Can I eat curry, fish and pâté while breastfeeding and what foods should I avoid?
AFTER nine months of carefully watching what you at most new mums are looking forward to enjoying a boarder menu.
During pregnancy a host of items, such as cheese and pâté, are effectively banned.
Despite the rules being much more lax when breastfeeding, you still need to be aware of your diet.
Some things, such as drinking alcohol, are still not recommended by doctors.
And most dishes should be ok to eat, although as you progress you may discover your baby doesn’t like a certain food.
The says: “If your baby seems especially fussy every time you eat a certain dish, there's no reason not to heed his signals.
“But for the most part, don't be quick to blame your diet for your baby's fussiness.”
Despite most things being back on the menu, there are some foods you should be aware of.
And it’s also important to maintain a healthy diet and ensure you’re getting enough nutrients.
Can I eat fish, curry and pâté?
You should limit your intake of oily fish when breastfeeding, which includes fishes like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and trout.
The advises one portion is around 140g and you shouldn’t have more than two portions per week.
While tuna is part of the list, this doesn’t include canned tuna.
The Baby Center says babies often object to curry, or spicy food.
It is thought what the mother eats affects how her breastmilk tastes, which can upset a newborn.
Not just chillies, but seasonings including cinnamon, garlic and curry powder have been reported as troublesome.
These foods could change the taste of your breast milk, and some mums think they cause colic.
There's no firm evidence of this, so continue to eat them at first - but consider cutting them out if your baby seems to be suffering.
Pâté is something pregnant women should avoid, due to the potential risk of toxoplasmosis.
This is an infection caused by parasites found in raw or undercooked meat and can damage a foetus.
But the good news for pâté lovers is it should pose no risk to a baby if you eat it while breastfeeding.
What foods should I avoid?
Other things which you should restrict are caffeine, as it can keep your baby awake if you consume too much of it.
The NHS says: “Caffeine is a stimulant and can make your baby restless.
“It's a good idea for pregnant and breastfeeding women to restrict their caffeine intake to less than 200mg a day.”
And it's a common concern, but there's no evidence that eating peanuts when breastfeeding increases your child's risk of allergy.
Unless you yourself are allergic, they should be fine to eat.
How much caffeine is in these drinks?
- One mug of filter coffee: 140mg
- One mug of instant coffee: 100mg
- One 250ml can of energy drink: 80mg (larger cans may contain up to 160mg caffeine)
- One mug of tea: 75mg
- One 50g plain chocolate bar: up to 50mg
- One cola drink (354mls): 40mg
While not expressly forbidden, the Baby Center says that some acidic fruits can cause upset to a baby.
These include strawberries, kiwi, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits and pineapple.
Foods with a laxative effect, such as prunes or cherries, and ‘gassy’ vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli, are also reported to prove irritable with feeding babies.
Each baby is different, and will react a certain way to certain foods.
If you’re having particular troubles breastfeeding, it could be down to a random food you’re eating which doesn’t agree with your baby.
The Baby Center advises: “If you notice a pattern, avoid that food for a few days.
“To test whether that food really was the cause, reintroduce it once and see if there's an effect.”
An interesting point to note is the food you eat while pregnant influences your amniotic fluid.
As your baby ingests a small amount of this, if you continue the same diet while breastfeeding, your baby should recognise certain tastes from the womb.
What should you be eating when breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding mums should make sure they have a healthy, balanced diet - with five portions of fruit and veg-a-day, as well as fibre, protein, dairy and starchy foods.
You're also advised to take Vitamin D supplements.
The recommends including these as part of your meals to ensure you get a balanced and varied diet:
- At least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day, including fresh, frozen, tinned and dried fruit and vegetables, and no more than one 150ml glass of 100% unsweetened juice
- Starchy foods, such as wholemeal bread, pasta, rice and potatoes
- plenty of fibre from wholemeal bread and pasta, breakfast cereals, rice, pulses such as beans and lentils, and fruit and vegetables – after birth, some women have bowel problems and constipation, and fibre helps with both of these
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- protein, such as lean meat and chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, soya foods and pulses – at least two portions of fish a week is recommended, including some oily fish
- Dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt – these contain calcium and are a source of protein
- Drinking plenty of fluids – have a drink beside you when you settle down to breastfeed: water and skimmed or semi-skimmed milk are all good choices