We already know that the foods mothers-to-be eat can influence their child's tastes, pre-birth, through amniotic fluid. The same goes for breast milk post-birth. The foods in the mother's diet faintly permeate into her milk. But when is baby tasting what you ate for lunch?
From American Baby magazine, here's the lowdown on a few food flavors and how much time they take to influence what your baby's tasting:
Coffee: 15 to 60 minutes
Garlic: 2 hours
Carrots: 2 to 3 hours
Mint: 4 to 6 hours
Bananas: Never - their taste doesn't influence the milk's taste at all!
Did you have a glass of wine with lunch? It takes 30 to 90 minutes for it to reach breast milk. Ice cream for dessert? Cow's milk proteins, to which some infants are sensitive, takes 1 to 2 hours.
Related: New Research Shows Food Memories Shaped Before Birth
(Image: Faith Durand)
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Comments (9)
Wow these are all much faster than I would have guessed!
Very interesting! I was always curious about this when I was breastfeeding my son. Hubby and I figured it was 4-8 hours.
That's interesting about bananas. Probably why it took so long for me to like them.
My mom was constantly "you can't eat this, it has garlic" when I was nursing, then I read that garlic was GOOD for nursing mamas.
Home Fancy, everyone was telling me not to eat garlic while breastfeeding because the milk would get a different taste (maybe bitter?) and infant won't want to drink it...Never was a problem for me. Wonder if anyone ever did research on this or if this is just a old wives tale!
Interesting article, thank you!
This is great! I wondered this so many times when I was breastfeeding--you're always trying to figure out how what you eat affects your baby, and deciphering what food causes what is pretty complex and time-consuming (if you wonder if it's dairy, you have to go two weeks without any lactose). Super link, thanks!
Ate garlic while nursing both kiddos. Garlic did no harm. Probably they bothed liked it, since I eat garlic in foods, a lot.
Sometimes I think the more you read, as a new mom, the more overwhelming things can seem.
Be mindful of what can enter your bloodstream - that's the only way your breastmilk can be affected by what you consume. Medications, alcohol, caffeine...
Maybe garlic does cross into your bloodstream and that's how it keeps vampires away?
I wish this site had a "like" button so I could like that vampire comment. Ha!
And I completely agree, sometimes reading all those "rules" and "guidelines" and listening to "advice" which comes from all directions as soon as baby is on the way, completely buries your own instinct and common sense.
@Nedra, I'm like you - I moved to "Like" kimpeartgratton's Vampire comment, too!