Breastfeeding - Diet How Does It Affect Baby?

by LisaC

The old saying “you are what you eat” is doubly true for the breastfeeding mother because what she eats so does her baby. Now, that being said, most foods are safe to eat for a breastfeeding mother and she should get around 2500 calories a day and eat a healthy and well balanced diet.
That’s actually relatively easily done as most moms have been eating a balanced healthy diet all the way through the pregnancy. Foods that mom enjoys are not out of the question in moderation and baby is likely to benefit as long as mother gets an adequate diet from each of the four food groups.

However, there are some foods that can be irritation to very young infants. Infants have poorly developed digestive systems at first, and things that mom can easily handle and love might irritate the infant.
For instance, highly spiced foods might cause some intestinal upsets in baby, such as salsa or pizza. Gassy foods such as onions, bell peppers or broccoli or beans might irritate the infant as well. This could cause fussiness that usually goes away after a day or so. Gas builds up in the baby’s intestines and this can be very uncomfortable. Generally as the infant matures the offending foods can be added back to the breastfeeding mother’s diet and they can usually begin to tolerate them when their digestive tract is more developed.
Caffeine and chocolate can be problematic to the infant breastfeeding and should be taken in moderation as caffeine is passed through the breast milk and can make some babies restless or irritable.

On the other side of the coin there are true allergies that some infants might have and these do not go away in a day or so and can even cause skin problems, rashes, irritability, vomiting and a host of other symptoms.
The very first thing to do if a mother suspects a baby has food allergies is to consult a pediatrician. Many times the allergy can be ruled out or pinpointed with a few simple tests and the offending food item removed from the mother’s diet, then all is well with the infant.

Other times though it requires more testing and a lot of determination on the part of the mother to track down the problem food.
With the help of a professional, an infant with food allergies can continue to be breastfed and mom will have a much happier healthier baby.
It’s rare in this day and age for a physician to recommend discontinuing breastfeeding due to an infant’s food allergy, even with infants allergic to milk. Instead, diet modification on the mother’s part is usually recommended and succeeds.

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August 29, 2009   No Comments

Weaning A Breastfed Baby

by LisaC

When to wean a breastfed baby is a very controversial subject. Some people are in favor of extending breastfeeding lasting well beyond 2 years and others prefer a lesser time.

It’s up to the parents to decide when the time is right or them and for their baby to wean. Work and other obligations might make breastfeeding beyond a year impossible or very difficult for some, while other mothers might continue to breastfeed up to 4 years and beyond. Those choices are right for those parents. However, at some point it will become time for the child to be weaned from the breast.

Weaning some breastfed children is simple because they are ready and they do not feel rejected at all when weaning takes place. However, other children in particular toddlers may have a harder time of it.
In that case the easiest way for mom’s body and for the child to wean is gradually reducing the number of breastfeedings per day. Mom’s body becomes used to producing less milk over a period of time and the child gets used to missing a nursing here and there. It comes gradually and easily for many.

One thing most everyone agrees on about the process of weaning a breastfed chilld is that touching though the weaning process is very important. The child might be missing that special closeness that nursing provides and extra hugs and cuddles can ease that immensely.

If the breastfed child is a toddler then praising them can be a very good positive reinforcement during the weaning process. Parents should be free with praises and tell them what a big boy or girl they are for drinking from the cup or accepting a glass of juice instead of nursing.
Remember that every child is individual and what works for one might not for another, persistence is the key here.

Gradual weaning if at all possible is easiest on both mom and baby because suddenly stopping breastfeeding can be very uncomfortable for mom and lead to breast engorgement and possible mastitis and it can also be very confusing and scary for the child to be denied the comfort he has known from infancy.

If the baby is under a year old then a bottle will be necessary since infants that age need the extra iron and supplements in formula. The mom may have to try several different types of nipples to find one that the infant will accept easily. Again, if possible try and wean gradually to reduce the impact on mom’s body and so give the infant time to adjust too.

A mom who pays extra attention to her baby during the weaning process can ease weaning as well as strengthen the bond between mother and child.

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August 26, 2009   1 Comment