Breast milk is the best nourishment for babies, but this doesn't mean mothers can eat anything. Foods consumed by the mother pass through breast milk to the baby, and certain foods can cause harm. Below are foods breastfeeding mothers should avoid:
1. Fried and greasy foods
Avoid substituting meals with fried potato chips, sweets, or cakes. These foods are typically high in calories, low in nutrients, and difficult to digest.
2. Spicy Foods
When nursing mothers have poor appetites, they may turn to spicy foods to stimulate hunger. However, this can exacerbate internal heat, leading to discomfort like mouth ulcers and constipation. Therefore, avoid pungent foods like raw garlic, chili peppers, black pepper, fennel, and leeks within the first month postpartum.
3. Cold-natured foods that reduce milk supply
Meats with a sweet and cool nature, such as pork heart, duck meat, and squid, can decrease milk production. Breastfeeding mothers should avoid these foods.
4. Vegetables
Purslane, cucumber, winter melon, bitter melon, cucumber melon, and bamboo shoots possess cooling properties that may cause gastrointestinal discomfort or reduce milk supply in nursing mothers. Mothers with infants under one month old should avoid these.
5. Fruits
Fruits like pears, watermelon, and citrus have cooling properties and are unsuitable for mothers who are still recovering from childbirth and have not completed their postpartum confinement period.
6. Other Foods
Foods like chives and malt water may reduce milk supply and should be avoided. Foods that cause allergies in babies, such as oranges and onions, can lead to diarrhea and gas. Additionally, mothers should closely monitor their baby's skin for rashes and avoid foods that trigger allergic reactions.