Is it possible to eat cabbage while breastfeeding? Benefit for health. Which is better - fresh vegetables or cooked ones?

Any variety of cabbage, be it white cabbage, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower, if grown without the use of harmful additives, includes a large number of elements that have a beneficial effect on the human body. In some people, this vegetable provokes flatulence, but this is more likely due to the characteristics of their digestive tract - high sensitivity or some kind of disease. Many mothers during breastfeeding are afraid to use cabbage in their diet, associating it with the occurrence of colic in the child.

There is an opinion that if cabbage provokes fermentation in the mother’s stomach, then the child will have the same reaction. This judgment has a right to exist, especially if a woman is going to start feeding her baby cabbage. But basically, colic is the baby’s body’s response to the activity of bacteria in the digestive system that have entered it from the environment.

How to properly introduce the product into your diet

The likelihood of an allergy in a baby to cabbage is negligible, but you should not ignore the possibility of its manifestations.

— This vegetable should be introduced into the menu of a nursing woman, like any other new product for her child, with extreme caution.

— It is necessary to closely monitor the condition of the baby’s skin and his stool.

— Healthy skin, mucous membranes, normal functioning of the excretory system will tell the mother whether she can eat this vegetable.

- A rash, upset stomach or constipation in a child indicates a food intolerance and, in all likelihood, an allergy.

Fresh cabbage for breastfeeding

Fresh white cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and various beneficial substances. But still, it should be consumed with caution while breastfeeding. Both fresh and stewed, it causes bloating the most. Juicy cabbage leaves, beaten until the juice is released, can quickly relieve breast condition at the first signs of mastitis or reduce the inflammatory process associated with poor breast emptying after feeding or pumping.

Sauerkraut for breastfeeding

The main limitation when breastfeeding is sauerkraut, although it contains an abundance of healthy ingredients, including natural antibacterial agents. But in this case, there may be an adverse effect on the child’s digestion. This is due to the presence of acid and all kinds of seasonings used to ferment vegetables in the dish.

It will be better for the baby if the mother puts aside sour and salty foods for a while until feeding is completed. And if the mother still decided to eat a little sauerkraut, then It’s better to add a pinch of cumin to it. This will add piquancy to it and reduce the likelihood of gas formation in the intestines.

Cauliflower while breastfeeding

Cauliflower has a delicate texture and contains virtually no tough fiber. This explains its good effect on the gastrointestinal tract of both the nursing mother and the baby. Its use has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the biliary system and liver, and also helps to normalize stool.

When the baby is 2-3 weeks old, mommy can cook cauliflower soup for herself - due to the low fiber content, this dish is perfectly absorbed by the body. A delicious dish made from boiled cabbage inflorescences baked in the oven. But frying while breastfeeding is not the most successful means of heat treatment of any food.

Sea kale for breastfeeding

This product will undoubtedly be useful for the child and mother if they have a deficiency of iron or phosphorus. Kelp, like all seafood, is rich in iodine, which is the main element for the activity of the thyroid gland.

Remembering that excess iodine is no less harmful than its deficiency, a nursing mother’s diet should include no more than 150 grams of kelp per week. Besides seaweed during breastfeeding can provoke allergies in a child.

Brussels sprouts for breastfeeding

Brussels sprouts contain many beneficial substances. These are sugars that provide energy for the body, proteins, and many vitamins and minerals. It is not capable of harming the baby if it is eaten, boiled or stewed.

Brussels sprouts should be included in the diet carefully, starting with a small portion, which can be gradually increased in the future if the baby has no problems.

When breastfeeding, it is not recommended for mother to eat this type of cabbage until the baby reaches three weeks of age.

It is acceptable to include other types of cabbage in the menu.: kohlrabi, Savoy, Peking, broccoli.

There is no need to be afraid of consuming cabbage, but you should not overuse it either. When deciding to introduce a particular type of cabbage into a woman’s menu, first of all pay attention to the baby’s well-being and his reaction. If, nevertheless, the child develops colic and allergies, then consumption of the vegetable should be limited during breastfeeding.

Video about the benefits of cabbage

It is believed that cabbage eaten by a nursing mother can cause increased gas formation and colic in the baby. However, this has not been proven and is not a reliable fact. In fact There is no direct connection between what a nursing mother eats and the composition of her milk. The composition of milk is determined by the internal mechanisms of lactation. Milk is formed from blood and lymph components, and not from the contents of the stomach. Accordingly, food enzymes reach the baby in processed form. Only artificial food additives, for example, chemical dyes, alcohol, and drug components, can be supplied unchanged.

However, if you follow the official recommendations of doctors, then in the first 2-3 weeks after birth You need to completely eliminate cabbage from your diet. Next 4-5 months, it is advisable to consume cabbage after heat treatment and in small quantities, for example, as part of or. However, if the child has intestinal problems, then you will have to wait longer with cabbage dishes.

If the contents of the mother’s stomach do not affect the composition of the milk, then why can a child react to the consumption of cabbage by a nursing mother?

There are two explanations for this phenomenon:

1. The real reason for the child’s reaction was not the cabbage eaten by the mother, but, for example, a change in the weather. This is checked by reintroducing the suspicious product into the diet of the nursing mother after 5-7 days.

2. Individual reaction to cabbage by a nursing mother. Not all foods are digested equally well in our body. There are foods that cause heartburn, flatulence, weaken, strengthen. Depending on the strength of the reaction, changes occur in the blood of a nursing mother, some of which may affect the composition of the milk. In this case, the child may (or may not) react to the nursing mother eating cabbage.

The main criterion for whether a nursing mother can eat cabbage is: How does mom herself tolerate this vegetable? If after eating cabbage the mother experiences intestinal problems, then most likely the baby will show the same symptoms. If a nursing mother calmly eats cabbage and does not experience intestinal discomfort, then the child will not react to it in any way.

• As a rule, in the diet of a nursing mother there are not many foods that cause gas formation and anxiety in the child - one or two.
• The same mother can have different children react to different foods.
• It is impossible to predict in advance which product will cause anxiety in your baby’s tummy.
• A child may react not to the product itself, but to the method of its preparation, for example, not to cabbage, but only to stewed cabbage with meat.
• It is not wise to remove any foods from the diet in advance, since it can greatly impoverish the diet of a nursing mother.

Can a nursing mother eat fresh cabbage?

Overeating fresh cabbage may cause heartburn, bloating, abdominal pain, and nausea. The optimal dose of fresh cabbage is 100 g. once a day.

What dishes can be prepared from fresh cabbage for a nursing mother?

Can a nursing mother have sauerkraut?

• Sauerkraut has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
• Sauerkraut is considered healthier than fresh cabbage. The fermentation process enriches cabbage with new beneficial substances and vitamins necessary for normal life. All the beneficial qualities of sauerkraut are preserved for ten months from the moment of fermentation.
• Sauerkraut should be used with caution if you have gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Is it possible for a nursing mother to have stewed cabbage?

Stewed cabbage should be cooked in refined olive or sunflower oil. Otherwise, under the influence of high temperatures, as a result of burning, the formation of carcinogens is possible. Acute illnesses and exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas are contraindications to the use of stewed cabbage.

Can a nursing mother eat white cabbage?

White cabbage is rich in vitamin C. It contains more of it than citrus fruits. Vitamin C in cabbage is not destroyed during storage and remains highly concentrated for 7-8 months.
Vitamin C in white cabbage is not evenly distributed, its content increases towards the center. But be careful with the stalk. The stalk is the main accumulator of nitrates in cabbage. If you do not know in what conditions the cabbage grew, you cannot eat the stalk.

What dishes can be prepared from white cabbage for a nursing mother?

Can a nursing mother eat cauliflower?

Due to the low fiber content of cauliflower, it is almost completely digested and absorbed by our body and does not irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach. Cauliflower is useful for diseases of the intestines, gall bladder, gastrointestinal tract and liver. Eating cauliflower contributes to the normal functioning of our body and all its natural and natural processes.

What cauliflower dishes can be prepared for a nursing mother?

Can a nursing mother have broccoli?

In terms of beneficial properties, broccoli is superior to many vegetable crops. This cabbage is widely recommended for dietary nutrition. It has been proven that broccoli can improve heart function and prevent the development of atherosclerosis. It is beneficial for breastfeeding mothers with weakened immune systems to consume broccoli daily.

What broccoli dishes can be prepared for a nursing mother?

Can a nursing mother eat Brussels sprouts?

The great benefit of Brussels sprouts lies in its rich composition. No other type of cabbage contains so much vitamin C. Brussels sprouts are also leaders in the content of whole protein and B vitamins. Brussels sprouts should be completely excluded from the diet if a nursing mother has high stomach acidity.

Sauerkraut is an aggressive product that can negatively affect the baby’s digestion. This dish contains salt, acid and hot spices. Such components cause increased colic, stomach upsets and stool disorders, sometimes even poisoning.

In addition, due to the high salt content, the product may cause dehydration. And the lack of water in the body of a nursing mother leads to a deterioration in the production of breast milk. Therefore, sauerkraut during breastfeeding, like other pickles or marinades, is not recommended for a nursing woman.

Of course, sauerkraut is a tasty and satisfying dish. And, despite the harm, it also performs a number of important useful functions. Of course, we can only talk about the benefits of a product if it is natural and prepared according to the correct recipe. Marinade in a small dosage can be used by a nursing mother after 6-7 months of lactation, if the baby does not have digestive problems. In addition, when eating such a salty dish, it is important to drink more liquid. This will help restore water-salt metabolism and support lactation.

Composition and use during lactation

The recipe for the dish stipulates that the vegetable is preserved using lactic acid, which is formed due to the fermentation of table salt and sugar in cabbage juice. The dish contains a large amount of vitamins A, C, B, especially folic acid. In addition, it contains potassium, magnesium, iron, boron, potassium and other beneficial elements important for the body.

If sauerkraut is stored correctly, it will retain its vitamins for eight months. This dish can be tried by a nursing mother no earlier than four months after the birth of the baby. However, you should not eat sauerkraut in its pure form. Add the vegetable to soup or broth. For the first time, try a small portion and observe the baby’s reaction. If you notice symptoms of a food allergy, delay introducing the product for at least a month.

If a negative reaction does not appear within two days, the fermented product can sometimes be eaten by a nursing mother. Add the product to soups or vinaigrettes. It is better not to try the dish in its pure form before six months.

Beneficial features

• Improves digestion if mother and baby have a healthy stomach, helps with constipation;
• Improves metabolism and helps, as it prevents the formation of fatty deposits and quickly saturates the body;
• Normalizes the level of acidity in the body;
• Prevention of ulcers and cancer;
• Facilitates the digestion of food;
• Increases appetite;
• Strengthens the heart and blood vessels;
• Stabilizes the functioning of nerve cells, increases resistance to stress and helps with depression;

• Increases immunity and strengthens the body, gives vigor and energy;
• Regulates hematopoiesis and lowers blood sugar levels;
• Cleanses the body of bacteria, relieves pain and inflammation;
• Rejuvenates, improves skin condition, nourishes and regenerates cells. Sauerkraut is used in cosmetology;
• Saturates the body with vitamins and helps with vitamin deficiency;
• Sauerkraut juice relieves nausea;
• Sauerkraut and leaves of fresh white cabbage are used as compresses for heaviness or. The vegetable perfectly relieves swelling in the mammary glands and prevents lactostasis;
• Helps in the treatment of candidiasis.

Dangers of eating sauerkraut

Moreover, such a product contains a large number of hazardous substances, including a high concentration of salt, spices and preservatives. Sauerkraut increases the level of gastric acid, so it is contraindicated for gastritis and ulcers. In addition, the vegetable should not be eaten by people with diseases of the pancreas, thyroid gland, kidneys and liver.

Fermented foods increase the formation of gases and cause heartburn. That is why such a dish should not be eaten in the first two to four months of lactation, when the baby’s body is just adapting to new conditions. Also, fermented snacks should not be eaten if you have high blood pressure, hypertension, or heart disease.

How to properly prepare sauerkraut

To prepare the dish, use only enamel and glass dishes, since in containers made from other materials, cabbage will oxidize during fermentation. Use only the homemade product, as the store-bought ready-made product contains acetic acid. Such a vegetable completely loses its beneficial properties and becomes dangerous for babies.

To properly prepare tasty and healthy sauerkraut, take:

• Fresh cabbage – 1.5 kg (weight without heads);
• Carrots – 500 gr;
• Sugar – 1 tablespoon;
• Salt – 2 tablespoons.

Wash and peel the head of cabbage, finely chop the vegetables and carrots. If you want to achieve a higher concentration of vitamins, you can not shred the cabbage, but cut it into quarters, halves, or use whole heads. Mix the prepared ingredients, add sugar and salt, mix again and grind until the juice is released. You can add chopped dill, one or two bay leaves and two or three black peppercorns to the marinade.

Place the resulting mixture tightly in glass jars, close with a sterile lid and leave for three days in a room at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. Periodically, you need to remove the film from the surface and pierce the cabbage twice a day to the full depth with a knife or wooden stick. After three days, the jars are put in a cool place and left for two weeks.

To reduce the risk of gas formation, you can add cumin to the recipe when cooking. Read about the benefits of cumin for nursing. To remove excess salt in a ready-made dish, you can rinse the required amount of cabbage in boiled water before eating or add a little vegetable oil.

White cabbage is one of those vegetables that are not recommended for breastfeeding. This is a difficult product for a child’s still fragile digestion, especially in the first two to three months of lactation. Such cabbage during breastfeeding often causes colic and increased gas formation. Therefore, it is recommended to eat the product after 4-6 months of lactation and only in heat treatment.

But cauliflower and broccoli, on the contrary, are very useful for nursing mothers and babies. At the same time, the vegetable can be introduced into the diet in the first month after the birth of the baby. The hypoallergenic product is easily digestible and does not cause a negative reaction in the newborn!

It is rich in vitamins and elements that a child needs for full growth and development. The composition of the product will also help the mother recover faster after childbirth.

Beneficial features

• White cabbage can not only be eaten. The leaves of this vegetable are used for compresses for lactostasis. They dilute stagnation of milk, relieve pain and swelling in the chest. Compresses are also used for prevention;
• Broccoli and cauliflower contain record amounts of folic acid, vitamin A and B vitamins compared to other foods. In addition, the vegetable contains a large amount of ascorbic acid. Interestingly, the content of vitamin C in broccoli exceeds the content of this element in citrus fruits! Read more about the benefits and rules for eating cauliflower during breastfeeding at the link /;
• During breastfeeding, seaweed will replenish iodine deficiency in the body of a woman and a breastfeeding baby. Iodine ensures energy metabolism, stimulates growth and development, regulates heart function and blood clotting, and prevents the formation of blood clots.

Types of cabbage

Rules for eating cabbage during lactation

• Cauliflower and broccoli can be eaten after the third week of lactation. Sea - in three months. White cabbage begins to be introduced into the diet no earlier than four months;
• During the first six months of feeding, it is recommended to cook the cabbage in stewed form. You can add potatoes or carrots to the dish. However, carrots should be eaten with caution when breastfeeding, as due to their bright color they sometimes cause an allergic reaction. But frying food in the first months of lactation is not recommended. You can add vegetable oil to the finished dish;

• Add cauliflower and white cabbage to soups and broths. Warm liquid stimulates lactation. Remember that a nursing mother’s daily diet must include soup!;
• Be mindful of the dosage. Excess of even the most useful product leads to negative consequences. Be especially careful when eating seaweed, which can be eaten while breastfeeding no more than three times a week, 150 grams each. A serving of cauliflower or broccoli is up to 200 grams per day;
• If you are breastfeeding, you should not eat sauerkraut due to the spices and acid it contains!;

Before eating, choose your vegetables carefully, use only fresh ones! Poor quality products cause stool problems and severe intoxication in both mother and baby. Read what other foods you can eat while breastfeeding

The birth of a child adds responsibility to a woman; now she is responsible not only for herself, but also for her newborn baby. A mother's nutrition during breastfeeding raises many questions. One of them: is cabbage allowed during breastfeeding?

Cabbage improves metabolic processes, has anti-inflammatory properties, helps reduce cholesterol levels, prevents cholelithiasis and coronary heart disease. Since ancient times, the healing properties of cabbage leaves when used topically have been known. Compresses made from the leaves of this vegetable reduce swelling and relieve inflammation in the diseased area.

Does eating cabbage during breastfeeding cause increased gas formation?

Breastfeeding experts say breastfeeding mothers do not need to follow special diets. Nutrients from mother's food enter breast milk 4-6 hours after eating, it all depends on the woman's metabolism. It has always been believed that foods that are “heavy” for a child’s stomach, such as cabbage or legumes, increase gas formation. But recent expert research proves that the formation of gases is not directly related to the consumption of certain foods. In the first months of life, increased gas formation in the intestines of infants is associated with the immaturity of the digestive system, so almost all children suffer from intestinal colic.

Gases are only the result of the digestive process. Food (namely carbohydrates), entering the stomach, begins to be actively digested by bacteria. When digested, gases are released. They enter the intestines and can accumulate there. But the gases formed in the mother’s intestines cannot pass into breast milk. Through breast milk, the baby can receive starches and sugars, which, when broken down, produce their own gases in the baby’s intestines.

And cabbage during lactation is not necessarily to blame for gas formation. Intestinal colic in children occurs after potatoes, baked goods and other foods. In addition, the reasons for increased gas formation may lie in other factors:

• In large quantities of milk.
• Improper grip on the bottle (or breast).
• In an incorrectly selected bottle nipple.
• In a formula unsuitable for the child.

The diet of every person should be balanced and complete. The same rule applies to the nutrition of a nursing mother. You cannot unreasonably refuse certain foods, be it cabbage, peas or even chocolate. You just need to follow the important principles: gradualism and moderation.

To ensure that eating cabbage during breastfeeding does not bring any negative consequences, you need to follow some recommendations:

1. Do not eat cabbage in any form in the first month after giving birth. In the second or third month of a baby’s life, gradually begin to consume stewed vegetables in small quantities.
2. Although white cabbage is a hypoallergenic product, the baby’s reaction must be monitored throughout the day. If a child develops a rash, cabbage will need to be avoided for a while.
3. If you really want cabbage, but you're worried about your baby's tummy, start with more tender varieties: broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. But it should be remembered that mother should not overeat with such varieties.
4. Can a nursing mother have fresh cabbage? Introduce raw cabbage into your diet no earlier than 3-4 months of your baby’s life. Of course, although it is very healthy, it consists of coarse fiber, which takes a long time to digest.
5. Sauerkraut for a nursing mother is a permitted product, but you can eat it starting from the second half of the year after giving birth, provided that it does not contain a lot of vinegar and seasonings. It is not recommended to eat sauerkraut in the first 5-6 months after childbirth.
6. To protect yourself from excessive gas formation when eating fresh or sauerkraut, add a pinch of cumin to the dish.
7. Watch your child. If the vegetable you ate caused your child to become restless, then you should think about whether it is possible to eat it a second time.

Cabbage dishes during breastfeeding

As already mentioned, stewed cabbage during breastfeeding is allowed to be consumed, but only if the child does not have an allergy or individual intolerance to the product.

Cabbage stewed in a frying pan

Ingredients: cabbage, onion, carrots, tomato, salt, vegetable oil.

Preparation: Wash and peel all vegetables. Chop the cabbage, onion and tomato. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it. Place onion, tomato and carrots in a heated frying pan. Simmer the vegetables for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring them constantly. Place the cabbage in the pan and mix everything. Cover the container with a lid and leave to simmer for 30 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are stewed, salt the dish (just remember that nursing mothers should not eat too salty food). All is ready. This dish can be eaten during breastfeeding no earlier than the second month of a child’s life and in moderation.

Video recipe for stewed cabbage in a slow cooker

Fresh cabbage soup with meat

Ingredients: meat, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, salt, bay leaf, sour cream, beef.

Preparation: Prepare vegetables for cooking. Cook the meat broth. Remove the boiled piece of meat, cool and cut. Cut the cabbage into strips, potatoes and onions into cubes, grate the carrots. Place cabbage and potatoes in the meat broth and let it boil. After this, add carrots and onions to the soup. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 30 minutes from the moment it boils. Before finishing, salt the cabbage soup and place a bay leaf in the pan. When serving, add a spoonful of sour cream to the dish. This soup can be used by nursing mothers, starting from the second month of breastfeeding.

Vinaigrette with sauerkraut

Ingredients: beets, carrots, potatoes, sauerkraut, vegetable oil, salt.

Preparation: Wash potatoes, carrots and beets and boil them in their skins. Peel the vegetables and cut everything into cubes. Add sauerkraut (pre-squeezed) cabbage to the salad bowl. Mix the ingredients, season them with vegetable oil (can be sunflower). Stir again and add salt if necessary. Salad can be introduced into a mother’s diet no earlier than 6 months of breastfeeding.

What else is possible?

Food during breastfeeding should be complete, natural and healthy. Mommy can eat almost all foods, with the exception of too spicy, salty, fatty and fried foods. You can prepare many healthy and approved dishes from cabbage. The main principle of these dishes is that they are not too spicy, oily or fried. Nursing mothers can even have borscht with beets and cabbage, but for the first time you should try the dish in small quantities, gradually increasing the amount eaten, closely monitoring the baby’s reaction.

Let's sum it up

Cabbage is a very healthy vegetable, be it white or red. When feeding breast milk, you should not completely abandon it. Braised cabbage (preferably cooked in water - in a slow cooker or double boiler) can be consumed by a nursing mother starting from the second month of the baby’s life, but only in moderate quantities. Fresh cabbage in the first month after birth is not recommended, since the newborn baby has not yet adapted to such food, and the body’s possible response will be negative.