Weaning dietary taboos

Don’t rely on consuming milk-replenishing foods to hold back the milk, don’t feed your baby high-sugar and high-salt supplementary food to satisfy your baby, and don’t feed yourself high-fat soup to replenish the milk. Most of the remaining so-called “taboos” are different for different people and situations, and there is no unified standard answer.

My best friend fell into the first trap when weaning last time. I checked online and found that fried malt, chives, and hawthorn were a three-piece set for breastfeeding. She drank concentrated malt water for three days, and ate leek boxes every now and then. She deliberately reduced the amount of water she drank and wore tight underwear to hold it in. As a result, she developed a fever on the third day. She went to the hospital to be diagnosed with acute mastitis. She had to wait for three days to get rid of the problem. She suffered the same fate. As for whether these so-called milk-returning foods are useful, there is currently no unified conclusion in the nutrition and lactation circles. I asked lactation consultants from two different institutions. One said that as long as the engorgement is uncomfortable, you can drink malt water in moderation to assist. The other said that as long as the frequency of breastfeeding is gradually reduced, there is no need to deliberately touch the milk-returning foods. The milk volume will naturally drop. Relying on food to suppress it will easily block the milk. Last time I saw someone in a group of moms saying that she regained breast milk after eating a mango. A bunch of people jumped out and said that eating mango made her breast milk less. Individual differences are so huge that there is really no need to follow a list of taboos one by one.

Many people focus all their attention on how to breastfeed less and suffer less, but forget about the weaning period, and the dietary mistakes will have a greater impact. My cousin's baby was weaned before, and the old man felt sorry for the baby's crying. He cooked pumpkin porridge and sweet potato puree with rock sugar every time, and secretly fed him milk candy hidden in his pocket. He said that sweet babies love to eat, and they don't want to look for their mother after they are full. As a result, the milk supply was successfully stopped, but the baby no longer wanted to eat plain food, and even drank boiled water with sugar. Within half a year, two deciduous teeth were decayed, and it took a long time to adjust the taste back. My neighbor’s family was even more outrageous. During the weaning week, the old man fed the baby Wangzai steamed buns every day, saying that they were convenient and full. As a result, the baby had diarrhea for three days. When he went to the hospital, the doctor said that the sugar intake was too high and the delicate stomach could not bear it. Oh, yes, there is another controversial point here: some people say that babies must switch to formula milk to supplement nutrition during weaning. Some pediatricians say that as long as the baby is over 1 year old, three normal meals + pure milk is enough, and there is no need to spend high prices to buy formula milk. This completely depends on the baby's acceptance. There is no right or wrong.

There is another pitfall that few people mention, which is caused by the mentality of many mothers. Many people feel that after feeding their babies milk for more than a year, they have lost their health. After weaning, they have to take a lot of supplements. They take turns with pig's trotter soup, old hen soup, and black-bone chicken soup. As a result, the milk production is gradually declining. After drinking these high-fat milk soups, the increase becomes even worse. Some mothers gained 8 pounds in half a month after weaning, and did not lose it back for half a year. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you can’t supplement it at all. If you are usually weak in qi and blood, it’s okay to drink some light red date and longan soup or yam and pork ribs soup, but don’t drink the kind of thick meat soup that can form a layer of oil when it’s cold.

As for what is posted on the Internet about not eating cold food, not touching spicy food, and not holding the baby to the breast during weaning, there is no unified standard. When I was weaning, I even bought some ice cream to eat, and it didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Of course, if you have a weak stomach and eating something cold will cause diarrhea, that's another matter. There are also older generations who say that babies should not be held during weaning, otherwise the pressure will cause the milk to become clogged. The close parenting group also says that babies during weaning are inherently anxious, and even hugging babies would destroy their sense of security. In fact, just be careful not to squeeze the breasts when hugging them. Both sides are right. Just choose the one that suits your family's situation.

In fact, in the final analysis, weaning is a process of adaptation between mother and baby. How can there be so many rigid rules that must be followed? For those taboos listed in detail, just choose the reference that applies to you. Don't make yourself cry with breast pain and your baby cry with hunger just to comply with the rules. That is really not worth the gain.