Did you ever wonder if the flavor of what you eat affects your baby? Most women ask me questions about what they can or cannot eat while breastfeeding. Some moms have discontinued eating broccoli, cabbage and beans for fear the baby will have gas. The reality is that there aren’t many limitations and, in fact, exposing your baby to more foods while in the womb can help to shape food preferences later in life. You can go back to eating soft cheeses, sushi, deli meats and vegetables. The old wives tale that says vegetables are the cause of gas and discomfort is just that, an old wives tale. If your baby does have gas, it is usually because of dairy, soy or nuts and, in serious cases, an elimination diet should be tried.
Julie Mennella, who studies taste in infants at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, found that there isn’t a single flavor that does not show up in amniotic fluid or breast milk. ”Things like vanilla, carrot, garlic, anise, mint — these are some of the flavors that have been shown to be transmitted to amniotic fluid or mother’s milk,” says Julie. Her work has been published in the journal Pediatrics. This makes a lot of evolutionary sense. Even before they are born, we expose our children to the foods that introduces them to their culture and family traditions. To read the article please click here.
What cultural foods does your family introduce to mom to benefit her baby?
