You’ve been cutting back on your food and drink intake for the past nine months to make sure that nothing you put in your mouth will harm your developing child.
You still need to watch what you eat now that you are nursing your child. Therefore, in order to improve their breast milk production and obtain critical nutrients, breastfeeding moms must continue to eat on a regular basis.
Fish
You don’t need to abandon fish completely, but you need to be selective about what types of seafood you eat. Some fishes can be high in mercury, which can find its way into your milk supply. So, before you eat any fish especially the packaged ones, ensure it does not have mercury.
Alcohol
Alcohol can get into your breast milk and can negatively affect your child. It is advisable to avoid it but if you have to drink, it will take 1-2 hours for it to dissolve. That means you have to wait for that number of hours if you do not want to feed your baby with breast milk mixed with alcohol. Just don’t drink alcohol.
Caffeine
For women who love coffee, they have to wait after breastfeeding before they resume drinking it. It’s important to know that caffeine also finds its way into your breast milk. If this is the case, your baby’s body will be unable to process the caffeine as quickly as an adult’s body. You do not want to keep your baby awake.
Garlic and ginger
Garlic and ginger can smell in your breastmilk. If you find that your baby is reluctant to nurse, it may be because you have eaten garlic or ginger.
Dairy products
Normally, breastfeeding your baby with milk or other dairy products in the early stages of breastfeeding is not encouraged. It can affect the full development of your baby. So, you should avoid downing milk or any other dairy products.
