{"id":1567,"date":"2020-09-24T21:43:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T21:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/?p=1567"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:32:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:32:58","slug":"what-foods-should-breastfeeding-moms-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letmommysleep.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/24\/what-foods-should-breastfeeding-moms-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"What Foods Should Be Avoided When Breastfeeding?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

updated December 29, 2023 <\/em><\/strong>What Foods Should Be Avoided When Breastfeeding<\/em>? is a common question for night nurses and lactation counselors. As the primary food source for their baby, it’s natural that a parent would worry that the foods they eat could irritate their newborns stomach, or affect milk production. But don’t worry, the short answer is that you can eat almost anything! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Does What I Ingest Affect My Baby?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Conventional wisdom keeps reinforcing the myth that spicy foods, gassy foods and acidic ingredients ingested by a breastfeeding mom make a fussy baby. But this is just not true<\/a>.  Breastmilk is made from what passes into your bloodstream<\/em>, not from what goes into your stomach or digestive tract. That\u2019s why ingesting alcohol and then breastfeeding affects your infant, but eating spicy Tandoori does not<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, broccoli and cruciferous vegetable are known for making people feel a little gassy. But, while broccoli may make your stomach <\/em>feel gassy, it does not affect your newborn or infant. KellyMom explains: Neither the gas nor the undigested carbohydrates (whose breakdown can cause gas in mom) pass into mom’s blood, so it is impossible for these things to pass into your milk to make your baby gassy<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breastmilk is made from what passes into your bloodstream<\/em>, not from what goes into your stomach or digestive tract.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Foods Should Be Avoided When Breastfeeding?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jordan Seidel is a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) at Stone Springs Hospital. Here she breaks down<\/em> foods that can affect breastmilk<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our own Jordan Seidel, CLC <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Most breastfeeding mothers can really continue to eat as they normally do, unless baby has symptoms of a sensitivity. Sensitivities are rare but symptoms can include: excessive gas or spitting up, colic, rashes or diarrhea. The key to healthy eating while nursing is moderation, having a well balanced diet, and having an additional 330-400 calories a day. Breastfeeding is a lot of work so your body needs the calories as fuel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few substances to be aware of when breastfeeding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n