Is It Safe To Consume Colic Foods During Breastfeeding?
Are you a breastfeeding mom? Are you confused about your baby’s intake of colic-inducing foods? Well, don’t be! Read our post and learn all about breastfeeding and colic-inducing foods, and how they affect your baby during breastfeeding.
As you enter the lactation phase, your body goes through many transformations. It becomes important that you pay more emphasis on your diet, as it may influence your baby’s health directly. Colic-inducing foods can have adverse effects on your newborn babies. Here we talk about foods that cause colic while breastfeeding, and whether or how to avoid colic in breastfed babies.
What Is A Colic?
Colic is a severe pain in the abdomen, which occurs due to the obstruction of the intestines. Mostly, infants suffer from the condition. There are certain colic-inducing foods, which may induce symptoms of colic in your infant. The condition is quite stressful for both you and your little darling (1).
Causes Of Colic In Breastfed Infants:
Your baby may suffer from lactose intolerance and can be allergic to cow’s milk protein. Such intolerance to colic-rich foods may develop the conditions of colic in babies. Symptoms of colic in infants include:
- Intense crying episodes
- Posture changes
- While crying, the baby clenches his legs and curls his toes (2).
Colic Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding – Why?
During the breastfeeding period, your baby gets his nourishment from the nutrients in the breast milk. If your little one is intolerant of a certain food group, you should avoid consuming such foods. Colic-inducing foods like cow’s milk or other dairy products can trigger symptoms of colic in your newborn baby.
[ Read: Foods To Avoid While Breastfeeding ]
Foods That Cause Colic While Breastfeeding:
We talk about colic-causing foods, but what are they? Are they specific food types or certain fruits and veggies? Let’s clear the air and list some foods that cause colic in breastfed babies here.
- Dairy Products:
The potential allergenic protein present in cow’s milk or other dairy products can enter your baby’s body through the breast milk and induce colic issues. If your baby is allergic to milk-based products, you should avoid dairy products in your breastfeeding phase.
- Caffeine-Rich Foods:
Some babies are sensitive to caffeine based products like coffee or chocolates. If your little one exhibits any sensitivity to coffee or chocolate, avoid eating these foods.
[ Read: Effects Of Eating Chocolate While Breastfeeding ]
- Nuts:
Babies allergic to nuts or insoluble fatty acids may suffer from colic.
- Spicy Foods:
Eating excessive spicy or oily food can disturb your baby’s digestive system, and he may suffer from colic issues.
- Gassy Foods:
Some food elements like broccoli or onions can have allergic effects on your baby if you consume large proportions. To avoid such problems, avoid eating gassy foods (3).
[ Read: Is It Safe To Eat Honey While Breastfeeding ]
Preventing Colic In Breastfed Infants:
Follow some of these steps to prevent the onset of colic in your baby:
- If you are a breastfeeding mother, drop out all colic-causing food elements from your diet and consult your pediatrician about a well-balanced diet.
- Caffeine and dairy products can induce problems of colic in breastfed babies. So, try to avoid those food groups.
- Breastfeed your baby with a small amount of breast milk. But you can feed at regular intervals of time. It helps the baby to digest the food completely and avoid indigestion or colic problems.
- You can consider consuming certain herbal supplements to alleviate colic’s symptoms (4).
When To Seek Medical Advice For Colic And Breastfeeding Problems?
If your baby’s symptoms continue and only seem to worsen: vomiting or diarrhea, you should seek immediate medical aid.
You would always want your newborn baby to stay healthier. Being a responsible mother, it is your responsibility to consume healthy and nutritious food that enhances your little one’s well-being.
Hope by now you know what foods cause colic in breastfed babies. Did you avoid colic causing foods in breastfeeding phase? What were the positive impacts of such dietary changes? Tell us about your experiences here.
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