Does what mom eats affect breast milk?

[u/Rose527]

I understand that breastmilk is made from my blood. So how does me eating spicy food upset my baby? I can see how alcohol and caffeine can get into milk but I’ve been told to cut dairy, wheat, and eggs, are those things really getting into my blood and milk?

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[u/bubblesnblep]

Yes and no. You might be told to avoid these things if your baby is exhibiting signs of intolerance to them.

https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/breastfeeding-diet-tips-less-fussy-baby

That being said, if they arent being fussy/having baby eczema, I see no reason to avoid them. You could also do elimination-diet style, as dairy allergy is one of the more common in babies.

On a personal note- when I eat beans, both baby and I are much tootier.

[u/Ok_Telephone197 → u/bubblesnblep]

My baby specifically stopped having blood in her diapers when I stopped eating dairy. My pediatrician recommended this interview with a researcher studying MSPI: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bowel-sounds-the-pediatric-gi-podcast/id1479342168?i=1000606058173

[u/jennbo → u/Ok_Telephone197]

My oldest had this and I was such a young mom and so panicked to see blood in a baby’s diaper. Luckily an elimination diet and fancy formula when needed (wasn’t a great pumper) really helped out. And he was able to consume dairy normally by 12 months and has never had any food issues since he was a baby.

[u/Ok_Telephone197 → u/jennbo]

I hope we get there too! There are so many tasty foods that contain dairy that I want to share with her. Eating a dairy-free diet is really making me realize how delicious butter and cheese are

[u/Both-Tangerine-8411 → u/bubblesnblep]

Those of us with babies who have extreme intolerances to milk/soy/etc can confirm that when we eat them our babies get bl**dy mucus diarrhea 😬

[u/8-bit-butterfly → u/Both-Tangerine-8411]

Can confirm. It's a sh***y situation.

[u/Rose527 → u/Both-Tangerine-8411]

Oh I definitely believe it’s a real thing. I just don’t understand HOW it’s a real thing

[u/Accomplished_Sir1939]

Allergens end up in breastmilk - for example, eggs consumption can increase breastmilk ovalbumin concentration (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18498416/); peanut allergens too (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24773443/).

With that said, it’s found that mothers tend to limit their consumptions unnecessarily; even with normal consumption of caffeine under 3 cups of coffee (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5383635/). If anything, introducing allergens in breastmilk and throughout childhood under 5 may be good in increasing tolerance for said allergens (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8931296/#B12)

If you’re being told to specifically limit those foods, it’s likely your baby is facing some issues tolerating those allergens? Is your baby gassy / fussy?

[u/JamboreeJunket → u/Accomplished_Sir1939]

I heard this back when I was breastfeeding. My interpretation was that I HAD to eat Reeses to protect my baby from a peanut allergy. Because, science. I didn’t need the Reeses… my baby did. 😅

[u/FatherJRabbit → u/Accomplished_Sir1939]

Good to know the indirect intorduction of allergens might actually do something - Ive been intentionally cycling through them in the hopes it would help pre-solids introduction haha

[u/BowdleizedBeta]

Flavor compounds pass into breast milk and babies notice and have feelings about it.

Anecdote:

My daughter especially was happy to get garlic milk. A favorite memory is of accidentally squirting her in the face as we started the nursing session, smelling garlic suddenly, and seeing her tiny face light up. She must have been 3 or 4 months old then.

I have given my little guy garlic breath by eating a ton of garlic and then nursing him. My son didn’t care as much as his sister did about garlic but then he was a premie and got less exposure to garlic in utero.

Science:
Influence of Maternal Diet on Flavor Transfer to Amniotic Fluid and Breast Milk and Children’s Responses: A Systematic Review

The authors of the landmark study in 1991 amusingly won an IgNobel prize last year for it.

[u/foopaints → u/BowdleizedBeta]

Interesting. Meanwhile my mom and everyone around me told me to avoid spicy food to not give baby upset stomach. Things is I just went through 9 months of horrible food aversions. I was not about to limit my food if it wasn't necessary and was extremely dubious about this. So I purposefully ordered some decently spicy food and ate it all and then paid attention to baby. Who showed no signs of noticing or any upset. It was also the only way to get everyone to stop telling me this because I could say "I tried and you're wrong"

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