Can Breastfeeding Moms Have it All?

By Shel Franco

One evening, Barbara Stratton of Baltimore, Md. enjoyed an extra-large helping of spicy hot buffalo wings, but her breastfeeding 5-month-old had a different opinion. That night, no one in the Stratton household slept. Something was bothering baby, and Stratton had a hunch she knew exactly what it was.

Tales circulate about what breastfeeding mothers can and can't eat. Some women swear that certain foods cause their babies distress. Other moms worry that they won't be able to enjoy an occasional glass of wine with dinner or relieve their cold symptoms for fear of harming their breastfed baby. But is there really any truth to this?

Rumor has it that spicy foods and gassy vegetables ingested by mom can cause a breastfeeding infant to be very unhappy.

When Pam Weiss of Flint, Mich. decided to breastfeed, her mother-in-law warned that she'd have to watch everything she ate, and not for nutritional value. Instead, the elder Weiss said to avoid broccoli, green peppers, onions, Mexican foods and much more.

"I was scared to death," says Weiss. "I spent the first few weeks worrying about everything I ate." But a chat with a lactation consultant did not support her mother-in-law's claims. As a result, Weiss relaxed her guard, and baby never did encounter a problem with the foods mom ate.

Looking at Weiss' case, it would seem that the food mom eats does not have an impact on the breastfeeding baby. According to Pat Dwiggins, a nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in Pensacola, Fla., "Most babies and mothers do well with most foods." But there's ambiguity in that statement, and enough room to validate the experiences of women like Stratton.

While relatively uncommon, it is possible for a baby to have a sensitivity to something in the mother's diet. For example, common allergens -- such as dairy products, corn, wheat or eggs -- may upset your baby. If there is a family history of food allergies, you should consider a food in your diet as a possible source of fussiness, gassiness or even chronic ear infections. You may want to try an elimination diet to see if the problem goes away when you temporarily remove the offending food from your diet. As a rule, if you think your baby reacts to a food in your breastmilk, talk with a lactation consultant or medical professional about removing the food from your diet.

Want to see more?

• For the most comprehensive information on drugs and nursing, see Dr. Hale's Lactational Pharmacology Web site, the source for healthcare professionals
• Read the Breastfeed.com expert panel's answers to questions on Medications, Foods and Breastfeeding.
• Read Breastfeeding and Allergies for a look at how food allergies can affect breastfed babies and tips on following an elimination diet.