Myths about mom’s menu, breast-feeding

Special to the Daily Times

October 03, 2008 12:42 pm

— Did you know that breastfeeding mothers don’t need to follow a special diet or avoid certain foods to breast-feed their babies? They don’t, but for some reason other people are always trying to tell them what they should or shouldn’t eat. Some say that breast-feeding mothers shouldn’t eat certain “types of foods” like spicy, or Italian, Mexican, Chinese, chocolate or whatever else most people enjoy eating… because it will make the baby gassy. What a silly myth! Women from all around the world eat a wide variety of foods while breast-feeding and their babies aren’t any more gassy than any other “normal” newborn.
The only foods breast-feeding mothers should avoid eating are certain types of fish high in mercury such as shark, swordfish, mackerel and tilefish. Otherwise, there are no special foods that a woman must consume or must avoid to make milk. From the time of conception and throughout pregnancy, a woman’s body is preparing to breast-feed. After birth, the brain releases the milk-making hormones. When baby comes to breast and suckles, another hormone releases and triggers the milk letdown. A proper latch and effective suckles, along with good letdown, determines how much milk the mother makes. Supply will meet the demand, whether the demand is for less or for more.
Women usually want their figures back immediately, but in reality it can take several months to achieve this. Some of the weight (10 pounds) that a pregnant woman gains is meant as an “energy deposit” to meet the extra caloric demands of breast-feeding during the first three months, just in case mom or baby should be become ill. Breast-feeding burns about 1,000 calories per day as breast-feeding women work to produce milk and physically nurse their babies 8 to 12 times per day.

All moms need enough energy and nutrients to care for their babies and to lead healthy, active lives. Ideally, breast-feeding women should eat proper portions of a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Breast-feeding moms should choose the foods best suited for them depending on their culture, lifestyle, personal preferences and the information recommended at the time.
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