Most new mothers try to breastfeed their baby at first, unable to ignore the oft-repeated mantra ‘breast is best’.
However, despite the vast benefits of breastfeeding that are being highlighted during World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7), including protecting the baby from infection and disease, and health benefits for the mother, a huge proportion of mothers quickly give up. Figures from the last UK-wide Infant Feeding Survey (albeit from 2010) found that while more than three-quarters of women start breastfeeding when their baby’s born, this drops to 55% doing any breastfeeding at six weeks, while at six months, just 34% do any breastfeeding, and only 1% breastfeed exclusively.
There are many reasons for this, but Public Health England research found more than half of mothers were concerned they might need a special diet to breastfeed, and a similar proportion were worried that breastfeeding meant they couldn’t tell if their baby was getting too much or too little milk.
But should new mums really be concerned about eating or not eating specific foods if they’re breastfeeding, and can their diet affect how much milk their baby’s getting?
The simple answer is no, as long as they’re eating a healthy balanced diet, says the baby charity Tommy’s. Because while the NHS warns pregnant mothers to avoid specific foods like soft blue cheeses, undercooked meat, liver, pâté and game meats, there are no foods breastfeeding mums must not eat, says Tommy’s.
“There are a lot of myths out there around breastfeeding which can leave new parents unsure of what to do and where to turn,” says Tommy’s midwife Sophie King.
“If you choose to breastfeed or combination feed, there’s no special foods you need to have, but a varied diet can help our bodies make the best quality milk for our babies. This typically includes lots of vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins. It’s also important that you stay well-hydrated with plenty of water. “
In addition, she says it’s recommended that mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding take a daily vitamin D supplement.
An occasional alcoholic drink is unlikely to cause any harm if you’re breastfeeding, says King, but she warns: “Try not to have more than one or two units of alcohol once or twice a week. There’s some evidence that regularly drinking more than two units of alcohol a day while breastfeeding may affect your baby’s development.”
In addition, caffeine can reach babies through breast milk, and King explains: “Caffeine is a stimulant, so if you have a lot, it may make your baby restless and keep them awake.”
Caffeine occurs naturally in lots of foods and drink, including coffee, tea and chocolate, and it’s also added to some soft drinks and energy drinks, as well as some cold and flu remedies. “There’s not enough information to say how much caffeine is too much, and babies respond to caffeine differently,” says King. “But it’s a good idea to reduce how much caffeine you drink, especially when your baby is less than six months old.”
But does what a mother eats affect her milk supply?
Again, the answer is no, explains Justine Fieth of the breastfeeding support charity La Leche League GB (LLLGB). “There are no particular foods you need to eat to increase breastmilk – milk production is determined by the amount of milk removed from the breast,” she says. Breastmilk is made in the mother’s breasts, directly from her blood, rather than from the food she eats.
Fieth says LLLGB recognises the importance of a varied and healthy diet, and stresses that it’s important for mothers to speak to a qualified breastfeeding supporter if they feel they have low milk supply.
“Unless there’s a physical or physiological reason for low milk production, a mother who breastfeeds on cue will be able to produce enough milk for her baby, regardless of what she eats,” she explains.
“In certain circumstances, medications can be used to increase supply, but diet plays a minor part – though obviously, eating a varied, healthy diet is always a good thing.”
For breastfeeding support, contact the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212.
