The diet of a nursing woman is accompanied by many restrictions. This is very difficult, so mothers often try to complete breastfeeding early. It is especially difficult to live without sweets. Breastfeeding mothers are interested in what sweets they can eat while breastfeeding in the first month. Today we will answer this question and figure out what sweets you can eat, when to do it correctly, and what you can’t eat. We will also introduce you to recipes for treats that are healthy for nursing mothers.
It is very important to know what sweets you can eat in the first months of breastfeeding. After all, not only the baby’s well-being, but also the mother’s mood depends on this.
Why do you want to constantly eat sweets and starchy foods during breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding is a complex and energy-consuming process for a woman’s body. Hundreds of calories are spent every day producing breast milk. Since the body is structured as a single system, it constantly requires carbohydrates to replenish its reserves of strength and energy.
There are complex (slow) and fast carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates can be obtained, for example, from cereals. Fast carbohydrates are sweets and flour. They break down faster, releasing energy. Since the body of a nursing woman constantly requires it, the mother feels the need to constantly replenish her energy supply immediately. It is these reasons that determine the constant craving for sweets and starchy foods. In addition, these products cause the synthesis of serotonin, the hormone of joy, which improves the production of breast milk.
Reviews
Victoria, 24 years old
I really love Turkish delight. But ours is not tasty at all. Anyone who has tried real Turkish will confirm. During breastfeeding, I ate imported food. All my friends brought it to me from vacation)) It didn’t rain on him, the baby had no problems with bowel movements. Great.
Sasha, 26 years old
I constantly ate store-bought Turkish delight from 2 or 3 months of breastfeeding. Never had a small one spill out. And colic didn’t bother us. I really fell in love with this sweetness during this period. Pastila and marmalade are not the same at all.
Maria, 33 years old
I read on the Internet that it is useful to eat Turkish delight during breastfeeding. I went and bought it. Well, in general, we were on antihistamines for a month. The rash was terrible; spots appeared on the child right before his eyes. I didn't eat anymore.
If a nursing mother eats a lot of sweets, how does this affect the baby?
The diet of a nursing mother directly affects the baby. If a mother eats something harmful, in rare cases it does not provoke negative symptoms in the child. The same goes for sweets. In small quantities, good quality natural sweets will only bring benefits. But if you eat too many of them, a woman’s body will become oversaturated with carbohydrates. This can cause excessive stress on the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, which leads to colic, stool disorders, increased gas formation, etc.
In addition, such products contain a lot of sugar and other substances that in large quantities can provoke an allergic reaction in a child. It can manifest itself in the form of rashes, itching, spots and other typical symptoms.
Can a child get fat?
If a nursing mother loves sweets, this is primarily harmful for her, especially for her figure. A large amount of carbohydrates leads to rapid weight gain. These calories are not transferred to the child, so it is illogical for the mother to eat a lot of sweets so that the baby gains weight. Carbohydrates do not increase the fat content and nutritional value of mother's milk so much that it affects the baby's weight. They are not distributed between mother and baby. Consequences for the child can only manifest themselves in the form of tummy problems or allergies.
How to reduce cravings for sweets during breastfeeding
One of the reasons why a nursing woman craves sweets so much is a deficiency of magnesium in her body. Therefore, in order to reduce the craving for sweets and cakes, you need to heavily consume spinach, seaweed or nuts for several days, and drink plenty of good quality mineral water.
To replenish vitamin C reserves, you should eat oranges, apples, and seasonal berries rich in ascorbic acid. Fish, liver, red meat or dairy products can help compensate for the lack of B vitamins.
If the body does not receive enough water and fiber, then the hands often reach for sweets. Ingredients from a healthy diet that satisfy hunger include legumes, fruits, broccoli or cauliflower florets.
In addition, a sugar substitute will help reduce the amount of sugar - such tablets can be used initially as a complete replacement for sugar, and then gradually reduce the dosage. In addition, for dessert, instead of a bun or chocolate, you can eat bars that are recommended for sports nutrition or low-calorie options from the pharmacy.
Definitely, the list of permitted sweets is much longer than those not recommended. If a young mother has the opportunity to prepare desserts on her own, then this list can only go on. Homemade cakes, meringues and jam will not only cheer you up during breastfeeding, but will also not harm the baby. At the same time, you should not eat all sweets indiscriminately. It is worth sticking to a healthy diet, and replacing an extra snack with a green apple, a walk in the fresh air, or moderate physical activity. Then nothing will harm the figure of the nursing mother, and the baby will grow up healthy.
When and why should you not eat sweets while breastfeeding?
Not everyone is allowed to eat sweets while breastfeeding. It is not recommended to introduce it into the diet in the first months of breastfeeding, as it can cause allergies or tummy problems in the baby. During this period, it is better to replace sweets with more gentle products. Eating sweets is not recommended for mothers of children suffering from allergies or diathesis.
Can sweets cause colic?
Sweets contain a lot of carbohydrates. Consuming them in large quantities negatively affects not only the gastrointestinal tract of the mother, but also the baby. After all, digesting them is difficult for the body and can cause bloating, stool problems, colic, etc. Moreover, it is forbidden to eat sweets if you have colic. They can make the problem worse.
Why are sweets harmful to nursing mothers?
Sweets can harm not only the child, but also the mother. It is very high in calories, therefore, if consumed frequently, it leads to weight gain in a nursing woman. In addition, sweets have the following contraindications for consumption and harmful properties:
- obesity;
- diabetes;
- deterioration of teeth;
- metabolic disorder, etc.
How long does it take for sweets to be removed from breast milk?
Breast milk contains all the ingredients from the food that the mother has eaten. Sometimes a woman cannot restrain herself and eats foods to which the child is allergic or has another negative reaction. After this, you should not feed the baby. Therefore, the question arises, how much should you not feed after eating, for example, chocolate while breastfeeding?
The active substances from the mother’s food begin to enter the milk 20–30 minutes after consumption, and this continues for about a day if the sweets are natural. Chemical additives can take longer to digest, so they should not be eaten during breastfeeding.
What sweets should you not eat?
Despite the benefits of sweets for breastfeeding, not all treats are allowed for nursing mothers. Products with flavors, dyes and similar additives are prohibited. First of all, the list of forbidden foods includes sweet carbonated drinks, for example, the most common sweet water. They contain the largest amount of chemicals and sugar. But such products also include most store-bought candies, cakes, cookies, etc.
It is not recommended to eat cakes and pastries that contain rich cream, for example, eclairs with cream. This filling can cause colic, flatulence and constipation in the baby, as it is very difficult to digest.
It is not recommended to eat chocolate, especially with additives. The natural product contains cocoa, which is a strong allergen. Chocolate also contains a lot of sugar, which increases the risk of developing an allergic reaction. The presence of fillings, nuts, and dried fruits in the composition can also trigger allergies, so it is not recommended to consume chocolate with additives; it is better to choose regular chocolate.
What to replace sweets with?
If you decide to give up sweets during breastfeeding, but your body requires something similar, you can look for an alternative. Dried fruits are considered the best replacement for breastfeeding. A nursing mother should remember that not all dried fruits are allowed for breastfeeding from birth. In the first months it is best to eat dried apples, pears or prunes, and after 3 months it is allowed to introduce other dried fruits into the diet.
It is recommended to replace milk chocolate with black. You should not choose dark chocolate; it contains a high level of cocoa, which can cause excitability in the baby. Pastille, marshmallows and marmalade will be useful. These products are prepared from natural puree and juice, which will bring many benefits. Consider the fact that even these products can cause allergies. Pay attention to jelly made from homemade juice or compote. Powdered store-bought ones will not be beneficial, as they contain flavorings and dyes.
Benefit or harm
Carbohydrate foods, including sweets, promote the production of serotonin, and chocolate also promotes the production of endorphin - the hormone of happiness, which gives the female body strength, saves from drowsiness, improves mood, which only has a positive effect on the mother, so she will recover faster after childbirth and not will experience postpartum depression.
And if we talk about harm, then first of all this applies to infants, since sweets during breastfeeding, entering the child’s body, can provoke allergies. In addition, even moderate consumption of sweet foods can cause intestinal colic or bloating, so mothers are advised to eat sweets with extreme caution.
Excessive portions of sweets will also harm a nursing mother - these are high-calorie dishes that will help you gain excess weight, and not remove excess weight after childbirth.
Also, constant consumption of sweets or chocolate will negatively affect the condition of tooth enamel and increase blood sugar, which in turn can lead to the development of diabetes.
The dyes and preservatives included in purchased sweets will also have a detrimental effect on the body of the infant and the mother herself.
But homemade sweets will not cause any particular trouble to the mother’s body, but will fulfill their main function - they will improve the mood of everyone at home, and the caring housewife will not have to worry about dangerous flavorings.
TOP 12 sweets that nursing mothers can eat
Lactating women are constantly wondering what delicious things they can eat, because everything is prohibited. The most useful sweets for breastfeeding include the following:
- Pastila, homemade is best.
- Marshmallow: white, without dyes or flavors. Read more in the article “Marshmallows during breastfeeding.”
- Ice cream: organic white, no condensed milk, nuts, frosting, etc.
- Marmalade: natural, from organic juice, best homemade.
- Natural halva. The presence of large amounts of sugar is not recommended. It should be remembered that the seeds and nuts from which it is made can cause severe allergies.
- Condensed milk. Real condensed milk stimulates lactation and enriches the body with calcium, which is very beneficial for bones, teeth and nails.
- Homemade sweets. Creamy jellies or butterscotch (taffy) are best.
- Dried fruits. First of all, pay attention to dried apples, pears, prunes, and dried apricots.
- Meringue. The dessert consists of sugar and egg whites, so it is easy to prepare. Read more in the article “Merringue for breastfeeding.”
- Jam or marmalade is a delicious fruit treat that can be added to many confectioneries or baked goods. The safest representatives are apple, peach, and blueberry jam.
- Nuts or fruits in sugar. Fresh is best. Cranberries are considered the healthiest.
- Cookie. The safest are biscuits, long-lasting or children's cookies. They are allowed practically from the maternity hospital. Read more in the article “What kind of cookies can a nursing mother have.”
What sweets are possible with gw
During lactation, a nursing mother should replace fatty, high-calorie sweets with:
- marshmallows - at the same time, from a large number of its varieties, it is better to choose the usual classic version - white, without chocolate glaze;
- marshmallow - it is better if it is made with your own hands, from proven and harmless ingredients. When buying marshmallows in stores, you should choose products made from natural ingredients based on pectin;
- marmalade - if you can’t prepare a sweet dish at home, then you should look for products in the store in the nutrition departments, where pectin-based marmalade is most often sold;
- everyone's favorite condensed milk - some mothers think that green tea with condensed milk has a positive effect on lactation. In fact, this is one of the most common myths, since any warm and heavy drink will help increase milk production. But you still can’t eat condensed milk in unlimited quantities. Firstly, it is better to try it after a month of feeding and make sure that there is no intolerance to cow's milk protein, and secondly, the use of condensed milk should be limited due to the large amount of sugar it contains. Over time, you can add this milk to food more often, but not every day;
- halva - recommended for use during breastfeeding; it is produced from natural substances. The classic version made from sunflower seeds can be eaten without fear, but when eating kozinaki with honey, sesame or peanut halva, you should definitely observe the child’s reaction;
- some types of sweets - for dessert, you can add a few pieces of “Cows”, toffee or caramel and jelly to tea. Homemade sweets made from dried fruits are also considered useful;
- After a few months, you can introduce meringue into your diet - one of the natural varieties of sweet food. If there is no individual intolerance to eggs, then you can eat this dish made from protein and sugar;
- cranberries, almonds, and other natural products sprinkled with sugar are a sure alternative to chocolate candies. Cranberries are good for the immune system, and almonds are the type of nut that is least likely to cause allergies;
- homemade jam - a couple of spoons, even with bread, will not harm the body of a nursing mother;
- cookies - it is better to choose children's varieties, "Maria" or oatmeal cookies. You can eat it as a stand-alone dessert, or prepare a cake using a quick but no less tasty recipe;
- oriental sweets, Turkish delight - it is better to choose white varieties without dyes, first the classic versions, and after several times you can try varieties with honey and nuts.
Oriental sweets, in particular Turkish delight, are a worthy sweet replacement for sugary, fatty margarine cakes, which are harmful not only to nursing mothers during lactation.
What sweets can a nursing mother eat if her child has diathesis?
Diathesis is a hereditary predisposition of the body, usually in childhood, to the occurrence of pathological reactions on the skin. It can be a consequence not only of allergies, as a large number of women believe, but also of acid metabolism disorders, respiratory infections, convulsions, etc. In most cases, eating sweets does not affect the occurrence of the reaction. But if it is determined that the cause of the problem is still an allergy, a nursing woman is prohibited from eating sweets until the allergen is identified.
How to choose a useful product?
There are many types of Turkish delight. During breastfeeding, it is especially important to choose the most useful and safe one. When choosing a treat, first of all pay attention to the composition. The basis of the sweetness is flour with sugar and nuts. Their presence in real Turkish delight is mandatory.
Pay attention to the fruit component. The presence of lemon or orange zest, juice of allergenic fruits and berries is undesirable. Such components can be present in the diet of a breastfed woman for closer to six months. May contain honey. Remember that it is an allergen, so products containing it must be introduced into the diet with particular caution.
If you're looking for sweet treats you can eat while breastfeeding, check out Turkish Delight, which is made with berries or applesauce. The presence of gelatin was not recommended in the original formulation, but is allowed and is often used today. This reduces the amount of starch as a thickener.
Doctor Komarovsky's opinion
Dr. Komarovsky is an adherent of the theory that a nursing woman should not give up any products with a natural composition. Products containing chemical additives and alcohol are prohibited. The mother's diet should not be significantly limited, since breastfeeding is not a disease. A woman’s nutrition at this time should be complete. It is also not forbidden to eat sweets. It is important to gradually introduce them into the diet and monitor the child’s reaction. If he has symptoms of allergies or tummy problems, then he needs to limit the presence of a specific product, but not all sweets.
Which sweets are best to forget about?
There are also desserts that you must abstain from until the end of lactation. For example:
- Chocolate containing cocoa. This substance excites the nervous system and can cause colic. A nursing mother will be able to pamper herself with this product only after six months. It is important to monitor the baby’s reaction. If allergic manifestations occur from a small piece of chocolate, you should postpone its introduction for another couple of months - about chocolate while breastfeeding.
- Carbonated colored drinks. They contain many harmful substances.
- Fat butter cakes with cream. You will have to give them up for a long time, since the risk of allergies is quite high. One small portion of dessert may contain cream, milk, citrus fruits, thickeners, spices, dyes - everything that is not allowed for a child in the first year of life. An exception for breastfeeding is one-component desserts prepared without allergens.
- Delicious baked goods. Some mothers have to give up these products immediately after giving birth due to a cesarean section or stitches as a result of an episiotomy. For other new mothers, puff pastry, yeast dough, and shortbread dough will also not be beneficial, since it promotes weight gain and contains allergenic foods (eggs, milk).
Why can’t you eat sweets in large quantities during breastfeeding? In addition to serious allergies, heavy foods will harm the infant’s fragile body and cause an eating disorder. Manufacturers often add preservatives and prohibited additives to sweets, which immediately penetrate into breast milk and negatively affect the newborn. As a result, the baby will often have a stomach ache, he will be irritable and whiny.
A lot of sweets will harm mommy herself. By consuming it in large quantities, she can gain extra pounds, which will then be difficult to get rid of. In order not to risk your figure and preserve the health of the baby, you need to carefully choose treats, and it is better to prepare them yourself. This way, sweets will not only be tasty, but also healthy.
Interesting! If a woman ate sweets while carrying a child, then during lactation they are unlikely to harm the baby.
Reviews from those who ate sweets while breastfeeding
Marya, 25 years old
I constantly ate sweets during breastfeeding. I tried not to eat cakes or fatty pies, but I always ate regular dry cookies, dark chocolate and similar foods. The baby had no reaction. If there was, I wouldn't eat it.
Rita, 32 years old
I tried not to eat sweets. I ate a little dried fruit, candied fruit, and dark chocolate if I couldn’t bear it. I was very afraid that the baby would have allergies. Fortunately, everything went well.
Yana, 29 years old
I'm one of those unfortunate mothers who couldn't do anything. At most I could eat dried fruits from apples or prunes. The baby had a reaction on his cheeks to everything else sweet. That’s why I stopped breastfeeding at 6.5 months. Well, I couldn’t sit on oatmeal, buckwheat and beef anymore.
Do's and Don'ts
The baby needs all the nutrients to develop. You won’t be able to get them from water and bread, so every mother needs to figure out what sweets are allowed and what are not while breastfeeding. This will help avoid many problems.
It is impossible to completely exclude sweets from the menu. You should carefully approach this problem and find the safest ones. Again, it is important to know what sweet foods are allowed in the first month of lactation.
What sweets can mom have?
There are sweets that you can eat during lactation. If their composition is safe and all standards are met, then they will only bring benefits.
Baked apples are a dessert that won’t harm your baby.
In the first month, mother is allowed:
- Baked apple;
- Banana;
- Cracker;
- Drying.
From the second month you can introduce more sweets into your diet:
- White marshmallows, meringues, marmalade;
- Oriental delicacies (marshmallow, halva, kozinak, Turkish delight);
- Cookies (oatmeal, children's, biscuits);
- Dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dates);
- Nuts (almonds, peanuts);
- Rusks;
- Fruits (bananas, apples, pears);
- Yoghurts (without additives);
- Compotes, juices, fruit drinks;
- Condensed milk;
- Homemade jam, marmalade;
- Candies (toffee, caramel);
- Ice cream.
Attention! Any new product should be introduced into your menu gradually, starting with a small portion. It is important to make sure that the child does not have a reaction to this product.
Any new product should be introduced into the diet gradually
What is better to refuse
Among the abundance of sweets, it is important to choose the right products and avoid harmful ones.
Harmful sweets that should be excluded or limited in their consumption:
- Sugar;
- Store-bought confectionery;
- Butter pastries;
- Products with caffeine (chocolate, coffee, cocoa);
- Canned fruits (pineapples, cherries, peaches);
- Fat cakes;
- Honey, bee products;
- Fresh grapes;
- Vegetables and fruits that are colored red, orange, blue;
- Packaged juices;
- Soda.
Consumption of the above products can lead to disruption of the child’s digestion and allergies. It is better to include these sweets in the menu as late as possible. It is advisable to completely abstain from them in the first six months.
Honey and chocolate are strong allergens
Eating chocolate
In the first 6 months you should not eat chocolate, as the consequences can be unpredictable. You can’t buy tiles, they primarily cause allergies in the baby. Real chocolate is bitter, its price cannot be cheap.
It is better to introduce chocolate into the menu no earlier than six months later and starting with a small dose. For the first time, 20-30 grams is enough. If the baby tolerates the innovation normally, then you can gradually increase the portion. In any case, the amount of chocolate consumed should be limited. Hematogen can be used in the same way.
Is it possible to have cakes?
Cake is a woman's favorite treat. Not a single representative of the fairer sex can resist eating at least a piece. But when breastfeeding, you need to be very careful with sweets, including cakes.
It is forbidden to eat factory-made cakes; they contain a large amount of dyes and preservatives. The chemical composition of the cake can harm both mother and baby. It is better to avoid them until the end of breastfeeding.
Homemade cakes are allowed to be included in the menu of a nursing mother, but in limited quantities. It is advisable that the cakes be curd or yogurt. It is better to avoid cakes with buttercream for at least six months.
How to replace unhealthy sweets during breastfeeding
Curd and fruit casserole is much healthier than store-bought cakes
Some harmful foods can be replaced with harmless products without harming your health. For example, cakes can be replaced with cottage cheese and fruit casserole. Instead of chocolate, it is better to take halva or nuts.
The lack of sweet carbohydrates can be compensated for by vegetables, cereals, and fructose. Dried fruits can replace some sweets, while avoiding digestive problems.
Instead of sugar, you can add a little condensed milk to tea; this will make the tea taste more pleasant and increase lactation. Fruit drinks are an excellent substitute for sweet drinks, such as soda and packaged juices.
What sweets can you eat during breastfeeding in the first month? There are few such sweets, but they are as safe as possible. This is a cracker, dryer, banana. They do not cause stomach problems and are anti-allergenic.
Attention! If you are pregnant, you should not use artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, Sorbitol, Saccharin, etc.
Sweet recipes for nursing mothers
There is nothing healthier than natural homemade products, so sweets made from them are the safest for nursing mothers. Preparation does not take much time, and you can be sure of the quality of such delicacies.
Recipe for baked goods allowed in the first month
Baking in the first month is not recommended for a nursing mother. It is best to prepare biscuits from baked goods during this period.
Compound:
Galette cookies are the best option for baking allowed in the first month after the birth of the baby.
- Quail eggs - 2 pcs. (or 1/2 chicken, but it is an allergen).
- Milk - 1 tbsp. l.
- Sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
- Flour - 80 g.
- Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.
- Soda - ¼ tsp.
- Salt - a pinch.
Preparation:
- Beat sugar and egg.
- Add butter and milk.
- Mix dry ingredients and add to wet mixture.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and grease with oil.
- Form cookies and bake at 220 degrees for 5-10 minutes.
Recipe for PP dessert made from cottage cheese in a slow cooker for a nursing mother with photo
If you have a slow cooker, you can cook sweets in it. An excellent dessert option could be cottage cheese casserole.
Compound:
PP casserole of cottage cheese with candied fruits in a slow cooker is perfect as a dessert for a nursing mother.
- Cottage cheese - 0.5 kg.
- Eggs - 3 pieces.
- Sugar - 100 g.
- Baking powder - 2 tsp.
- Semolina - 100 g.
- Vanillin - to taste.
- Candied fruits and dried fruits - to taste.
Preparation:
- Beat eggs with sugar.
- Add semolina, cottage cheese, baking powder, vanillin.
- Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Pour boiling water over dried fruits to soften.
- Add candied fruits and dried fruits to the cottage cheese.
- Set the multicooker to baking mode for 50 minutes.
Homemade cottage cheese cake
Since cottage cheese is an excellent baking base for nursing mothers, you can make not only a casserole, but also a cupcake from it.
Compound:
Homemade cottage cheese cake for a nursing mother.
- Cottage cheese - 200 g.
- Butter - 2 tbsp. l.
- Sour cream - 2 tbsp. l.
- Flour - 1 cup.
- Eggs - 2 pcs.
- Sugar - 1 cup (or less, to taste).
- Soda - 0.5 tsp.
- Salt - a pinch.
Preparation:
- Beat eggs with sugar.
- Add the remaining ingredients and knead the dough.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 30–40 minutes.
There is also a recipe for curd cheesecake on my culinary blog. If your diet includes chicken eggs, cottage cheese, and sour cream, then you can prepare this wonderful, tasty and beautiful dessert at home. For a step-by-step recipe with photos, see the article “How to make a classic cheesecake with cottage cheese at home?”
How to eat sweets correctly during lactation
Still, sweets will do more good than harm for a woman’s body during breastfeeding. But simple rules should be followed when adding confectionery products to the menu:
- if you choose between granulated sugar and refined sugar, it is better to choose the first option;
- even on the hottest day you should not drink juices or soda; you can cool tea or fruit drink;
- if at some point you really want something sweet, you can eat porridge with fruit for dessert or replace the dish with a vegetable one;
- It is better not to add sugar to tea and other drinks;
- It’s better to start eating sweets in the third month after the baby’s birth;
- increase the portion of sweet products only a few days after the first sample, and only if the baby has no reaction;
- When buying sweets in a store, you should read the composition and expiration date;
- do not try delicious foods with obvious allergens (milk, honey), dishes of bright colors (with dye);
- It is better to replace any sweet dessert with dried fruits or dishes made from them, but homemade.
Composition and preparation features
The classic recipe includes only sugar and egg white. Instead of traditional sugar, vanilla sugar or powdered sugar is sometimes used. In addition, you can add lemon juice, nuts, cinnamon and other ingredients to the dish. To prepare the dessert, simply beat the whites with sugar and then bake.
The delicacy is baked for a long time and at a low temperature. Therefore, in essence, it turns out that the dessert is not baked, but dried. As a result, the cake comes out dry, crispy, tender, airy and weightless.
To easily and efficiently prepare dessert, take eggs that are a week old, as such whites whip faster and better. Separate the whites very carefully, otherwise even if the yolk gets in the slightest, the mixture will not be able to be whipped. Before cooking, leave the separated whites at room temperature for half an hour and only then beat. Then the mass will be as airy as possible.
So that the mass does not lose volume at the end, add a little lemon juice in the proportion of half a teaspoon per one egg white. For the first time, try a small piece of dessert and watch the baby’s reaction. If you notice symptoms of a food allergy, delay introducing the product and consult a doctor.
But if the baby feels well, you can sometimes treat yourself to this delicacy. Next, we offer a detailed dessert of making meringue at home. Remember that a homemade dish, not a store-bought one, is the key to safety for the baby.
How to replace your favorite candy
Breastfeeding women should avoid sweets made with milk and honey. Both products can cause allergies and become the culprits of the toddler's restless state.
- Marshmallow. Not only those who are losing weight, but also mothers who are breastfeeding are ready to pray for this delicacy. The main thing to remember is that you need to try to avoid chemicals in the composition, so we recommend purchasing marshmallows on agar-agar and without dyes. It’s probably worth forgetting about the chocolate-covered delicacy for a while.
- Marmalade. Be sure to study the composition and purchase only the product that is made with pectin. The same rules apply to marshmallows. However, delicacies can be easily prepared at home. During breastfeeding, you should eat only natural sweets (for example, “Korovka” candies).
- There is still controversy about condensed milk. Our mothers recommend eating condensed milk to increase milk flow. But, as you already know, not a single food product can influence hormones. Therefore, don't be fooled. If nothing bothers your baby, you can add condensed milk to tea for fun. Dairy drinks with the addition of condensed milk are not recommended; they can cause terrible colic.
- Halva. Although this is an approved product for nursing mothers, it is not recommended to abuse it. You can easily eat a small piece of deliciousness a day, but no more. However, you should do the same with sweets.
- Meringue can be made very easily at home. And if you wish, you can even enjoy a very tasty Pavlova dessert. Only for its preparation we do not recommend that nursing mothers use exotic fruits from the hot tropics.
- It is also allowed to eat children's cookies instead of filled candies (just make sure that the composition does not contain palm oil). If you can't look at the cookies anymore, make a cake out of them. Soak the cookie layer with sour cream whipped with sugar. Such a delicacy in moderate quantities will not harm the health of the baby or your figure.
- Breastfeeding a baby is impossible without the mother's good mood. What can give you energy if not homemade jam and bread? You can eat apricot and pear jam in small quantities. But you should avoid store-bought jams.
What to eat is allowed
Is it possible for a nursing mother to eat sweets in the first months of breastfeeding? What foods are allowed to eat without harm to the baby?
- You can eat white marshmallows without chocolate coating and preservatives.
- Marmalade made from natural products without dyes is also suitable.
- As a sweet treat, a good option is marshmallows. When buying it in a store, you should pay attention not only to the freshness of the product, but also to the composition. There should not be any chemical additives in it. It is desirable that the product be made on the basis of pectin, and not using gelatin. If you don’t find anything suitable in the retail chain, it doesn’t matter. A recipe for making sweets from fruits is easy to find on the Internet and you can make the most delicious treat.
- You can eat ice cream while breastfeeding, but not all of it, only the one that has natural cream or milk added. It is better to choose products from well-known manufacturers, without chocolate glaze, nuts and fruit additives. It’s not cheap, but the child’s health comes first, and the mother won’t eat it too often. Therefore, occasionally you can please yourself with an expensive but high-quality product.
- If you really want to remember your childhood and spread your favorite jam on a piece of bread, then you shouldn’t deny yourself the pleasure. Jam made from apples, currants, blueberries or pears is allowed. It is important not to forget and not to eat too much, just a couple of spoons is enough.
- It is worth remembering such delicious natural sweets as baked apples, candied fruits and dried fruits. It’s good to buy sweet crackers and chew them with tea.
What kind of sweets are possible during breastfeeding and from what month?
When choosing sweets, pay attention to the composition, focus on naturalness. Homemade sweets without chemical additives in moderate quantities can be introduced into the diet of a nursing mother from the first month.
Cow
Doctors have differing opinions about these sweets. Most are sure that this delicacy can be included in the diet of a nursing woman when the baby is three months old.
Candy manufacturers may use chemical additives to reduce the cost of their goods. Therefore, homemade Korovka candies will be healthier than factory-made ones.
The butter cow contains milk in large quantities, which can cause allergies in the baby. In case of lactase deficiency in an infant, these sweets should not be included in the diet of a nursing mother.
Now let's prepare Korovka candies ourselves at home.
Homemade Korovka sweets for a nursing mother.
To do this you will need:
- Real condensed milk - 3 tbsp.
- Cream 20% - 100 ml.
- Sugar - 130 g.
- Butter - 30 g.
Preparation:
- Combine sugar, condensed milk and cream in a heavy-bottomed non-stick saucepan or frying pan.
- Place over high heat and stir constantly with a spoon until the mixture boils.
- Once it boils, reduce the heat and continue stirring vigorously until the vigorous boiling stops.
- Now add the oil.
- The mixture should bubble but not boil.
- Now you can stir less often, but do not leave the stove.
- Cook the Cow for about 30 minutes.
- To check readiness, take a small amount of the mixture on a spoon and place it under cold water. If the contents of the spoon have frozen, then immediately remove from the heat and place in molds or place on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. And if the mixture stretches, cook a little more.
- Let the candies cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- Remove the candies from the molds or cut them into one mass if you have them on baking paper.
- You can eat, bon appetit!
Chocolate
When breastfeeding, introduce chocolate into your diet with caution, as the product is highly allergenic.
It is better to make the first samples of chocolates when the baby is six months old. Start with sweets without fillings, maybe with truffles, as they have a simple composition. Filled sweets contain many ingredients, which means that if an allergy occurs in a baby, it will be difficult to determine what exactly caused it.
Rot Front bars
These bars contain not only natural ingredients, but also nutritional supplements. This product is high in calories, so people with diabetes and obesity should not eat it in large quantities.
Rot-Front bars contain peanuts, and they are one of the strong allergens and the consequences of an allergy to them are unpredictable. Therefore, before introducing these bars into the diet, it is recommended that a nursing mother find out if any of her relatives have a peanut allergy. In addition to peanuts, allergies can be caused by egg powder, soy flour, and milk, which are part of Rot-Front bars.
It is recommended to introduce these sweets into the diet of a nursing mother when the baby is four months old.
Caramel
Nursing mothers should choose caramels and toffees with natural ingredients. You can eat these treats little by little 1 month after giving birth. If the baby does not have allergies and tolerates sweets normally, then the recommended daily intake is no more than 3 sweets. Caramels with exotic fillings like mango and lime should be excluded from the diet of a nursing mother. They can cause allergies in infants. Avoid caramels with coffee filling. Caffeine excites and overloads the nervous system, which will cause sleep disturbances in an infant.
"Raffaello"
Almonds and coconut flakes, which are part of Raffaello sweets, are strong allergens. Chemical additives in these sweets will lead to intoxication and problems with stool in the form of diarrhea or constipation in an infant.
This delicacy should not be included in the diet of a nursing mother if the baby has been diagnosed with lactase deficiency.
Raffaello sweets should not be included in the diet of a nursing woman until the baby is three months old.
Read more about what sweets you can eat while breastfeeding on our website.
Table: what sweets can a nursing mother eat in the first month after birth, at 2, 3 and 4 months
1 month | marshmallows, marmalade, marshmallows, halva |
2 months | toffees, caramels, crustaceans |
3 months | “Fudge”, “Cow”, dairy |
4 months | sucking, lollipops, mint, menthol, eucalyptus menthol, jelly, school |
Candies "Romashka" and "Bird's Milk" are not recommended for use by nursing mothers under six months due to their chocolate content.
When choosing candies without chocolate, pay attention to the composition. The more E in the composition of preservatives, dyes and food additives, the later such a product should be introduced into the diet of a nursing woman, but not earlier than three months.
Until six months of breastfeeding, avoid alcoholic sweets with liqueur and cognac. These sweets contain neither liqueur nor cognac. Most often, alcohol (40%) and special aromatic essences of the cognac type are added. This additive is obtained through a chemical reaction. These sweets can harm the fragile body of an infant.
Reviews from those who ate chocolates and cows during breastfeeding
Marina, 29 years old
I started with one chocolate candy a day when my son turned 5 months old. After a month I could already eat 4-5 things a day. We are not allergic to chocolate.
Natalya, 33 years old
I eat “Korovka” sweets from Roshen and breastfeed. The doctor told me that sweets are not only possible, but also absolutely necessary for a nursing mother to eat.
Oksana, 26 years old
I have a strong craving for sweets. The baby was three months old, I ate a piece of chocolate for Christmas. The child developed a terrible diathesis! Almost a month has not passed.
General rules
If you eat homemade sweets and follow safety rules, you will not harm your child in any way. Follow these guidelines:
- In the first month of breastfeeding, sweets are completely prohibited; it is best to start eating them after 3 months.
- Avoid allergen foods, including cow's milk, honey, nuts, cocoa, citrus fruits, strawberries and raspberries.
- Only natural, preferably homemade treats.
- The first sample of the product should be in small quantities, in the first half of the day. After this, you monitor the child’s reaction for two days.
- Do not introduce more than 1 new product into your diet at the same time.
- If an allergy occurs, take a break from eating the dish.
- Always keep it in moderation; it is recommended to eat no more than 50 grams of sweets per day.
Such simple rules will help you not to limit yourself without risking your newborn. In addition, homemade sweets are much healthier for you.
Recipe for making meringue cake for a nursing mother at home
Finding store-bought meringue with a natural composition is extremely difficult. It is best to prepare it yourself. Moreover, it is very easy to do.
Compound:
- Egg whites - 4 pieces.
- Powdered sugar - 150 g.
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp. (you can do without it).
Preparation:
- Turn on the oven at 100–120 degrees.
- Prepare a baking sheet. Cover with parchment and grease with oil.
- Separate the whites from the yolks so that the latter do not get into the whites.
- Pour the egg whites into a dry bowl and beat with a mixer until stiff peaks of shiny foam form, gradually adding powdered sugar. To check readiness, turn the bowl over. If the whites do not flow, the mixture is ready.
- You can add lemon juice and beat for a few more minutes. This will make the foam more durable.
- Place the whites on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 2 hours. When the meringue is dry, turn off the oven and let it sit there until it cools.
By the way, you can read what other cakes you can eat while breastfeeding in the article “Is it possible to eat cakes while breastfeeding?”
Reducing your sweet tooth is easy
In most cases, the craving for sweets subsides after breastfeeding enters a stable phase: the body has adapted to the new state and milk production occurs in accordance with the baby’s needs.
This process may take an indefinite amount of time, but you want to ease the irrepressible desire to eat sweets as soon as possible.
The following tips will help you do this:
- Balance your daily diet:
- increase the proportion of complex carbohydrates in the diet through cereals and fiber-rich vegetables;
- Eat enough protein: at least 1 gram for every kilogram of weight. Protein-rich foods include meat, poultry, fish, cottage cheese, and lentils.
- Eat sweet foods not instead of the main meal, but half an hour after it. You will no longer be hungry, and limiting yourself to a small portion of sweets will become much easier.
- Try to replace sweets with fruits and berries. The fructose they contain acts on the body in the same way as sugar, but it causes much less harm.
- Take vitamins for nursing mothers. It is difficult to create a diet in such a way that you get all the necessary microelements from food. Therefore, the lack of essential substances should be compensated for with special vitamin complexes.
Look for ways to “trick” your body. Large cotton candy can be eaten for quite a long time, but there will be less sugar in it than in a couple of small “Raffaello”, which are eaten quickly and unnoticed.
Is it possible to have sweets while breastfeeding? Yes! Favorite treats will help a nursing mother create a good mood and increase her resistance to stress. The main thing is to choose those sweets that will not harm either the mother or the child, and remember that moderation is important in everything.
Cake and lactation
It is not recommended to eat cake while breastfeeding due to its complex composition and large number of additives. Store-bought products contain many chemical impurities that are definitely harmful to the child. Even natural products have such a rich composition that it will be difficult for a child to digest it, and for a mother, if an allergy occurs, it will be difficult to determine what it is.
Still, after the third month of a child’s life, you can think about a small cake. Look at photos of cakes on tort.center and order an exclusive cake for yourself from professional confectioners! Treat yourself!
Also, for culinary lovers, you can make the cake yourself. At first, choose easy one-ingredient recipes; as your child grows older, you can diversify them. Recommended components include:
- Dough in water (you can make it in milk when the child gets older);
- Dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, prunes);
- Fresh or frozen berries that do not cause allergies;
- Green apples, pears, bananas;
- Cottage cheese or sour cream for cream.
It is best to use yeast-free dough; do not add citrus fruits, condensed milk, heavy cream, flavorings, or decorative elements. Let's look at several dessert recipes for guards.
Delicious recipes
Now you know whether you can eat sweets while breastfeeding, just as you know that you need to be very careful when choosing them. Since the allowed treats are mostly home-cooked, let's look at a few possible recipes.
Apple - curd pie
You'll need:
- cottage cheese 200 gr;
- 2 medium green apples;
- 1 chicken egg (2-3 quail);
- butter – 100 g;
- 300 g flour;
- sugar to taste.
Melt the butter, add the yolks and a little sugar. Mix everything, then add flour and egg whites to the dough. Add sugar to the cottage cheese to taste, brush it onto the dough laid out in the mold. Cut the apples into small slices and place them tightly on the cottage cheese. Bake the workpiece for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. As the child grows, the recipe can be complicated; add pears or raisins; if the child is not prone to allergies, use honey or caramel for apples.
Marmalade
So much has been said about the benefits and safety of marmalade that it’s time to bring to your attention a recipe for homemade sweets. You will need:
- 350 ml fruit juice (apple, pear, berry juices);
- 400 g sugar;
- 50 g gelatin.
Soak the gelatin, when it swells, melt it in warm water so that no solid particles remain. Bring the juice to a boil, add sugar and thickener to it, simmer the mixture over low heat for 15 minutes. Next, let the mixture cool slightly, pour it into molds and leave until hardened. Dessert is ready.
carrot cake
A tasty sweet during lactation that will not harm the newborn. Ingredients:
- 400 grams of grated carrots;
- 300 g flour;
- 200 g sour cream;
- About 1 cup sugar (to taste);
- 2 eggs;
- Butter.
To prepare the dough, mix half the sour cream, carrots, flour, eggs and a little sugar. Bake the mixture in a greased pan for 30-40 minutes. Beat the remaining sour cream with sugar; when the biscuit is ready, cut it and coat the cakes with cream.
This is only a small part of the recipes suitable for use during lactation. Remember that sweets are not recommended for breastfeeding, as are other store-bought confectionery products. Finally, let’s make a list of recommendations for eating sweets.