackerel, catfish, clams, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, mullet, oysters, and pollock.<\/p>\n\n\n

We know what you\u2019re thinking: Can I eat sushi while breastfeeding? Good news\u2014sushi and sashimi are safe to eat while breastfeeding if you\u2019re choosing high-quality, low-mercury fish.<\/p>\n\n\n

4. Certain Herbal Supplements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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During pregnancy, you may have been instructed by your healthcare provider about the best vitamins to take and avoid while pregnant<\/a>, including a prenatal vitamin<\/a>. But there are certain herbal supplements<\/a> you also want to avoid while breastfeeding because research<\/a> is fairly inconclusive as to their safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

These are a few herbs to avoid while breastfeeding, according to Nicole M. Avena<\/a>, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Visiting Professor of Health Psychology at Princeton University and author of What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n