What to Expect the First Year (25 page)

Tired of watching your diet like an expectant hawk? Then you'll be happy to hear that compared with pregnancy, breastfeeding actually makes pretty minimal demands on your diet—and your menu choices (a good reason to celebrate if you've been craving cold cuts, starving for sushi, or pining for an oaky Chardonnay). Still, as long as you're breastfeeding, you'll need to pay a certain amount of attention to what goes into you—so you can be sure that everything that goes into your baby is healthy and safe.

You may be what you eat—but your breast milk, not so much. In fact, the basic fat-protein-carbohydrate composition of human milk isn't directly dependent on what a mom eats at all—even women who aren't well fed can feed their babies well. That's because if a mother doesn't consume enough nutrients to produce milk, her body will tap its own stores to fuel milk production—that is, until those stores are depleted.

But just because you can make milk on a less-than-adequate diet doesn't mean you should. Clearly, no matter how many nutrients your body may have stockpiled, the goal when you're nursing should never be to deplete those stores—that's too risky a proposition for your own health, short and long term. Taking nutritional shortcuts will also shortchange you on energy you'll need to keep up with the demands of new mommyhood. Flip side: You'll have more pep in your step if you have higher octane fuel in your tank (lean protein, low-fat dairy, fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds—after 9 months of pregnancy, you know the drill). So be sure to eat—no matter how eager you are to shed weight—and to eat well.

Here's another reason to keep reaching for nutritious nibbles: Your taste in food now may affect your baby's tastes in food later. What you eat actually “seasons” your breast milk (as it did your amniotic fluid during pregnancy), affecting its flavor and smell, and acclimating your little one to whatever's on your menu—which means that the carrots you crunch on today may have your baby reaching for carrots tomorrow. And that goes, too, for the curry you crave, the salsa you savor, the Thai you try—a good case for picking a wider variety of foods when you're breastfeeding, expanding your little one's culinary horizons well before his or her first bite of solids, and maybe even minimizing the potential for pickiness. Sounds far-fetched? Plenty of research backs up the booster-seat benefits of a mom's varied diet while she's breastfeeding.

Do strong flavors always work in your baby's favor? That depends on your baby. While most babies will slurp up breast milk no matter what it has been peppered with (including hot peppers), and some will even relish mom's milk more if she's been hitting the pesto and scampi, there are a few whose palates are picky right from the start. They'll detect and reject even the smallest hint of garlic or strong spices. You'll quickly tell which category fits your baby, and you'll be able to modify your menu accordingly.

And while it's also not common (and actually hasn't been backed up by scientific study), some moms maintain that certain foods they eat (especially gas-producing foods like cabbage, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts) unsettle their little ones' tummies. Other breastfeeding moms find that their diet is connected to colic in their babies—and that cutting out dairy products, caffeine, onions, cabbage, or beans from mom's menu minimizes baby's fussiness. A maternal diet heavy in melons, peaches, and other fruits may cause diarrhea in some sensitive breastfed babies, and red pepper can cause a rash in others. And a very few babies are actually allergic to foods in their mother's diets, with the most common offenders being cow's milk, eggs, citrus fruits, nuts, and wheat (
click here
for more on allergies in breastfed babies). Don't assume, though, that your baby will have a reaction to what you eat—and keep in mind that what seems like a reaction (fussiness, gassiness) is much more likely to be newborn baby business as usual—gas happens a lot in those first few months, and so does fussiness.

Sometimes what you eat can change the color of your milk, and even the color of your baby's pee—and those changes can be shockers. Sip orange soda and you might find your breast milk a pink-orange hue, your baby's urine a bright pink, and yourself in a
momentary panic. Pop seaweed in tablet form, kelp, or certain other supplements, and you may be seeing green breast milk (fine for St. Patrick's Day, but probably not something you'd want to see on a regular basis).

It takes between 2 and 6 hours from the time you eat a certain food until it affects the taste and aroma of your milk. So, if you find your baby is gassy, spits up more, rejects the breast, or is fussy a few hours after you eat a certain food, try eliminating that food from your diet for a few days and see if your baby's symptoms or reluctance to nurse disappear. If not, there's no reason not to add the food right back to your diet.

How much more do you have to drink to make sure your baby gets enough to drink? Actually, no more at all—the same eight daily glasses of fluid recommended for adults in general are recommended for breastfeeding ones as well. In fact, too much fluid can actually decrease the amount of milk you make.

That said, many adults don't do a very good job of filling their fluid requirement every day, and breastfeeding moms are no exception. How can you tell if your fluid intake measures up without measuring every ounce you drink? As a general rule, waiting until you're thirsty to drink means you've waited too long, so make a habit of drinking up before thirst kicks in. Another good way to make sure you're keeping your fluids flowing? Drink when baby drinks—a cup for every nursing session, and (at least in the early weeks, when you'll be nursing at least 8 times a day) you'll be filling your quota easily. Keep in mind that your milk supply won't tell you if your fluid intake is low (it'll decrease only if you're seriously dehydrated—yet another example of how a mom's body puts her baby's needs first), but your urine will (it'll become darker and scanter when you're not drinking enough).

Getting enough fluids, whether you're breastfeeding or not, is particularly important when you're recovering from your baby's birth (you lose a lot of fluids very quickly during childbirth). Not drinking enough can also set you up for a variety of health issues you definitely don't want to be dealing with as a new mom—including urinary tract infections (UTIs) and constipation. And being even mildly dehydrated can increase fatigue. (Do you really need another reason to feel tired right now?)

There are some drinks you should limit when you're breastfeeding.
Click here
for more.

Most medications—both over-the-counter and prescription—don't affect the quantity of milk a breastfeeding mom makes or the well-being of her baby. While it's true that what goes into your body usually does make its way into your milk supply, the amount that ultimately ends up in your baby's meals is generally a tiny fraction of what ends up in you. Most drugs, in typical doses, appear to have no effect on a nursing baby at all, others a mild, temporary effect, and a very few can be significantly harmful. But since not enough is known about the long-term effects of medications on breastfeeding babies, it's best to play it safe when you're considering taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs while you're breastfeeding.

How can you tell whether the medication you're about to pop is safe for your breastfeeding baby? Just about all over-the-counter and prescription medications and supplements carry a warning (on the label, package, or both) to consult a doctor before using them if you're breastfeeding—but many of them are actually considered safe to take occasionally as needed, and others are believed to be safe to take as prescribed. To sort out drug safety during lactation, your best source of information will be your baby's pediatrician or your prenatal practitioner, who can give you the short list of common medications that are breastfeeding compatible (and that you can take as needed without getting clearance each time) as well as advise you on whether medications or supplements you've been prescribed or take regularly (say, for a chronic condition) may need to be adjusted until you wean your little one. You can also check out the National Library of Medicine's Drug and Lactation database at
toxnet.nlm.nih.gov
(click on LactMed). Or Motherisk at
motherisk.org
(click on Breastfeeding and Drugs). Do be sure that any doctor, dentist, or other health-care provider who prescribes a medication for you knows that you're breastfeeding.

The most recent research indicates that most medications (including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, most sedatives, antihistamines, decongestants, some antibiotics, antihypertensives, antithyroid drugs, and some antidepressants) can be used safely during breastfeeding—but, again, check with the pediatrician for the most up-to-date info. Some medications, however, including anticancer drugs, lithium, and ergot (drugs used to treat migraines) are clearly harmful, and the research jury
is still out on others, making them suspect. In some cases, a less-safe medication can safely be discontinued while a mom is breastfeeding, and in others, it's possible to find a safer substitute. When medication that isn't compatible with breastfeeding is needed short term, nursing can be stopped temporarily (with breasts pumped and milk tossed—aka “pump and dump”). Or dosing can be timed for just after nursing or before baby's longest sleep period. As always, take medicines—and that includes herbals and supplements—only with your practitioner's approval.