Breastfeeding and Spicy Foods (cultural question)

[L'sMommy]

This might be a really silly question, but if you are from a culture that always eats spicy foods, did you switch to non-spicy foods when you were bf'ing? I've eaten spicy foods all my life and even during pregnancy (I've never had heartburn), and am wondering how women in my situation have handled this.

My mom didn't change her diet when she was nursing....but that was over 30 years ago in another country.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I ate the same when bf'ing as during pregnany and life. :) I think that the best thing to do is trial and error- if baby seems to be having a reaction then try making some diet changes to see if it helps.

Beth

[misshollygolightly]

I eat very spicy foods on a regular basis (due to preference, not culture) and continued to do so while pregnant and breastfeeding. It hasn't caused any problems for us...though I'm sure I would have toned it down if DS exhibited any digestive issues. Others may differ on this, but I'm not really convinced that eating spicy food while breastfeeding matters (unless you're dealing with allergies). Here's what kellymom (one of the best internet breastfeeding authorities) says on the subject:

Can nursing mothers eat strong-flavored or spicy foods?

Yes, in general. There are many cultures who regularly eat spicy foods and strong-flavored foods, and there is no evidence that a greater percentage of these babies are fussy, gassy, or have other problems with the foods their moms eat. We do know that some strong flavors, like garlic, can pass into the milk but it does not seem to cause problems. In fact, one study showed that babies nursed better after mom ate garlic.

So I say bring on the salsa, extra jalapenos, and vindaloo curries! Mmmm...makes my mouth water just thinking about it! :bouncy:

[hellokitty]

Nope, I don't think it matters and don't take that, "rule" very seriously. Korean food is very spicy. For example kimchi, not only is it spicy, BUT it is basically cabbage and/or radish, which are gassy foods (which they sometimes advise against as well). I think that if just depends on you and your baby. I noticed that whenever I had spaghetti sauce, that my BF baby would get a diaper rash, so I just avoided it. If it's not bothering the baby, I don't why you should stop eating something just b/c it is known to be spicy or gassy. It's like dairy, some babies are sensitive to it, but just b/c some are sensitive to it, it's not like we tell all moms to avoid all dairy while BFing. You just adjust your diet if you need to.

[srhs]

I'll throw in a conversation I had with a Filipina friend who has nursed 8 babies. When #8 was born, I was bringing them a meal and asked if she avoided a specific food when nursing. Her reply: "I don't avoid anything when nursing," and I know she likes spicy food. Furthermore, all of her kids like everything as well....no picky eaters, no food allergies, go figure!

[amldaley]

I am dairy-free as it bothers dd, but so far, spicy foods don't seem to bother her. I am a Thai food addict, so I waited until she was 6 weeks old, then slowly started ramping up the spice. I just ate a huge bowl of spicy Thai soup about ten minutes ago. I just watch dd for a few nursings after I eat spicy foods or try something new to make sure she is OK with it.

[L'sMommy]

Thanks everyone for responding. It's nice to see that one can still eat spicy food while BFing. Yipee! I was thinking I would have to give up spices for a while. Certainly if the baby has a reaction to a certain food it makes sense to avoid it.

[citymama]

This might be a really silly question, but if you are from a culture that always eats spicy foods, did you switch to non-spicy foods when you were bf'ing? I've eaten spicy foods all my life and even during pregnancy (I've never had heartburn), and am wondering how women in my situation have handled this.

My mom didn't change her diet when she was nursing....but that was over 30 years ago in another country.

I pretty much live on spicy food, and no, I did not give it up when nursing! I am pleased to say that after 18 months of being BF by someone who loves spicy hot food, my almost 3 yr old is able to eat fairly spicy foods (nothing crazy hot, but she loves mild Thai, Indian, Korean, Mexican and other spicy foods!). I think it's good to eat whatever keeps mama happy and healthy!;)

[ellies mom]

So I say bring on the salsa, extra jalapenos, and vindaloo curries! Mmmm...makes my mouth water just thinking about it! :bouncy:


Yummm, curry. Now I want thai food.

And I eat the same when I'm breastfeeding as I do when I'm not.

[pb&j]

I haven't given up anything while BFing (other than caffeine, which I don't usually consume much anyway). While BFing DS, I did give up onions, but only because the day after I ate them, DS stank like a rotten onion and I couldn't stand it. But they didn't bother him at all.

[DrSally]

I ate/eating the same thing I always do, except no caffine. I do allow myself chocolate. DS/DD have not seemed to be bothered by spicy food. I've heard that if you ate it during pregnancy and it's part of your reg diet, it shouldn't be a problem. It helps them get used to a variety of tastes! If it did seem to be causing fussiness, though, I would cut back.

ETA: I did give up obvious dairy when we found out DS had a dairy allergy.

[ahrimie]

Nope, I don't think it matters and don't take that, "rule" very seriously. Korean food is very spicy. For example kimchi, not only is it spicy, BUT it is basically cabbage and/or radish, which are gassy foods (which they sometimes advise against as well). I think that if just depends on you and your baby. I noticed that whenever I had spaghetti sauce, that my BF baby would get a diaper rash, so I just avoided it. If it's not bothering the baby, I don't why you should stop eating something just b/c it is known to be spicy or gassy. It's like dairy, some babies are sensitive to it, but just b/c some are sensitive to it, it's not like we tell all moms to avoid all dairy while BFing. You just adjust your diet if you need to.


i'm korean too.. and i did avoid spicy foods in the beginning. i noticed the few times i ate spicy food that sometimes dd's butt area would be a little red. it didn't seem like it bothered her but just to be safe, i avoided it the first few months. now that she's older (7.5 months), i eat what i want but it's not as spicy as i used to eat it. while i was preggo, tabasco was my BFF :)

like someone else said, only avoid if you have to i think.

[new_mommy25]

I ate the same during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I was very luck and my children didn't have any issues with it. I had super spicy Korean food the night before my DS was born and I always think that's what put me into labor. :)