Nursing mother's diet- Things to Avoid

Pregnancy comes with a long list of things of do’s and don’t’s. Breastfeeding diet is not as stringent. Basically,  you require a healthy diet with increased calorie intake. You just have to listen to your body cues to make little adjustments. For example, You might find beans too gassy while your friend hogged on them without a hitch. Its not unusual. Do not worry, do what your body needs.

 While you and your lactation consultant or nutritionist are the best people to decide on the post pregnancy diet, here are a few things that should be avoided:

1.       Coffee- The amount of caffeine in your diet should be minimal to avoid over stimulating you child. She may be fussy and not sleep properly because of it.

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   Chocolate- while a small piece will not do any harm, if you are having coffee, tea or energy drinks, it’ll tip the caffeine content on higher side. Your baby might not tolerate it.

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3.       Medicines- while it is better to avoid medicines altogether, sometimes you might need them, like migraine medicines. Kindly check with your doctor for the dosage.

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4.       Fish- Be selective about the fish that you eat. Some fishes like shark, white tuna, king mackeral and swordfish retain methyl mercury.  This compound can damage your baby’s nervous system if you eat them

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5.       Avoid raw foods for a few weeks- there always a chance of infection with these foods, avoid them for initial few weeks, after which you will be strong enough to eat them.

6.       Artificial sweeteners- although research is required to prove the effects of artificial sweeteners on a newborn, it’s better to opt for natural sweeteners like honey, jaggery and maple syrup.

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7.       Caffeinated /carbonated beverages- most of the colas are just flavour added with sugar and soda. Keep the fizzy drinks away as they don’t fulfil any of your nutritional needs. In fact they harm the protective layer of the teeth and leach calcium out of your bones. Also, they contribute to obesity, which I don’t think you want!!

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8.       Alcohol- even if you enjoy it, please abstain from drinking alcohol during this period. Intake of alcohol will affect the motor skill development of children. It also passes into the milk very easily and impacts the intake of milk in the child. She reduces her feeding. The CDC advises to drink alcohol moderately and avoid feeding after 2 hrs of having a drink.

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9.       Tobacco – It is detrimental to your health and bad for the baby.The second hand smoke is a reason to worry about not only your lungs, but of your baby too! It has no known health benefits and is very addictive. Kindly refrain from smoking or tobacco chewing.

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In India, traditionally ayurvedic medicines are given to new mother for the initial 30—45 days period after delivery. Many of these foods also help the body heal and get through the post-partum trauma.The studies on these are very few and inconclusive. But many preparations are having ingredients beneficial to the mother.

We will discuss about them in the upcoming post. So stay tuned..and..Welcome to motherhood!