Postpartum Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding

Foods to avoid postpartum:

New Mother’s should avoid some foods during postpartum at least, until the breastfeeding period. The reason behind that is whatever you consume that will be passed to your baby in the form of breast milk. The women are blessed with two eternal benefactions from almighty one is pregnancy, and the other is breastfeeding. If you don’t want your baby to face any complications, you should be within the boundaries by consuming healthy food during postpartum and following all the safety precautions for your baby

foods to avoid postpartum

You have gained weight during pregnancy. Postpartum is the crucial stage where you should concentrate on the multi-tasks likely, baby care, weight loss, feeding, gaining back the bone and muscle strength, improve your posture. However, before planning your diet talk to your health care advisor or dietician. Here are some list of foods not to eat after postpartum.

Avoid canned pickle or foods during postpartum:

Staying away from the spicy canned pickle is best during the postpartum stage. The spiciness will pass to your baby through your breast milk and affect the digestive system, burning in the stomach, and blood flow. The manufactures use added preservatives to the canned pickles to maintain the taste and texture. Hence they stay fresh for a long time.

eating canned foods postpartum

Control the caffeine intake:

You should avoid frequent consumption of caffeine during breastfeeding. The caffeine has the capacity to affect the growth of the baby and make the baby colic. Once in while intake may not harm you. Caffeine is mostly found in coffee, dark chocolates and soft drinks. Though you are feeding formula milk to your baby, it is best to avoid caffeine intake in the postpartum stage.

Avoid medication without prescription:

You and your baby may be feeling sick. Never use medicines without proper prescription from the doctor. Usage of non-prescriptive medicine may harm your baby. The compounds in the medicine may be carried to your baby through the breast milk. Take proper advice from the doctor before taking medicines.

Avoid soft drink beverages and junk foods postpartum:

Junk foods contain more calories, and they develop bad fats in the body. Foods like chips, french fries, nuggets, burgers, cookies and pizzas. You may gain weight quickly, which may lead to obesity.

Soft drinks are made using artificial sugars, and they are highly carbonated. Hence they create indigestion problems, acidity in you and your baby.

Prefer low spicy and less oily foods:

Prepare the dishes with low spices. The spiciness in the foods may pass to the baby through breast milk. Hence the baby feels irritated as the digestive system gets affected.

You are in the track of losing weight, but the more oily dishes may multiply the fat storage. Hence you may end up in obesity. Avoid consumption of foods made with artificial sugars like ice creams and sweets.

Avoid Some Sea-foods postpartum:

Not all the seafood are harmful during postpartum, but the one with high mercury levels. The fishes like shark, swordfish, lobster, tuna, marlin, sable fish, and Spanish mackerel. Mercury is a liquid metal, and toxic in nature. The intake of mercury rich foods will affect your baby’s brain and development.

Cut off alcohol:

Doctor suggest avoiding the consumption of alcohol during the breastfeeding period. Alcohol drinks likely wine, beer, rum and others contain some hard beverages which can harm your baby. When you drink alcohol while breastfeeding these beverages are passed to your baby through your breast milk. Hence the defects like a baby with low weight, damage in the brain tissues and less growth will be observed.

alcohol consumption postpartum

Avoid smoking:

If you are a smoker before your pregnancy and left smoking during your pregnancy, it’s good. Even after giving birth, you are not allowed to smoke. Smoking has many effects on you and your baby. It’s not recommended to smoke when you are breastfeeding.

smoking postpartum

Smoking postpartum can pass nicotine and other harmful chemicals to your baby through your breast milk. It can also reduce the milk supply to your baby by effecting the milk production. It can also cause ear infections. When you smoke during postpartum while breastfeeding your baby, your baby can also be a smoker.

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