Parenting: 5 Foods Mothers Should Avoid While Breastfeeding, Such Things Affects Your Baby

Breasting feeding a child is the next thing to do after childbirth. A baby needs breast milk for the first 6 months or more for nutrients.

Women are recommended eating balanced and healthy food when breastfeeding, and there are some types of foods women should avoid by all means when breastfeeding because such foods are not healthy for your baby.

1. Fish High In Mercury:

Some fish, especially seafood, are high in mercury. Such things can be toxic for infants and kids. So, as a breastfeeding mother, avoid eating fish with mercury.

Fish with mercury affect your baby’s central nervous system, so it is not healthy to give your baby such fish or eat one when breastfeeding because it can also pass to your child through breastfeeding.

2. Avoid Some Herbal Supplements Or Hard Drugs:

The use of herbs during breastfeeding is not safe for women who are breastfeeding. So as a breastfeeding mother, it’s best you avoid herbals, hard drugs or herbal teas. Research shows herbal supplements are not regulated by food and drug administration. Such a thing alone shows it might be dangerous for your baby’s health. It is best you seek a healthcare provider for more information concerning herbs if you want to try one while breastfeeding.

3. Alcohol:

Women who are breastfeeding should abstain from taking alcohol, it is not good for your baby’s health. Your baby can also be affected if you as a mother take a lot of alcohol when breastfeeding because alcohol can be passed from breast milk to your baby.

Research shows alcohol can stay in the body system for 2-3 hours, so if you are a woman that is still breastfeeding, it’s best you stay away from alcohol, so you won’t complicate your baby’s health.

4. Caffeine:

Caffeine can also end up in a woman’s breast milk, and such a thing can cause some health complication to your baby. When a baby takes too much breast milk from a woman that takes caffeine too much, it can cause irritability and trouble sleeping for that baby.

Mothers who are breastfeeding should avoid taking more than 300 mg of caffeine daily for the benefit of your child.

5. Highly Processed Foods:

Highly processed foods are high in calories, and such things create unhealthy fats, so as a breastfeeding mother, try to limit the intake of processed foods.

Mothers should avoid high intake of junk food, mostly when breastfeeding, to go for a balanced diet and healthy food.

SOURCE: Healthline.com