Can a nursing mom eat dried fruit?

What do pediatricians say about whether dried fruits are allowed during breastfeeding? After all, everyone knows that a nursing mother has to control her menu, and that a number of products are not recommended for consumption during lactation, since some of their components, getting into breast milk, can cause discomfort in the child's intestines.

We will not go into detail about the vitamins, macro- and microelements and their beneficial properties contained in dried fruits: the task is to find out why, despite all the indisputable benefits for the mother’s body (especially for the prevention of anemia), some dried fruits are not recommended for consumption during lactation.

Can a nursing mother eat raisins?

Pediatricians do not recommend eating raisins during breastfeeding in the first month of a child's life, that is, in the neonatal period, and up until the baby is three months old. Raisins contain a lot of easily digestible carbohydrates, in particular, glucose, and up to about two and a half months, children do not have enough enzymes for their aerobic metabolism. And when a mother eats 50 g of raisins (two tablespoons), this is almost 138% of the daily glucose requirement...

Although the same amount of dried grapes, or raisins, provides no more than 8% of the daily fiber intake, this is enough to noticeably increase gas formation in the intestines and enhance its peristalsis.

There is no absolute ban on crackers with raisins during breastfeeding, but is it worth the risk? It should also be taken into account that cottage cheese with raisins during breastfeeding can lead to flatulence in both the mother and the baby feeding on her milk.

Doctors advise limiting the consumption of raisins during lactation also because of its high boron content: more than 1000% of the daily requirement in 50 g. Although boron is necessary for the absorption of calcium and the formation of bone tissue, its excess can negatively affect not only digestion, causing diarrhea, but also interfere with the absorption of vitamin C and proteinogenic amino acids such as methionine and cysteine.

Can a nursing mother eat dried apricots?

Like dried grapes, dried apricots should not be present in the diet of a nursing mother during the first month after the birth of the child: this wonderful and healthy product can be tried when the baby is 2.5-3 months old - with mandatory monitoring of the baby's condition (nature of bowel movements, presence of colic, skin rashes).

In order not to create additional problems with the functioning of the physiologically immature gastrointestinal tract of a breastfed baby, it is best to follow the same principles when consuming dried apricot compote while breastfeeding.

But it is not at all necessary to bake and eat a dried apricot pie while breastfeeding: in addition to dried apricots themselves, any baked goods, especially those made from yeast dough, can cause bloating and flatulence.

Experts also remind that many dried apricot producers prevent apricots from losing their color and extend the shelf life of the product by treating dried fruits with sulfur-containing gas – sulfur dioxide. In some people, sulfites provoke stomach cramps, skin reactions in the form of rashes, and asthmatic symptoms. And dried fruits that have been stored incorrectly can also be contaminated with mold fungi and toxic aflatoxins.

Can a nursing mother eat prunes?

The natural laxative effect of prunes is due to the presence of plant fiber and sorbitol. In addition, during the production of dried plums (to give them shine), the fruits are treated with glycerin, which also acts on the intestines as a laxative.

For this reason - to avoid diarrhea in the child - prunes during breastfeeding for constipation in the mother is not a remedy of choice. It is much more expedient to use glycerin rectal suppositories for constipation in nursing mothers - they have absolutely no effect on infants.

At the same time, prunes during breastfeeding in the first month practically guarantee the development of colic in newborns.

Prune compote during breastfeeding, and especially yogurt with prunes during breastfeeding, can lead to similar results.

In addition, breastfeeding women should take into account that:

• by eating just 50 g of prunes per day, the body receives 127.5% of the daily requirement of glucose, which increases the risk of gaining excess weight;
• even one prune berry helps to increase appetite while simultaneously stimulating the production of gastric juice and bile acids;
• prunes increase diuresis (act as a diuretic).

Dried fruits and nuts during breastfeeding

As you can see, recommendations to consume dried fruits and nuts during breastfeeding should be taken critically, since the biochemical components of these products and the digestive characteristics of infants are not always taken into account.

Thus, it is believed that walnuts increase the fat content of breast milk, and this is useful for infants. However, the gastric enzymes of young children cope with the breakdown of only the physiologically necessary amount of fats, and when there is an excess of them, they enter the intestines and come out, giving the feces an oily appearance (this is called steatorrhea).

Just 50 g of walnut kernels contain more than 412% of the adult daily requirement of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, about 186% of the daily requirement of omega-6 acids, and 75% of the daily requirement of sterols. So, a nursing mother should not eat more than two walnuts per day.

Peanuts, which are legumes but are called groundnuts, should be consumed with caution and only when your baby is a little older – up to six or seven months. Then, a few roasted nuts a day will help produce more breast milk, and the baby's intestines will no longer react so violently to this product. But it should be taken into account that peanuts often provoke allergies.

[ 1 ]

What dried fruits can be eaten while breastfeeding?

There are no objections to dried fruit compote during breastfeeding if dried apples, pears, and rose hips are used to prepare the drink.

Experts in the Journal of Human Lactation say that calcium-rich dried fruits such as figs and dates can help increase breast milk production when it is low.

That may be true, but dates and figs can also cause intestinal problems in infants.

By the way, dried fruits contain a lot of sugar, and nuts contain calories, and passion for these products can contribute to weight gain in nursing women and, in the long term, to various health problems.