Foods to avoid when breastfeeding baby with gas

What You Can Do To Help Your Gassy Breastfed Baby

What You Can Do To Help Your Gassy Breastfed Baby | Medela

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Signs and Solutions For Gassy Breastfed Babies

What are some common culprits behind your baby's gassiness? Learn the signs, foods that may cause gassiness in your baby, and how to soothe and relieve his or her symptoms.

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As a new parent, it can be stressful and upsetting to see and hear your baby cry. That’s especially true if you've checked off all the usual suspects— dirty diaper, empty belly, discomfort, or over-tiredness —and you still can’t seem to soothe your little one.

Gas is something that many newborns experience, and it can be painful for them! It isn't always the first thing that parents remember to consider, since it's not something easily visible.

Signs Your Breastfed Baby is Gassy

If you suspect excess gas could be the culprit causing your baby’s fussiness, there are several signs that may indicate you are correct:

Burping. It’s possible your baby has swallowed too much air while nursing or crying for a long period.
Spitting up. While spitting up is perfectly normal, gas that’s trapped in the stomach can push breast milk back up and cause your baby to spit up.
Bloated tummy. This could be a sign that gas has built up in your baby’s stomach.
Flatulence. Every baby toots, but if they’re doing so excessively, it could mean they have excess gas.
Arched back, legs drawn toward the tummy. The discomfort from gas pains will make a baby try to adjust to alleviate it.

Gassy Baby Causes

Gas in a breastfed baby is not uncommon and can be attributed to several factors:

Gulping while feeding. If your milk let-down reflex is strong, your baby may gulp your milk to keep up and swallow extra air in the process. If that’s the case, your little one may do better nursing in a more upright position, so he or she has better control over milk intake and flow.
Introducing a bottle. If your baby is used to the breast and you begin feeding with a bottle, it may take some getting used to at first. As a result, he or she may swallow too much air while eating.
Constipation. When your baby is constipated, they may have gas trapped in their tummies that they’re having a hard time releasing.
Crying. If your baby has been crying for a long time, they may be gulping in air in the process.
Mom’s diet. Food that you’ve eaten can make your baby gassy as well. Certain foods such as dairy, soy or wheat may contribute to gassiness in your little one. Keep a food journal of what you eat to see if you can pinpoint the culprit in your diet.

Foods That Make Breastfed Babies Gassy

Though a baby’s gas is not commonly linked to mom’s diet, there are certain gas-inducing foods that could give both a breastfeeding mom and her baby gas. These include:

Fiber. Foods like bran, beans, and whole grains.
Fruit. Citrus fruits, prunes, plums, peaches, or apricots.
Vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts.
Garlic. Garlic-seasoned foods like pasta dishes or garlic bread.
Dairy. Yogurt, ice cream, or milk products.
Carbonated beverages. If they make you burp, they could make your baby gassy too.

It’s not necessary to give up all your favorite foods when pregnant and/or breastfeeding. Health experts recommend only making dietary changes if you see a direct connection between something you’ve eaten and your baby's gassiness.

Additionally, if you’re still breastfeeding after your little one begins solids or finger foods, it’s easier to detect what food might be the culprit and then eliminate it.

Relieving Gassy Babies

There are several effective ways to help relieve your baby’s gas pains and soothe them. Try a combination of these to find what works best for your little one.

Burp twice. Try to coax two burps out of your baby instead of just one.
Sit upright. Hold your baby in an upright position while burping. This makes it easier to expel gas.
Tummy time. Laying your baby on their tummy will help to push gas out.
Bicycle exercises. Put your baby on his or her back and move their legs in a pedaling motion, similar to cycling on a bike. This helps with constipation as well.
Massage the tummy. A gentle massage can help move gas out.
Adjust baby’s latch. Make sure your baby is latching correctly to avoid swallowing too much air.

Don't worry, mama - Gas is typically a normal occurrence and most babies experience gassiness from time to time! With some minor adjustments, you can soothe your little one and help them get through the discomfort of gas.

Foods to Eat or Avoid When Breastfeeding

Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on June 26, 2022

It’s a good source of protein. Some, like salmon and tuna, also give you omega-3s, which your body needs. But what about mercury and other contaminants? You can have cooked seafood twice per week. Each serving can be up to 6 ounces, which is the size of two decks of cards. Choose types that are lower in mercury, such as salmon, tilapia, and trout. Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, which have high levels of mercury.

Love hot sauce? Most babies can handle it and other fiery foods in your diet. But if your little one is gassy or colicky and gets diarrhea every time you sprinkle red pepper flakes over your pizza, cut back on the heat for a few weeks to see if that helps.

They’re full of flavor. But some herbs may affect how much milk your body makes. For instance, eating a lot of parsley could curb lactation. And too much sage and peppermint may cut your milk supply. For some nursing moms, even peppermint-flavored toothpaste and candies are a problem.

It’s rarely a problem. But see how your baby does. Tell your pediatrician if your tot gets skin problems, has trouble breathing after breastfeeding, or has other symptoms.

As refreshing as your cup of chai or Earl Grey may be, it has some downsides. It’s got caffeine, which can affect your sleep – and your baby’s. It may also make it harder for your body to absorb iron, which you need for energy. If you drink hot or iced tea, try not to sip it when you eat foods that are rich in iron, such as lean meat; dark, leafy greens; and fortified breakfast cereals.

What if you aren’t allergic, and you want to prevent your baby from developing an allergy? Sorry, but there’s no proof that you can do that by skipping specific foods. Cutting certain foods out of your diet may make the skin condition eczema less likely for your little one. Ask your doctor or pediatrician for advice.

Breastfeeding can make you thirstier than you usually are. If that’s the case, drink a glass of water every time you breastfeed. But no matter how parched you feel, don’t go for regular sodas or fruit drinks, which give you calories without nutrition.

It's best for your baby if you don't have any booze at all. But if you do choose to drink, don’t breastfeed until the alcohol has completely cleared your milk. For 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor, wait at least 3 hours. Pumping doesn’t speed that up.

Common culprits include beans, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Bloating, burping, and passing gas are normal. But if your baby is gassy or has colic, avoid these foods for a few weeks to see whether they relieve the symptoms.

Both have caffeine. You’ll also find it in energy drinks and cola. If you’re lost without your latte, limit yourself to 2-3 cups per day of the brewed kind. Or you could switch to decaf.

IMAGES PROVIDED BY:

1) Getty

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6) Getty, iStock

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SOURCES:

Mayo Clinic.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

La Leche League.

The American Academy of Pediatrics.

U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Breastfeeding diet

A woman's life changes with the birth of a child. All other problems fade into the background. The main goal is to take care of the baby. In order for a child to grow up strong and healthy, he needs good nutrition. Breastfeeding allows the baby to receive a vital complex of vitamins and nutrients. However, so that when breastfeeding the baby does not have additional problems in the form of colic or allergic reactions, the mother needs to follow a diet while breastfeeding.

Why a diet is needed

Balanced nutrition

Is a diet really necessary when breastfeeding?

In order for the child to get enough nutrients, the mother needs to eat foods rich in vital vitamins and minerals.

Please note! The mother's diet should be based on the principles of a healthy diet.

Do not go to extremes. Knowing that she takes food not only for herself, but also for the child, many women begin to eat 2 times more. This has a detrimental effect on the health of a woman due to excessive stress. Or, in an effort to return to their usual forms after the birth of a baby, women go on a strict diet. It also adversely affects the quality of breast milk.

Do not think that the diet of a nursing mother implies strict restrictions in everything. The main thing is to follow a proper and balanced diet.

Expert advice

Proper nutrition for breastfeeding women

In order for the baby to receive all the necessary nutrients in sufficient quantities, and the mother’s body to recover quickly after childbirth, it is recommended to follow the basic advice of breastfeeding experts:

Try to keep a daily routine and eat at the same time.
Try to eliminate processed foods, canned foods, smoked and spicy foods from your diet.
The mother's main diet should include the following useful substances: protein, carbohydrates, fats.
It is very useful to eat greens. It stimulates the gastrointestinal tract well.
If a mother experiences mild discomfort, dizziness, nausea while breastfeeding, she needs to drink a glass of warm compote or tea with biscuits or unsweetened pastries.

Allergy risk

Allergy risk

Many young mothers are concerned about the question: is it possible to eat foods that cause allergies while breastfeeding.

It is not recommended to eat foods that can cause allergies in the mother or child in the first months of his life. When the baby reaches the age of 4-5 months, you can gradually begin to introduce additional foods into the mother's diet.

Please note! Take them in small portions in the morning. After taking it, you should monitor the condition of the child for several days.

If there is no allergic reaction, you can continue to eat such foods.

If you notice that with the introduction of a new product in the diet, the baby's stool has changed, and a rash has appeared, postpone its use for several months.

Products - allergens

Foods that can cause an allergic reaction:

Citrus fruits
Coffee and cocoa
Chocolate and chocolates
Nuts
Eggs
Dairy products from cow's milk
Seafood

You can start eating them after the baby is six months old. At this age, the main allergens practically do not penetrate into the mother's milk and are safe for the baby.

It is worth remembering that if the child is prone to allergic reactions, it is necessary to continue natural breastfeeding as long as possible, and postpone the start of complementary feeding to a later date. Optimally - after 1 year.

Basic restrictions

What not to eat while breastfeeding

There are a huge number of products in the world that can cause irreparable harm to the health of not only the mother, but also the child. A nursing mother should be careful when eating.

Thus, the following foods should be completely excluded:

Foods that cause an allergic reaction
Soups with meat and fish broths
Pickled products
Sour food
Sweet dishes
Salty food
Garlic
Carbonated drinks

Apples, watermelon, melon, coffee can be consumed in limited quantities, provided that the child does not have an allergic reaction to these products.

Eliminate smoking, alcohol and drugs

For the formation of a healthy child's body, a nursing mother is strictly forbidden to use:

Alcohol
Narcotic substances

Remember that smoking is also harmful to the body of both mother and child.

Recommended products

Turkey cutlets

The main food should be rich in nutrients and contain the necessary amount of useful vitamins and minerals. What should a mother eat while breastfeeding?

Eat foods rich in protein. For example, fish, turkey, veal, rabbit. It is acceptable to eat lean pork.

Dairy products

Calcium is very useful for a child. It is found in the following products: cottage cheese, natural kefir, drinking yogurt, low-fat sour cream.
Food rich in fats. Their body receives from olive, vegetable and butter oils.
Fruit. They should be used with caution. You can start with apples, gradually adding other fruits to your diet. Make sure that they contain a minimum amount of acids.
Vegetables. Limit yourself to greenery. Other types of vegetables are best consumed boiled or in the form of stews.

Bread rolls

Flour products. It is highly recommended not to eat fresh white bread. Better buy dark bread, preferably bran. It should not be consumed fresh. Ideally, bread for the diet of a nursing mother should be yesterday's. Homemade shortbread cookies and bread are also allowed.
Sweet dishes. Give preference to natural products. They should contain a minimum amount of sugar. Allowed to use jam, marshmallow, marshmallows without chocolate, marmalade. Remember that sugary foods should be consumed in limited quantities.

Proper drinking

Drink more

Speaking about the diet of a nursing mother, one cannot but mention such an important aspect as the organization of drinking.

Please note! For the normal process of lactation of the mother, it is necessary to consume an increased amount of liquid per day.

So, to the usual 2 liters of fluid per day for a nursing mother, you need to add up to 1 liter of fluid per day. It doesn't have to be water. You can take the following types of drink:

Unsweetened compote
Tea
Milk
Natural juice

Increased fluid intake should be started gradually. At the same time, monitor the condition of your child.

Mother's diet and medicines

Medicines

A woman's body weakened by childbirth is susceptible to various diseases. In many cases, for their effective treatment, the doctor prescribes antibiotics. How will drugs affect the lactation process?

Ask a specialist if the prescribed medicine can be used while breastfeeding. If not, check if lactation-safe analogues of the drug can be taken.

why a mother's diet should be balanced, what foods are not allowed, and which ones are possible with breastfeeding

Are there any nutritional restrictions for a nursing mother? Are there really forbidden foods that can cause allergies in a child?

The maternity hospital gave you a diet to follow while breastfeeding. How strictly should it be followed? Do I need to increase portions and drink more fluids to get a lot of milk? I also heard that some products, such as lemons, can spoil the taste of milk, and the child will refuse to breastfeed altogether. This is true?

Vika Vishnyakova

nutritionist

Author profile

The diet of a nursing mother is an old myth that still lives in some Russian maternity hospitals and children's clinics.

The more varied the mother's diet during breastfeeding, the more health bonuses both she and her baby will receive. Most likely, with a balanced and varied diet, your weight will return to pre-pregnancy, but even if this has not happened yet, the breastfeeding period is not the best time to lose weight. You need to provide yourself and your baby with the proper level of nutrients, and this is difficult to do on rigid diets.

However, there are still foods that you should stay away from. I'll tell you more about everything.

What the science says about nutrition during breastfeeding

The diet of a nursing mother appeared at a time when knowledge about the nature of allergies was not enough. Not fully understanding the whole mechanism of its appearance, doctors, just in case, postponed acquaintance with potential allergens until later. It was believed that by the age of three, the child's immune system would mature and be able to withstand the encounter with the allergen.

What to do? 08/13/20

What should I do if I suspect I have an allergy?

In reality, everything turned out differently: the earlier the child got acquainted with the potential allergen, the lower was the risk that he would develop an allergy. In modern recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of food allergies in children, mothers are advised not to limit the diet, but to try to make it more varied.

Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in Children - KFAPDF, KB 361

This is the position of leading child health organizations: the best nutrition for a mother during breastfeeding is a balanced and varied diet.

Healthy Diet During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding - WHO European OfficePDF, KB 93

Breastfeeding Diet - US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

all five food groups:

Vegetables and fruits.
Complex carbohydrates: cereals, bread, potatoes.
Protein sources.
Dairy products.
Fats and oils.

And you also need to maintain diversity in each group. For example, eat vegetables and fruits of different colors, use not only meat, but also fish, eggs and legumes with nuts from protein sources.

Breastfeeding Mom's Diet Advice - US Department of Health

And the ratio of animal to vegetable proteins should be approximately the same. Among complex carbohydrates, you should give preference to whole grains and also do not forget about diversity. It turns out that buckwheat and boiled turkey for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day is not a healthy diet option for mom.

Breastfeeding - European Community of Pediatrics, Gastroenterologists, Hepatologists and Nutritionists Commentary

Health Canada Diet

If your diet is balanced and varied, do not take supplements or multivitamins, except for vitamin D. They are needed in rare cases when the diet of a nursing mother is poor or there are health problems. But the doctor should prescribe the composition and dosage of supplements during breastfeeding.

Your appetite will probably increase, this is normal. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a breastfeeding mother may need up to 500 calories in excess of her usual calorie intake to ensure adequate milk supply. But those 500 calories should come from healthier food sources, not soda chips.

/guide/vitamins/

Vitamins: what foods contain and how to supplement

Why a balanced diet is important

Such a diet will help maintain the health of the mother and provide the necessary nutrients to the child. During breastfeeding, it is important to provide yourself with the proper amount of energy, protein, and some important micronutrients: iron, calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid.

These micronutrients may not be enough, because during pregnancy and the onset of breastfeeding, some of them are spent on the needs of the fetus, and then the baby. You can get these substances from dark green vegetables: spinach, broccoli, green beans, as well as dairy products, eggs, legumes, meat and fish.

/life/laktaciya/

How much does breastfeeding cost? . In addition, the child is more likely to follow the family's eating style as they grow older. The more varied and healthier your diet, the greater the chances of accustoming a child to it.

But unhealthy eating habits can lead to future weight gain and negatively affect food cravings. A study of 1,459 mother-baby pairs found that high body mass index and unhealthy eating habits were more common among children whose mothers followed the so-called Western style of eating, which is high in ultra-processed foods, high-calorie, sweet and fatty.

What not to be afraid of in the diet

Mothers often blame their diet on the baby's restless behavior or minor skin rashes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that only 2-3 out of 100 breastfeeding babies are allergic to any food in the mother's diet.

But by blaming everything on food, we mask the real problem or, conversely, overestimate the significance of some ordinary phenomena, such as newborn acne or prickly heat. If in doubt what kind of rash it is, talk to a competent pediatrician. If the pediatrician suspects a connection between a child’s poor health and food, he will ask you to keep a food diary - this way there will be a potential culprit.

/colic/

How to help a newborn with colic

By eliminating this product for 1-2 weeks, you will either confirm the hypothesis or continue to look for another suspect. But you don’t need to immediately remove all products: this can lead to an imbalance in nutrition, fatigue, nervousness and poor health.

If a pediatrician forbids eating certain foods without complaints about the child's well-being, this is a reason to look for a second opinion. Here are the foods that pediatricians often ban.

Cow's milk. In those children who have a reaction to their mother's food, most often it happens to cow's milk: the baby may experience abdominal discomfort, colic, skin rash.

But excluding cow's milk in advance, just in case, will not lead to the prevention of allergies in a child. On the contrary, a 2021 Swedish study found that babies whose mothers drink relatively more cow's milk during breastfeeding have a lower risk of developing food allergies than those whose mothers drink little or no milk. The same is true for other potential allergens: if they are excluded, this will not help to avoid allergies in the future, but, on the contrary, will increase the risk of its occurrence.

No need to remove potential allergens from the diet

Valentina Suvorova

pediatric allergist-immunologist

There are foods that are potentially allergenic: milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy. To date, there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend that breastfeeding mothers restrict their diet. There are no differences in the prevalence of allergic diseases in the groups of nursing mothers who avoided milk, eggs and other allergens, and mothers who did not follow any diet.

Fish. Separately, it should be said about fish: it is an important part of a balanced diet for any person, especially a nursing mother. Eating fish affects the proper development of the brain and nervous system of the child and reduces the risks of obesity, asthma and allergies in him at an older age.

Mom's fish intake and baby's cognitive development - MDPIPDF, 523KB

Omega-3s and reducing the risk of allergies in the unborn baby - PLOS Medicine

Two servings a week are enough to keep mother and baby healthy. One serving is your palm without fingers.

Limit swordfish, marlin, bigeye tuna, king mackerel or shark. This is due to the high risk of exceeding the permissible level of mercury in their meat. Such types of fish are rarely found in Russia, but if you live in another country or order them specially from afar, then show moderation. It is better to give preference to other options: salmon, herring, saury, cod.

Foods that give mom gas. There is a myth that a mother and her baby have the same reaction to foods. In reality, gases from the gastrointestinal tract of the mother cannot enter the bloodstream and from there into breast milk, so the discomfort in the mother does not mean the obligatory colic in the baby.

However, when food is digested, certain proteins enter the bloodstream and can then pass into mother's milk. Some children may be sensitive to protein and react to it with increased gas production and nervousness. The reaction can be to any product, even to buckwheat or a green apple, and you can find out with the help of a food diary.

How food passes into breast milk - La Leche Liga

Garlic, spices, spices may change the taste of breast milk, but this does not mean that they should be eliminated. The breastfeeding support association La Leche Liga believes that regular consumption of these products will help the child get used to the family diet before introducing complementary foods. Babies begin to get used to these aromas even in the stomach, when they swallow amniotic fluid, so spices should not be ruled out during pregnancy.

What should be limited in the diet

The probability that a child will feel bad from some product in your diet is small, but still there. Therefore, some products should be consumed in limited quantities, and some should be completely excluded for the GV period.

Alcohol. The safest option is not to drink alcohol during breastfeeding. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that sometimes you can drink a glass of wine, but in the next 2 hours after drinking, you should not feed your baby. Even without HB, there is no safe dose of alcohol, each glass is your personal choice and risk. And during breastfeeding, it is also a responsibility for the life and health of the baby.

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Thermally processed products of animal origin. These are fish, meat and eggs. If you eat them raw, you can become infected with dangerous bacteria: listeria, salmonella, or botulinum bacteria. They are not transmitted through breast milk, but are not safe for the mother herself - you will probably have to take antibiotics, and this may affect the preservation of breastfeeding. That is, it's not about the products, but about the cooking method: if you want a steak, don't deny yourself, but ask for a well-dan. The same with sushi and lightly salted fish: take baked rolls or hot types of fish, and instead of poached eggs - normally boiled.

Coffee. The recommended amount of caffeine is up to 300 mg per day. How many mugs it is depends on the method of preparation. The baby may have a reaction to coffee, as well as to any product, but this is an infrequent occurrence.