17 Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding (And a Few That Are Actually Fine)
Every new mum gets a list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding. Most of it is overcautious nonsense. But some of it genuinely matters — and knowing the difference will save you a lot of unnecessary stress.
Here’s what to actually watch out for when it comes to foods to avoid while breastfeeding.
Foods That Can Actually Affect Your Baby
High-mercury fish This one’s real. Mercury accumulates in breast milk and can affect your baby’s developing nervous system. Avoid:
- Shark
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Tilefish
Stick to low-mercury options like salmon, sardines, and shrimp — these are actually great for your milk.
Caffeine (in excess) Already covered this in detail, but the short version: under 300mg a day is fine. Over that, some babies get irritable and sleep poorly. Watch your baby’s cues.
Alcohol (untimed) Not about avoiding it entirely — it’s about timing. Two hours per drink before feeding. If you haven’t read our piece on alcohol and breastfeeding, that’s worth a look.
Foods That Might Cause Issues for Some Babies
These aren’t universal — every baby is different. But if your baby seems gassy, fussy, or has skin reactions, these are worth experimenting with:
Dairy Cow’s milk protein is the most common dietary sensitivity in breastfed babies. Signs include excessive crying, green stools, and skin rashes. Try eliminating dairy for 2 weeks and see if things improve.
Soy Often goes hand-in-hand with dairy sensitivity. If cutting dairy doesn’t help, try cutting soy too.
Cruciferous vegetables Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower — these cause gas in some babies. But honestly, most babies are completely fine. Don’t cut them out unless you notice a pattern.
Spicy food Some babies are sensitive to it, most aren’t. If your baby seems unsettled after you eat spicy food, scale back and see what happens.
Citrus fruits Acidic foods can occasionally cause reflux or nappy rash in sensitive babies. Again — watch your individual baby, not generic lists.
Things You Can Stop Worrying About
The internet will tell you to avoid peanuts, garlic, onions, and basically anything with flavour. The research doesn’t support most of this.
- Garlic and onions — fine for most babies, and actually helps expose them to varied flavours early
- Peanuts — unless there’s a known allergy in the family, avoiding them may actually increase allergy risk later
- Spices — flavoured breast milk is a good thing. It helps babies accept solid foods more easily later on
Bottom Line
- Definitely avoid high-mercury fish
- Keep caffeine under 300mg and time alcohol correctly
- Watch your individual baby for reactions to dairy, soy, or gassy foods
- Don’t cut out everything flavourful — variety in your diet is actually good for your baby
The goal isn’t a bland, restricted diet. It’s paying attention to your specific baby and adjusting where needed.