Is it possible to use pearl barley while breastfeeding? Tips and tricks

Positive properties of porridge

Is pearl barley good for breastfeeding? She has earned great recognition among people leading a healthy lifestyle and trying to maintain a balanced diet. The beneficial properties of pearl barley include:

High in amino acids, especially lysine, which is responsible for the production of collagen, which helps the skin remain firm and smooth.
A significant amount of microelements that are not contained in any porridge. It includes iron, calcium, zinc, potassium, iodine, phosphorus, which have a beneficial effect on both the mother and her newborn baby.
Barley dishes are rich in vitamins A, B, D, E and PP, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
The amount of protein in pearl barley exceeds the content of this element in wheat.
The presence of a large number of natural antibacterial substances.
This cereal is a powerful antioxidant; pearl barley contains more selenium than rice porridge.
Porridge can normalize metabolism and will also be useful for liver diseases.
Barley is rich in fiber, which distinguishes it from other types of cereals.

During breastfeeding, pearl barley affects a woman’s body as follows:

Improves the composition and nutritional value of breast milk.
Promotes rapid recovery of the female body after childbirth.
Stimulates the lactation process.
Gives a woman's body strength and energy.
Takes care of the health of the heart and blood vessels.
When taken regularly, it helps to lose excess weight, which is especially important for restoring a woman’s previous shape after childbirth.

The calorie content of pearl barley is low, so it can be consumed to maintain your usual weight and saturate the body with useful substances.

Barley during breastfeeding: pros and cons

We found out above that pearl barley is a valuable nutritional element; now let’s try to figure out whether a nursing mother should include it in her menu?

After pregnancy, a woman wants to return to her previous shape as quickly as possible, say goodbye to extra pounds, but do all this without threatening the baby’s health. Pearl barley and dishes made from it will help cope with this problem, as well as restore the skin’s former elasticity.

Pediatricians recommend that women during lactation include pearl barley in their diet, as this cereal perfectly stimulates the production of breast milk and saturates it with vitamins and microelements.

Mommy’s body needs to be replenished with a vitamin and mineral complex, and pearl barley will cope with this task perfectly.

Is it possible for a nursing mother to eat pearl barley? The answer to this question is naturally positive. Or rather, you even need to add this pearl porridge to your diet.

The main thing is to observe the child’s reaction to an unfamiliar product when first used, do not combine barley with fatty and spicy additives, and maintain moderation and variety in food.

Possible harm of cereals

Barley while breastfeeding a baby can not only be beneficial, but also negatively affect the health of mother and child. The negative effects of pearl barley include:

The cereal contains gluten, which is not suitable for people intolerant to this ingredient.
Barley takes a long time to digest, so it is not suitable for dinner.
Porridge can cause colic and increased gas production in infants.
Porridge cooked with milk is prohibited if you are lactose intolerant.

When including it in the diet, a woman must observe some precautions, which will be discussed later in the article.

Restrictions on the consumption of pearl barley and barley porridge

It is contraindicated to eat pearl barley and barley:

people with gluten intolerance,
children under 4 years old,
persons with high stomach acidity.

Sometimes pearl barley can cause constipation. Therefore, pregnant women are often not recommended to eat it.

Barley should not be eaten more than 3 times a week, as it is a rather difficult to digest product. More frequent use can lead to constipation.

Possible harm to mother and baby

During breastfeeding, a woman’s body needs a large amount of vitamins and nutrients. And pearl barley copes well with the role of a nutritious food product that can restore the mother’s resources. But introducing this cereal into the diet can provoke phenomena such as allergies and colic in a child. The gluten contained in the cereal can cause allergic reactions in the baby, and difficult digestion of pearl barley can lead to constipation, increased gas formation, and, as a result, colic. The mother may also have problems with bowel function. If there is any reaction from the body of the baby or mother, the use of pearl barley should be stopped.

Mother's consumption of pearl barley porridge can cause colic and allergies in the baby.

Rules for eating porridge

Can a nursing mother have pearl barley? According to the advice of experts, a woman begins to include porridge in her diet when the baby is 1-2 months old. Previously, this is not recommended, because the baby’s digestive system does not produce enzymes to process the components of the porridge.

If a child constantly suffers from colic and increased gas production, then the introduction of pearl barley into the body should be postponed for 2-3 months. It is not an allergenic product, but some children may be intolerant to the gluten it contains. When introducing pearl barley into the diet of a nursing mother, experts suggest adhering to the following recommendations:

Begin the intake with porridge cooked in water and without oil.
Initially, consume 1 spoon of pearl barley for breakfast.
Within 24 hours, the woman monitors the baby’s reaction to the product.
If an allergic reaction occurs and the digestion process is disrupted, avoid eating pearl barley porridge for 1-2 months.
In the absence of negative manifestations, increase the daily barley intake to 100 g.
It should be consumed warm and in the first half of the day.
The amount of porridge in the diet per week should be no more than 200 g.

If a woman follows all the recommendations of experts on including porridge in the diet, she will relieve the baby’s body from the negative effects of the product.

How to introduce pearl barley into the diet of a nursing mother

Pearl barley, included in the diet of a nursing mother, performs numerous functions that allow the child to develop and grow properly. But, as with any other product during breastfeeding, certain rules for consuming pearl barley porridge should be followed.

During the first few months, pearl barley should be cooked exclusively in water without adding vegetable or animal fats.
The first portion of porridge during breastfeeding should be equal to one spoon and eaten in the first half of the day (but not on an empty stomach), so that by the evening you can understand whether the baby has an allergic reaction to this product or not.
Gradually increase the portion of pearl barley porridge during lactation to 100 grams per day, but only if the child does not exhibit negative reactions such as allergies or increased gas formation.
The allowed amount of pearl barley during breastfeeding is 200 grams of porridge per week. Even with a great love for pearl barley porridge, you should not neglect this rule, because increasing the portion and frequency of consumption of pearl barley threatens to disrupt the normal digestion process in infants.

Separately, I would like to say whether pearl barley is possible when breastfeeding at 1 month of a baby’s life. It will be very difficult for a one-month-old baby to absorb the substances that make up pearl barley, which get to him along with his mother’s milk. During the first month of life, the baby’s gastrointestinal tract does not yet produce the necessary enzymes, so a nursing mother should postpone the introduction of pearl barley porridge into her diet until the third or fourth (or even better, until the fifth or sixth) month.

If the baby constantly suffers from colic or other problems with the gastrointestinal tract, then first you should wait until the baby’s condition stabilizes.

Methods for preparing porridge

Is it possible to use pearl barley while breastfeeding? The difficulty in preparing it is that the cereal is cooked for a long time. Pearl barley is whole barley grains, which, even after the heat treatment process, retain most of the nutrients. You can find crushed cereal in the store. It cooks faster, but has a poorer composition than whole grains.

To speed up the cooking process, the pearl barley must be soaked for several hours. Then it can be cooked within 1 hour. If you cook porridge from dry cereal, it will take 5-6 hours.

In the first months of a baby’s life, a woman should cook it only in water. After some time, when the child’s body gets used to barley, you can cook it with a mixture of water and milk (1:1). You can add a little butter and sugar to the porridge.

To improve lactation, a woman can prepare pearl barley decoction. To obtain it, add 1 part of cereal to 4 parts of water. It is necessary to cook for 1 hour. The resulting decoction is filtered and consumed 50 ml three times a day. The product can increase the amount of breast milk produced.

Pearl barley dishes

In ancient times, when pearl barley was considered a truly royal dish, the traditional way of preparing it was to soak it for a long time, steam it with hot milk, simmer in the oven and serve it with fresh cream.

Today, the most common dish made from pearl barley is porridge. To prepare it, you need to thoroughly rinse the cereal and then soak it in clean water for several hours. Cook pearl barley for 30-40 minutes over moderate heat.

With pearl barley you can prepare very tasty and healthy soups that will be easily absorbed by the body and have a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of both mother and baby.

A nursing mother is recommended to prepare a healing decoction of pearl barley, which has a beneficial effect on lactation. To prepare it, washed pearl barley must be poured with clean water in a 1:1 ratio and simmered under a closed lid over low heat. Then strain the resulting broth and take 50 ml 3 times a day.

What dishes to cook from pearl barley

Is it possible to eat pearl barley while breastfeeding? Porridge, due to its beneficial properties, benefits the body of mother and child if it is prepared correctly.

Experts recommend starting with pearl barley porridge. This is due to the following:

If you eat porridge without any spices or additives (butter), it will immediately be clear whether your baby has an allergic reaction to the new product or not. It does not always occur in the first hours after the irritant enters the body. Sometimes allergies can manifest themselves slowly. Within 2 days after including pearl barley in the diet, it will be clear whether the baby has a negative reaction to it or not.
At the same time, the mother herself can control the amount of porridge. It is best consumed hot to speed up the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients.

How to eat porridge while breastfeeding? If pearl barley does not cause an allergy in the baby, then a woman can introduce barley soup into her diet. You can add vegetables, lean meat (veal, turkey), and a small amount of oil to it. Vegetables should be introduced carefully; many babies are allergic to carrots. Tomatoes, pickles and similar components can also negatively affect the child's body.

If there is no allergy to pearl barley, then a nursing mother can drink a decoction from it. Since it has an enveloping, softening and antispasmodic effect, it prevents problems with stool in infants. Secondly, the decoction has a diuretic and anti-inflammatory effect. However, the main benefit of pearl barley is increasing lactation due to the inclusion of protein and phosphorus in its composition.

Recipes for nursing mothers

First you need to learn how to cook cereal correctly:

Rinse the pearl barley before cooking.
Soak the cereal overnight in cold, unboiled water. If the pearl barley has not been soaked in advance, before cooking it should be poured with boiling water and left for at least 30–40 minutes.
Maintain the proportions of pearl barley and water when soaking - 1:3.
Cook the porridge for 40–50 minutes, during which it needs to be stirred periodically.
Infuse the dish for about 20 minutes.

Video: how to cook pearl barley correctly

Pearl barley porridge with meat

To prepare the dish you need:

Cook the porridge following the previously suggested recommendations. Instead of cooking water, you can use meat broth to improve the taste of the dish.
Boil or bake the meat. Cooking takes 40–50 minutes. It is necessary to choose a product of low-fat varieties - veal, rabbit, chicken.
Cut 100 g of warm meat into small pieces and add to the porridge before eating.

Meat makes the dish more nutritious and tasty

Contraindications

Is it possible to use pearl barley while breastfeeding? Despite many positive properties, porridge has some restrictions on consumption. It should not be eaten by women who have high stomach acidity.

A nursing mother needs to know that regular consumption of pearl barley may cause constipation and problems with gas formation in the baby. Therefore, if you are predisposed to such conditions, it is best to limit the use of pearl barley.

Composition and benefits for the body of pearl barley and barley

Barley is a cereal plant containing many nutrients and vitamins. Two types of cereals are made from it - pearl barley and barley (popularly called pearl barley and yachka). The difference is that to make pearl barley, barley grain is peeled, polished, and ground. Whereas when preparing barley groats, the barley kernels are completely ground, without subjecting them to any processing.

Pearl barley and barley differ in the way the grain is processed

Pearl barley is primarily a high-carbohydrate product. Per 100 g of this cereal there are 62.12 g of carbohydrates. It also contains a lot of protein - 9.91 g. The calorie content of pearl barley is quite high - 352 kcal. But this is the calorie content of dry cereal. In its finished form it is different.

Pearl barley porridge on water - 106 kcal.
Pearl barley porridge with milk - 156 kcal.
Pearl barley porridge with meat broth - 135 kcal.

Pearl barley is good because it contains almost all B vitamins, as well as a lot of potassium. In addition to these substances, pearl barley contains:

vitamins A, E, K,
calcium,
iron,
magnesium,
sodium,
manganese,
copper,
fatty acid.

Pearl barley got its name because of the similarity of the grains to pearls (“pearl” in English means “pearl”).

Pearl barley is usually consumed in the form of porridge and as a dressing in soups.

The high fiber content in pearl barley helps improve intestinal function, rid the body of waste and toxins, and improves bowel movements. This cereal is often used for weight loss. Regular consumption of pearl barley helps reduce cholesterol, alleviate the symptoms of arthritis and arthrosis, prevents the formation of gallstones, strengthens bones, improves immunity, reduces blood sugar levels, and has a beneficial effect on skin condition. A large amount of potassium in pearl barley has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. And the liquid remaining after cooking this cereal has a strong healing effect for diseases such as gastritis and stomach ulcers (but not during periods of exacerbation), tonsillitis, colitis and many others.

Cow's milk contains 11 times less calcium than pearl barley!

People called pearl barley “soldier’s” due to the fact that it was a frequent guest on the military table. This is due to the fact that, at its low cost, it is incredibly nutritious and can quickly saturate the body even with heavy physical exertion.

There are no significant differences between the composition of pearl barley and barley. With the exception of more fiber in the egg than in pearl barley.

To read: Seaweed is a healthy product on the menu of a nursing mother

Barley porridge is a storehouse of nutrients

Composition of porridge

Pearl barley contains many vitamins, elements and amino acids:

A huge amount of protein, which promotes the growth and development of muscle tissue.
Vitamin chain from A, PP, B, D and E.
Lysine, which promotes the production of collagen, which in turn is responsible for the firmness and elasticity of the skin.
Iron is an important chemical element for the body's hematopoietic and immune systems. Its lack leads to anemia and immunodeficiency.
Calcium is necessary for complete blood clotting, the function of neuromuscular excitability and other important processes. It plays a huge role in the formation of nails, teeth, hair, epidermis and eye lenses.
Phosphorus is also responsible for the strength and formation of bone tissue, promotes the process of metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
Iodine - promotes mental processes, and also with its help produces thyroid hormones and destroys foreign cells in the blood.
Potassium is an important trace element for fighting allergens; with its help, cells receive the electrolytes necessary for the body.
Zinc is a good antiseptic and antioxidant, helps cleanse the body and remove toxins.

Harm of pearl barley porridge

Porridge is considered a heavy dish and is not recommended for children under 3 years of age. There is no need to consume it in large portions, especially at night. This will cause indigestion. It is better to eat this dish warm. Lovers of cold porridge should take into account that this makes it more difficult for the stomach to digest it.

Cereals contain gluten, which in large doses can stimulate calcium leaching. This leads to rickets in children and thinning of bone and cartilage tissue in adulthood.