Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine and larger amounts of the closely related compound,
Chocolate. Chocolate can cause excessive gas in babies when the mother consumes it in excess, Sadik says. That's primarily due to the high caffeine content. The amount of "excess" may vary from one mother to the next, but Sadik advises against indulging in sweets daily.
Yes! You can enjoy some chocolate while breastfeeding. Just be aware that chocolate contains a substance called Theobromine, which is a stimulant (similar to caffeine). Theobromine is found in cocoa solids in chocolate and will pass through your breast milk to your baby.
Foods like beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or some dairy products can cause fussiness, gassiness, or colicky behavior in some babies. Foods like cow's milk, soy, wheat, corn, oats, eggs, nuts and peanuts, and fish or shellfish are common allergy-causing foods.
Mercy Pediatrician, Dr. Ashanti Woods, Discusses Effect of High Sugar Levels in Breast Milk. Mothers who consume large amounts of sugar could be passing the added sugar to their infants through breast milk, which could hamper the child's cognitive development.
It also contains anandamide and two related compounds that stimulate cannabinoid receptors, tryptophan, and polyphenols. [1,2] All of these compounds are detectable in breastmilk in small amounts. Low intake of chocolate by a nursing mother is not problematic, but extreme amounts can affect the infant.
Consuming Too Much Caffeine
Caffeinated soda, coffee, tea, and chocolate are OK in moderation. However, large amounts of caffeine can dehydrate your body and lower your production of breast milk. Too much caffeine also can affect your breastfeeding baby.
It's important to remember that while breastfeeding, moderation is key when it comes to eating chocolate. Eating too much can cause an upset stomach and even lead to a sugar crash. A good rule of thumb is to limit your intake of dark chocolate and cocoa powder to no more than one ounce per day.
When breastfeeding, if the mum gorges on too much chocolate, it may cause an upset stomach for the baby followed by irritability and insomnia. He could also become hyperactive. High quantities of caffeine intake through chocolate can also lower the production of breast milk.
Some studies have found that particular foods eaten by the motherincluding cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, chocolate, onions and cow's milkcan cause an attack of colic in her breastfed infant.
Cacao and chocolate contain caffeine and other stimulants, like theobromine, which can impact a child's development and nervous system. In excess, caffeine can reduce appetite, cause jitteriness, affect sleep, and exacerbate reflux, and babies are more sensitive to caffeine than older children and adults.
If your baby has reflux, colic, wind or tummy aches, you should definitely avoid giving them chocolate. Chocolate can trigger these symptoms (4). Another reason to avoid giving your baby chocolate is if they have gastroesophageal reflux where acid and foods from the stomach come back up.
Candies, sweets, and desserts taste great, but they are just empty calories. They're not the kind of healthy calories that you need while you're breastfeeding. You can enjoy chips, cookies, and ice cream every so often, but moderation is the key.
Gassy Foods
Common culprits include beans, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Bloating, burping, and passing gas are normal. But if your baby is gassy or has colic, avoid these foods for a few weeks to see whether they relieve the symptoms.
Carbonated beverages. Caffeine - coffee, black tea, green tea, etc. Excess Vitamin C & Vitamin B –supplements or drinks with excessive vitamin C Or B (Vitamin Water, Powerade, oranges/orange juice and citrus fruits/juice.) Peppermint or spearmint: (food, gum or candy with mint flavor)
HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS SAFE TO CONSUME? Up to 200-300 mg of caffeine, or about 2-3 cups of coffee, is considered safe to consume while breastfeeding (EFSA, 2020; CDC, 2020).
Highly allergenic foods can be passed through your breast milk. Strawberries are a highly allergenic food, MedlinePlus reports, which means that they can cause an allergic reaction if you eat them and then nurse your infant shortly afterward.
Breastfed Babies
Cow's milk, chocolate, gassy foods, spicy foods, and caffeine are the foods most likely to trigger a problem. You may have to evaluate your diet to try to figure out if something that you're eating could be causing your baby's diarrhea.
Yes! You can enjoy ice cream while breastfeeding. Just pay attention to cues from your baby to make sure they're not sensitive to dairy. You actually can eat WHATEVER you like while breastfeeding unless you notice a clear reaction in your baby to a particular food you ate.
Sweets and fatty foods are the mostly craved items by mothers in general during breastfeeding which is related to changes in brain activity due to the baby's need for milk. Certain foods may cause a chemical reaction in the body that increases one's desire for them.
Sugar cravings can be a result of being low in vitamins which is common in new mums due to lack of sleep and adjusting to be a new parent, so consider taking a multivitamin to keep your vitamin levels high. Trick your body into thinking it's having something sweet by adding spices to your food.