Breastfeeding Mom and Colicky Baby - Steps Mom Can Take to Help

Many times, colic in newborns can be detected for something in the mother's diet.

The worst nutrition offender is cow milk. Many times, the baby's digestive tract is not mature enough to control protein in cow's milk which causes gas to grow in the intestines. When this happens, your baby will scream in pain when his intestines get into seizures.

Removing dairy from your diet can make a big difference in the colic levels of your baby's experience.

Cow's milk takes many forms and you need to be careful when reading the food labels you eat.

Other names to keep in mind are:

Lactoglobulin

Casein

Lactalbumin

Sodium caseinate

Whey

Many products are prepared at supermarkets including some forms of milk products.

These include, but are not limited to:

Battery products: waffles, pancakes, cakes, cakes, cookies, etc.

Chocolate: Both types of milk and white

Processed foods: Bologna, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, sausages (These exceptions are Kosher meat products for free milk)

Butter

Cheese

When you try to remove dairy from your diet, allow at least two weeks for your body to become dairy free. If after two weeks you don't notice a significant improvement, you can safely assume that your child is not sensitive to dairy products.

If after two weeks you do not see a major change in your baby's colic, you can assume that it is not a dairy product that causes colic.

The foods listed below can also cause reactions to your baby, but if you eat a balanced diet and do not eat too much, they may not be the cause of your baby's colic. Each baby is different and what may be the reaction in one baby may be good for the other baby. If you notice that your baby's colic is acting after eating certain foods, there may be a sensitive problem for your baby. Avoiding the use of these foods in the future may be a good idea.

Other long-term colic foods for breastfeeding mothers include:

Onion 

Chocolate 

Eggs 

Peanuts 

Citrus fruits 

Wheat 

Corn 

Soy 

Tomatoes 

Strawberries 

Highly spiced foods 

Legumes 

Some vitamins 

Artificial sweeteners 

Caffeinated beverages 

Licorice

Cruciferous vegetables:

Beet greens 

Bok choy 

Broccoli 

Brussels sprouts 

Cabbage 

Cauliflower 

Chinese cabbage 

Collard greens 

Garden cress 

Horseradish 

Kale 

Kohlrabi 

Mustard greens 

Radishes 

Rutabaga 

Swiss chard 

Turnips 

Turnip greens

If eliminating foods from your diet does not look different, please seek help from your Lactation Consultant or contact your nearest La Leche group. Sometimes the support and guidance of someone who is slightly more experienced and experienced in breastfeeding can make ALL the difference.

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