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Breastfeeding Tips!

Are there any foods I should avoid while breastfeeding

Some nursing moms find they can eat whatever they like. While it's true that some strongly flavored foods may change the taste of your milk, most babies seem to enjoy a variety of breast milk flavors! Generally, the dominant flavors of your diet — whether soy sauce or chili peppers — were in your amniotic fluid during pregnancy. Fetuses swallow a fair amount of amniotic fluid before birth, so when they taste those flavors again in their mother's breast milk, they're already accustomed to them.

 

10 tips for breastfeeding success

Watch a lactation consultant help a new mom learn how to breastfeed her baby.

Occasionally a baby will be fussy at the breast or gassy after you eat a particular food. If you notice a pattern, avoid that food for a few days. To test whether that food really was the cause, reintroduce it once and see if there's an effect. Mothers report that babies most often object to chocolate; spices (cinnamon, garlic, curry, chili pepper); citrus fruits and their juices, like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit; strawberries; kiwifruit; pineapple; the gassy veggies (onion, cabbage, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers); and fruits with a laxative effect, such as cherries and prunes.
A daily cup or two of coffee is fine, but too much caffeine can interfere with your baby's sleep or make him fussy. Remember that caffeine is also found in some sodas, teas, and over-the-counter medicines.
It's also okay to have an occasional alcoholic drink. But having more than one drink increases your blood alcohol level to the point that the alcohol gets into your milk. If you plan on having more than one drink at a time, wait two hours per drink before resuming nursing (or nurse, then have your glass of wine). There's no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and it's still not time to feed your baby. Moderate or heavy drinking is definitely not recommended while breastfeeding. An old wive's tale suggests that dark beer increases milk production, but recent studies suggest this is not true and that alcohol, in fact, reduces milk production.
If your baby has allergy symptoms (such as eczema, fussiness, congestion, or diarrhea), they may be caused by something he's in regular contact with, such as soap, mildew, or foods he's eating himself. Or he may be reacting to foods you eat that get into his system via your breast milk. It usually requires a bit of detective work to figure out exactly what's causing the sensitivity.
If you think that something you're eating is causing problems for your baby, it's usually something you've eaten two to six hours before feeding. The most common culprits include cows' milk products, followed by soy, wheat, egg, nuts, and corn or corn syrup.
Talk to your baby's doctor before you omit any foods from your diet. If avoiding a food could cause a nutritional imbalance (for example, if you eliminate all dairy products), you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on substituting other foods or taking nutritional supplements. Continue taking your prenatal vitamin as long as your baby's fully breastfed to cover any gaps in your own diet.

Poorly placed sticker!

Someone wasn't paying attention when they priced this or Disney is moving into the adult market!

Pain While Breastfeeding

One of the biggest myths that I encounter every day in my practice as a Board Certified Lactation Consultant is that it is normal to have pain while breastfeeding.  Pain is a sign that our body is telling us that something is wrong.  Many nursing mothers feel that they should have pain while feeding their babies, or that the skin needs time to toughen-up. I see many clients in my office at two weeks with nipple pain that hasn't gone away and now they are dreading the feedings. Typically, slight nipple pain can turn into a chronic problem if not corrected.  Nipple pain that goes uncorrected turns into chronic, long-term breast pain or shooting pains in the breast. Many mothers feel they have a yeast problem, when really it is probably due to trauma, or a latch issue.  One of the simplest fixes is to have solid latch assistance from a Lactation Consultant. With some valuable time, the mother and the baby can learn how to achieve a deeper latch, decreasing nipple pain, improving milk removal by the baby, which improves milk supply and weight gain in the baby!  The sooner the correction of the latch, the sooner the overall improvement!  So, I am all for not to have pain!?

Marianne Kmak RN, BSN, IBCLC
Nourish Family Center

Explore Colorado with your kids!

Five ways to explore Colorado with kids

In Colorado, age is indeed a state of mind, and for families looking for adventure, the options seem almost endless.

From the finest forest rambles nature has to offer to man-made amusements with a high squeal factor, there's something for everyone.

Here are five ways to explore, get some fresh air and exercise, and most important, have fun and make memories with your family in some of the state's best summer getaway spots.

Experience family-friendly high country fun in ...

1. Estes Park, RMNP

2. Glenwood Springs

3. Snowmass

4. Steamboat Springs

5. Vail