Jennifer writes: but you are suggesting that as
a vegan, a woman is more likely to have a baby sensitive to these
"gas-producing vegetables".

No, no, no. That is not what I am saying at all.

Wow! this e-mail writing to thousands of readers is treacherous. Sometimes
I think that there is some culprit out in cyberspace taking one's words and
throwing in subliminal additions just to mislead the reader at the other end.

I have *not* found that vegan (or other vegetarians) have babies more prone
to GI distress.  What I, obviously poorly, described is that the vegan diet
naturally encompasses all vegetables, whether they are "gas producing" or
not. By saying that a vegan mother "has to" eat these foods I was eluding
to the fact that she would not want to eliminate beans, cabbage-family
foods, or other foods that some women find cause gas problems in their
breastfeeding infants.

If a mother calls me with a baby who is distressed by something in her diet
we try to explore, with a food diary, when and after what foods her baby is
more distressed. If we think that foods that produce more gas in *her*
intestines are also creating a problem for her baby, we try to find a
solution. I refer to the vegan diet to dissuade a mother who is not vegan
from eliminating large categories of healthiful foods just because they may
be causing their infants painful gas in the early months of infancy.

Many of my clients have found that their use of Beano drops before eating
certain foods helps with both their and their infant's gas problem.  I know
that there are many people who say that there is NO way that something that
creates excessive gas in a breastfeeding mother can then get into her blood
stream, go to the breast, and be transferred to her milk.  I, too, think
that it is senseless, but I also know that it happens. (anecdotal evidence)

After Barbara's post about pancrease I was reminded of the "Beano effect"
and wanted to share that tip with 2000+ of my closest friends.

Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin




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