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Home / Healthcare & Medicine / Nutrition / Nutrition: Eating to Live Well / The Breastfeeding Diet: How Food Affects Your Milk

The Breastfeeding Diet: How Food Affects Your Milk

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A common question is that whether some food will suppress milk secretion or the food effects to boost milk supply. Either situation, it varies among people. We know that mothers would like to increase the secretion of milk through a certain kind of food. Food can be a good approach. Foods like fish, yeast fennel and malt drink and in Asia culture, pig knuckle stewed with peanuts, these are all helpful for boosting the mother’s milk secretion. However, mothers should be cautious that do not over-eat this kind of food due to high calorie such as pig knuckle stewed with peanuts. Mothers should pay attention on whether eating this kind of food will actually suppress milk secretion, if it happens, other options should be considered.
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Additionally, some food might suppress the secretion of milk, like chives and panax ginseng, etc The effect also varies among people. If mothers find a decrease of breast milk secretion after eating this kind of food, they might need to control their desire even though they like it a lot. Try to reduce eating this kind of food while carrying out breastfeeding. Another situation is about baby’s allergy. Dairy products and seafood might cause allergy to babies. This allergy is not baby eat solid food directly, instead, the baby may have allergic status after the mother eats these kinds of food. When the baby’s are allergic, red and inflamed skin will appear.
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When the baby encountered with this condition, it is suggested that the mother should exclude all the food that might cause allergy from her diet first. After that, try to include each one back to the diet one by one to find out which food is actually cause allergy and do not eat it. For an example, you can try to eat shrimp for one or two day and see whether the baby is allergic to it. If there is no condition appeared, it is possible that the baby is not allergic to it. And try another food next time. For example, drinking milk or eating cheese cake and then observe the allergic condition on the baby.
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When you find any food that the baby is allergic to, the mother should avoid it when breastfeeding is still carrying out. It is common that the baby is allergic to any additional dairy product that the mother eats. Milk or other dairy products intake for mothers is not necessary and they do not promote breast milk production. Some other foods, like yogurt or soy milk, soybean products, have a lower possibility to cause allergy and these are recommended because these are foods with high protein. They will help to supply the mother with protein and help to secrete breast milk. So it is is not necessary for mothers to drink milk in order to boost their breast milk secretion.

For mothers who are breastfeeding, there are some recommendations for diets. Food can have effects on milk composition.

During pregnancy, women have to watch out their food choices. Breastfeeding, however, allows for a larger range of foods and fewer restrictions. That said, keep eating your variety of fruits and veggies. A variety of healthy foods from all food groups is recommended. A good source of protein is recommended. While High-calorie food is not a must.

Some food might suppress the secretion of milk, like chives and Panax ginseng, etc. Try to avoid them. Also, seafood or other possible allergens in the mother’s diet may affect the baby to start to an allergic reaction. Prof. Chen suggests trying one on one and see if the baby becomes allergic to a certain food.

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This content is taken from Taipei Medical University online course
Nutrition: Eating to Live Well
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