The 4th edition of The Complete Book of Breastfeeding (Workman, 2010) is just out, written by Sally Wendkos Olds and my local awesome pediatrician, Laura Marks, M.D., as well as Marvin S. Eiger, M.D. I cover how to buy the best breast pump and nursing bra in my book, Consumer Reports Best Baby Products (http://www.amazon.com/Best-Baby-Products-Consumer-Reports/dp/1933524243/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283862056&sr=1-1). But this comprehensive guide takes breastfeeding to the ultimate level, covering everything from how to breastfeed a pre-term infant (in the old days, when I was born, women were told that premature infants couldn’t latch on, which is why my mom obediently gave me infant formula–Wah! I’m still mad about that!) to the breastfeeding benefits for Dads (yes, even you benefit when your baby is breastfed). As with most things in life, information is key, and breastfeeding is no exception. With this updated classic, you can read your way through breastfeeding issues, solving as you go, and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to breastfeed your baby with conviction and confidence.
Posts Tagged ‘breastfeeding’
Everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Do I need to avoid certain foods when I’m breastfeeding?
Thursday, April 1st, 2010That’s a good question from Haylie, a new-mom-to-be from Chicago. She wonders if she’ll need to continue to avoid soft cheeses, raw fish, caffeine, and alcohol when she begins breastfeeding just like she’s doing now, when she’s pregnant.
For the answer, I consulted with Mary Rose Tully, MPH, IBCLC, director of Lactation Services at NC Women’s and Children’s Hospitals at UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Rose Tully says: If you’re a nursing mom, you should continue to limit your exposure to mercury by avoiding certain types of fish. Those include shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm110591.htm.
But you don’ t need to stay away from soft cheeses or raw fish when you’re lactating, because the “bad” bacteria that may be in these foods, listeria monocytogenes, which can cause a bacterial infection known as listeriosis, doesn’t pass through breast milk to your baby. So go ahead and get your brie and sushi/sashimi fix.
As for caffeine, “most physicians will say 2-4 cups of coffee a day when you’re lactating is usually not problem for full-term babies,” Rose Tully says. But check with your doctor. And your baby. For some babies, it might be. With alcohol, “one to two servings of alcohol in 24-hours time when you’re lactating is considered safe,” Rose Tully says. But again, check with your doctor. Check, check, check.
In general, if you like to have a glass of wine with dinner, you can minimize your baby’s exposure to alcohol by nursing your baby first, then having dinner. Alcohol transfers into human milk quickly. It’s metabolized out of the milk rapidly, too, in about two hours. So by the time, your baby is ready to eat again, your breast milk will be close to alcohol free, Rose Tully says.
