Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

5

I am a fish-a-tarian trying to transition to eating more meat, mainly chicken right now. My partner is paleo-leaning, and eventually I'd like to be able to cook just one meal for the both of us.

My problem right now is that I'm breastfeeding, and my son has terrible, really uncomfortable gas. I don't. For instance, last night I ate asparagus and tilapia. This morning he's been terribly gassy and irritable.

Wondering if there's any paleo+breastfeeding wisdom here.

flag	asked Mar 14 2012 at 20:07 Emily 170●5

Someone in another of the nursing threads suggested this article at WAPF: westonaprice.org/childrens-health/… Hope it helps some. Are you using garlic, onions, spices, or FODMAPs? Just trying to think of what often causes gas. – PaleoGran Mar 14 2012 at 21:02

Aughra · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-14 22:45:50Z UTC

How old is baby? My son reacted to cruciferous vegetables my first few weeks but once he learned how to pass gas it subsided. I wouldn't cut them out. It's really important to get lots of vitamin k, which your mammary glands change to k-2 for the baby. Another problem we were having was engorgement. If you're super full baby can get mostly foremilk Instead of the fattier hind milk which can make them gassy. Are his poops green or curdy yellow? If consistently green it could be a foremilk issue and a little block feeding will take care of that. Other than that just bicycle his legs and put some pressure on his belly. Letting them drape across your forearm or breastfeed face down while you lie on your back can help too. Make sure you're burping him every 15 minutes or so during a feed, it'll help a lot.

Obviously eating a nutrient dense diet is really important but unless he's getting rashes or other allergic reactions I wouldn't go nuts cutting stuff out of your diet for the elusive "perfect" combination of foods. Sometimes you'll think you found out what it was 4 weeks later and cut something like dairy or shellfish out and the only real change was that they got older and the latch got better. Kellymom.com is a really good resource for breastfeeding information. http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/gassybaby.html

Good luck!!

lolabee · Answer 2 · 2012-03-14 20:17:59Z UTC

5

i would stay away from all cabbages and gas producing foods--may not affect you but will affect baby

answered Mar 14 2012 at 20:17

lolabee
153●2

ZombieApocalypseKitten · Answer 3 · 2012-03-14 22:40:00Z UTC

3

Is the little one getting a good latch? Sometimes little ones gulp air while nursing.

answered Mar 14 2012 at 22:40

ZombieApocalypseKitten
1,031●2●6

Renee · Answer 4 · 2012-03-14 23:27:30Z UTC

2

Look up the list of FODMAPs foods and limit those (or use trial and error to figure out which are most bothersome). Asparagus is on that list and is a killer for me.

answered Mar 14 2012 at 23:27

Renee
11.1k●1●4●42

HA · Answer 5 · 2012-03-14 20:20:11Z UTC

baby response can be related to different things for different people. Do you drink coffee or caffeinated tea? Some babies don't react well to that. For me, it was definitely dairy, not sure what else. Keep a log of what you eat and drink, and what your baby reacts to. Did you have onions or garlic in your food last night? Any herbs? Any nuts or fruit for a snack?

Kayla maus · Answer 6 · 2012-03-14 20:48:33Z UTC

There are so many things that can upset a little ones tummy while breastfeeding. I have a great product we use it is all natural and works wonders for these symptoms it's called"gripe water" it's kind of like a tea for a baby in a way. But is given through a dropper. Also try a warm compress and a warm relaxing bath.;)

Mystery Man X · Answer 7 · 2012-03-15 12:35:03Z UTC

0

Was baby vaginal birth or c-section?

answered Mar 15 2012 at 12:35

Mystery Man X
1,065●2●9

1

And what is this going to tell you? C-section can contribute to gut dysbiosis, but so can any number of other things. It's good to know this from a prevention standpoint, but at this point it seems an unnecessarily invasive question. – jess6 Mar 15 2012 at 16:32

jess6 · Answer 8 · 2012-03-15 16:23:01Z UTC

With my baby, gassiness was a sign of a food sensitivity, and it can happen from really random things that you wouldn't think would be a culprit.

Her first Thanksgiving (1 month old), she got gassy from turkey that I ate (definitely the turkey - this was confirmed on more than one future occasion). Her second Thanksgiving, she broke out in hives from turkey. We're now planning on alternative meat for future Thanksgivings.

Similar happened with some other foods.

On the other hand, she has no problems with most typical gas-causing foods (cabbage, onions, etc.).

So basically, you have two choices. If the gassiness is mild and doesn't seem to cause significant discomfort or sleep disruption, you can ignore it and hope for the best. If the gassiness is a real problem, it's probably best to track down the culprit and eliminate it from your diet.

Paleo Babies: breastfeeding infant is terribly gassy

8 Answers