Breastmilk is the best nutrition you can offer your newborn.  It is important to eat healthy if you are breastfeeding. It is also important to eat variety of foods to get different nutrients. There are some foods or drinks that should be avoid or limited during breastfeeding. It is difficult for most women to restrict or alter their diet during pregnancy. However, after nine months of improving your lifestyle and eating habits, it sorts of becomes a routine. It is important to continue with  it after the baby is born especially if you are breastfeeding .

Things to avoid when breastfeeding

Alcohol : It can go through breast milk to the baby. Alcohol may also decrease milk that your baby gets. It changes the taste of breast milk which may cause some babies to reject it.

If you decide to have alcohol, it is important to have it after nursing or expressing milk rather than before. This will allow at least 2 hours before your next breastfeeding or pumping session. That way your body will have enough time to rid itself of the alcohol before the next feeding therefore reducing the amount of alcohol that reaches your baby.

If you decide to drink, it is recommended that it be done in moderation. One alcoholic drink—the equivalent of a 12-ounce beer, 4-ounce glass of wine or 1 ounce of hard liquor—will probably not harm your baby.  However there are concerns about long-term repeated exposure of baby to alcohol through breastmilk.

Caffeine : Limit your coffee, tea and caffeinated soda consumption while breastfeeding. Less than one percent of caffeine ingested by mom is found in breastmilk. If you drink no more than 3 cups of coffee spread throughout the whole day, there will be little or no caffeine detected in the baby’s urine. If your baby becomes irritated or fussy when you consume an excessive amount of caffeinated drinks which is usually more than 5 caffeinated beverages per day, consider reducing your consumption. Keep an eye on the amount of tea, soda and chocolate you eat . Most of these contain caffeine.

Mercury : Fish included in your diet is  a good way of getting protein and healthy omega 3 fatty acids  without getting too much saturated  fats. However  nearly all fishes contain traces of mercury. Most people are not affected by this metal. However, it can cause damage to the nervous system of babies and infants. This is why it is essential for women of child-bearing age to avoid fish high in mercury such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish.

When you eat fish, it is important to eat a variety of fish with low levels of mercury such as light tuna, shrimp, salmon, pollock, and catfish. If you prefer albacore or “white” tuna, you should note that this contains a high amount of mercury than the  canned light one. Therefore limit your intake to about  6 ounces a week (about one meal).

Check with the local advisories  about the safety of fish before consuming fish from  local  waters. If there are no information available, limit your  consumption to 6 ounces (about one meal) a week.

These recommendations should be used when serving fish or shell-fish to your infants. It is important to serve smaller portions.