DOES EATING BLUE CHEESE WHILE BREASTFEEDING CHANGE THE TASTE OF MILK? - PARENTHOOD

Is breastfeeding gorgonzola a food to avoid?

There are many restrictions in the food sector that a pregnant woman must respect; one of these is the ban on eating unpasteurized dairy products, to avoid coming into contact with bacteria that are potentially harmful to the fetus. If you are pregnant, take a review with our video on which foods it would be better not to ingest and which ones to eat in moderation. Have you already given birth? Read on: while breastfeeding you can finally be more flexible.

While breastfeeding they must increase the calories ingested

Although it is a delicate period, breastfeeding has more freedom than pregnancy, from the point of view of the foods allowed. The new mother will be able to return to taste many of her favorite dishes, which probably during gestation she had had to greet for her well-being and for that of the little one.

However, the diet of a nursing woman must not be characterized by excesses: it would be better to prefer a healthy and balanced diet, which benefits both the infant and the mother. The benefits of breastfeeding are widely known (breast milk is a complete food with necessary nutrients and passes the mother's antibodies to the newborn, just to name a few), but maybe you didn't know that according to in-depth studies the diet in pregnancy and then in breastfeeding it affects the production of milk.
Not only that, those who feed their baby exclusively with mother's milk have very different nutritional needs from a person in a normal state and it is therefore logical to make changes in terms of food.

Producing a lot of milk, the new mother expends a lot of caloric energy and consequently needs to ingest a fairly high amount of calories, but in a balanced way.
To give you an idea, a nursing mom's daily intake is around 2300-2400 calories. They seem like a lot, but experts say they are essential to keep mom and baby healthy.

So what are the good practices applicable at the table for breastfeeding? Are cheeses such as gorgonzola still considered dangerous or can they be consumed without problems?

The diet of those who are breastfeeding

The feeding of the mother who is breastfeeding, and consequently that of her baby, must be
very well balanced and characterized by the presence of all nutrients, from fats to proteins, without missing daily doses of fruit and vegetables.
Unlike 9 months, all foods can be eaten while breastfeeding if common sense guides you; exceptions are fried foods, strong spices, sweets and those that are too fatty, not to mention alcohol and caffeine-based drinks, which through milk, can pass the substances contained inside, causing irritability or insomnia in the newborn .

To be able to properly cover your new protein and calcium needs, it is generally recommended to abound with yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables, due to their mineral salt content; eat blue fish containing omega-3s and legumes more than once a week. The water must be very abundant, so much so that you will soon discover how drinking a nice bottle of water helps to produce milk.
You are more than allowed an extra snack of milk, yoghurt or cheese and certainly eat free eggs and olive oil as a condiment at meals.

More or less this is what you should expect if you choose to breastfeed, at least for the first few months where your milk will be the only food the baby will ingest.
Finally, there are certain foods whose consumption must be extremely moderate: they are those that usually have no consequences on the baby (there are always exceptions), other than to change the taste of milk and make it less palatable.

Lactating cheeses: those that change the taste of milk

We dedicate a separate section to cheeses and dairy products because they are recommended for breastfeeding, but there are some that change the taste of breast milk, including: gorgonzola, roquefort, camerbert, brie, smoked provola, pecorino and cream.

You should also beware of other milk-based foods such as cow's which can lead to allergies to the baby or colic while breastfeeding. If you notice that your child is already suffering from gaseous colic, it is better to eliminate legumes and sausages from your diet.

All these recommendations always depend on how the baby reacts, so if you don't notice any discomfort in him or a lesser appetite for feeding, you can consume the cheeses you want, including gorgonzola. So take note of our list of cheeses not recommended only if the baby shows different attitudes than usual, such as refusing to breastfeed: even babies have a taste, and it could be that certain foods are not appreciated!

If among your favorite cheeses there is gorgonzola, but your child doesn't really want to know about it or has problems digesting it, try to limit it or take it as a topping for pizzas and pasta, always gradually.

Other foods that change the taste of breast milk

For the sake of completeness, we are going to indicate all those other foods that, if not appreciated by the newborn, should be considered as not recommended in breastfeeding, precisely because they cause restlessness in the baby. Here are what they are:

Some cheeses, such as gorgonzola and brie, which if never taken during the weeks of pregnancy, not even cooked, may not please the baby or cause some digestive problems;
Sauces and spices; such as nutmeg, chilli, curry, cream, mayonnaise (and therefore also Russian salad), lard and lard, ketchup, bouillon cube;
Vegetables; even if vegetables are among the most recommended foods to consume during pregnancy and breastfeeding, there is some who can alter the taste of breast milk, especially if it has never been tried by the mother during gestation. this category are those with a slightly particular flavor such as cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, mushrooms, raw garlic / onion, leeks and chives;
Meat and fish; for meat the situation is a little different because by eating some varieties of animals there is also a risk of passing on bacteria or allergies to the infant. This is the case of game, meat preserved with jelly, sausage and rind. Similar question for fish; here too there are some species that can damage the baby's health or trigger dangerous allergies. These are crustaceans, crab meat, molluscs, mussels, surimi and anchovies;
Fruit; while breastfeeding, keep an eye on the baby, if he has particular rashes after feeding and especially after you have eaten strawberries, peaches or citrus fruits, it is likely that he is allergic to them;
Dried fruit, lightly cooked legumes and chestnuts.