On Sat, 2 Oct 2004 June Nicholls in NZ wrote:

....How certain foods eaten by breastfeeding mothers effects the taste of
the milk and behaviour of breast fed babies. ( cabbage causes wind, curries
cause babies to become unsettled, chocolate can cause fussiness)  If anyone
has references I would be most grateful ....

Hi June

I'm concerned about lists of foods ingested by the mother that "might"
affect *some* breastfeeding babies.  These lists tend to grow and grow, and
the response from mothers who have been given then may be to shorten their
breastfeeding duration because they from the iimpression that they "can't"
eat these foods.  The restrictive diet they try to follow is a great way to
turn them off*off* breastfeeding.  So I am very wary of lists.

It is very difficult to randomise when studying food effects, too, and so
mothers' prior beliefs may skew results of studies.  The baby may be extra
windy (gassy) one day because s/he was left to cry when the mother was extra
busy - but she thinks it must have been the cabbage she ate, or the small
chocolate square she ate.  Or it may be a different food again.

I prefer to tell mothers to eat across a wide variety of foods, in
moderation, and avoid binge-ing on any particular foods.  Then if a mother
thinks a food may have made her baby unsettled or windy, to omit it from her
diet for (say) a week and then challenge.  If it happens again and isn't an
important food, she can leave it out for the time being. If it is an
important food, it makes sense to consult a dietitian.

Virginia
in sunny Brisbane, Queensland

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