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When breastfeeding, a woman carefully monitors her diet, since her diet is actually consumed by the baby. Beetroot during breastfeeding is a very controversial product. It raises questions among pediatricians. But many mothers love beets and are happy to add them to their diet.
Can a nursing mother eat beets?
Beets are a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients. It is necessary to use it to improve blood composition. The calorie content of the root vegetable is low; a nursing mother will not gain weight. The vegetable is used to strengthen the immune system, cleanse the body, improve blood composition, and increase hemoglobin. But for a nursing mother, beets are an aggressive product. The vegetable can cause upset stool in infants and an allergic reaction. Oxalic acid irritates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, promotes the deposition of kidney stones, and significantly reduces blood pressure.Causes mom to faint if she is hypotensive.
Eating the root vegetable is allowed. This must be done from a certain age of the baby, beets are used in a certain form, all norms and rules of nutrition are observed. Before using the root vegetable, it is advisable to consult your doctor.
Is beets an allergen or not?
Beets cause an allergic reaction. It is not the root vegetable itself that is to blame for the reaction, but substances that can cause allergies. Signs of an allergy: redness of the skin, swelling of the sinuses, watery eyes. If such symptoms appear, the product in any form should be excluded from the diet. The burgundy color characterizes the vegetable as an allergen.
Content of vitamins beneficial for mother and child
This vegetable is replete with useful substances. For a mother after childbirth, it is important that the product is low in calories and does not contribute to excess weight gain. It cleanses the body of toxins and strengthens blood vessels. Children benefit from the presence of iron in the root vegetable, which helps increase hemoglobin and improve blood composition. The vegetable is rich in B vitamins, contains nicotinic and ascorbic acid, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, potassium, selenium, iodine, phosphorus, and many other trace elements. These vitamins help strengthen the skeletal system, which is important for mothers after losing large amounts of calcium during pregnancy and childbirth. After childbirth, during breastfeeding, a woman needs an increased supply of nutrients.
All substances in the product are important for the development of the child and strengthening the health of the mother, so doctors do not recommend completely banning root vegetables during breastfeeding.
In what form can beets be eaten while breastfeeding?
When breastfeeding, you should not consume raw product. The raw dish contains compounds that are very difficult for the body and contribute to the aggravation of gastrointestinal problems, stool disorders, decreased blood pressure, and the formation of kidney stones. Such a compound is oxalic acid, several other fruit acids in raw vegetables. Therefore, eating raw root vegetables during lactation is prohibited, as is drinking beet juice. This is a too concentrated drink and causes irritation to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. This vegetable will cleanse the intestines, normalize the nervous system, and relieve a nursing woman from insomnia. Boiled root vegetables are more easily accepted by the body, do not irritate the stomach and intestines, and are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Heat treatment helps to destroy most fruit acids, aggressive compounds. Moreover, with proper heat treatment, almost all useful substances remain. The best option is to bake or boil the vegetable. If you eat it boiled, you can mix it in salads. At the same time, it is important that the remaining ingredients of the salad are allowed during breastfeeding.
Rules and regulations for taking beets for nursing mothers
Beets during breastfeeding must be strictly regulated so that the vegetable only brings benefits and does not harm the baby.
Experts recommend consuming no more than 50 g of boiled beets per day in the first days after childbirth. If the baby has an intestinal disorder, the vegetable is removed from the diet during breastfeeding. In the first days, experts do not recommend consuming the root vegetable daily; it is better to start with 2-3 times a week.
You should consult your doctor; you should not decide on your own to introduce root vegetables into your diet.
From what month should you take beets while breastfeeding?
There are several rules that must be followed to protect the baby’s body from unwanted reactions:
- For the first 7–10 days, consume vegetables in minimal quantities;
- The root vegetable can be used in both first and second courses;
- The amount should be increased gradually and no more than 20 g per day.
If the baby’s body was unable to adapt to the root vegetable, a rash or stool disorder appeared, then it should be excluded from the diet and returned no earlier than 5–7 months. Stool disorders also threaten a nursing woman.
Beetroot during breastfeeding in the first month
In the first month after giving birth, it is useful for the mother to eat the root vegetable in a baked state. Root vegetables cooked in the oven will retain the necessary substances. You should not consume more than 50 g per day. The dosage during breastfeeding is enough to get the necessary vitamins and microelements. The root vegetable will be beneficial, strengthen the immune system, and have an anti-inflammatory and anti-infectious effect.
The amount should be adhered to for the first 10 days, then increased by 15 g per day.
Pediatricians allow borscht for mothers during breastfeeding, but the following rules must be followed in preparation:
- exclude lard from borscht, choose only lean varieties of meat;
- vegetables should not be fried, but stewed before adding;
- exclude hot seasonings and garlic from the dish;
- sour cream should be low fat.
You should observe the baby's reaction. If the body does not accept the root vegetable, exclude the vegetable from the diet until better times.
Beetroot during breastfeeding in the second month
If the first month of breastfeeding passed without problems, then in the second month you can boldly add the product. By the end of the second month, you can increase the amount of root vegetables to 200 grams. But this is only if the mother and baby do not have any unwanted reactions, rashes, allergies, as well as intestinal disorders or low blood pressure.
Salads are great for breastfeeding, but without garlic, without hot seasonings, seasoned with olive or vegetable oil.
Komarovsky's advice: can you eat beets while breastfeeding?
The famous doctor Komarovsky talks in detail about the use of this vegetable. Basically his advice boils down to the following information:
- For variety, beets should be present in the diet of a nursing woman.
- Be sure to take into account the state of your body, the baby’s body, and observe how it reacts to the introduction of vegetables into the mother’s diet.
- It is necessary to eat beets after heat treatment. The raw root vegetable is too aggressive, as is its juice, which is considered concentrated and in its pure form can cause various health problems.
- Eat raw beets only after the end of the breastfeeding period.
The doctor does not advise limiting yourself in vegetable consumption.
Dishes with beets recommended for nursing mothers
Red beets are consumed in different forms during breastfeeding. There are enough recipes that can successfully diversify a woman’s menu during breastfeeding. Here are healthy meal options:
- walnut salad;
- beetroot;
- root vegetable baked in the oven;
- salad with lean meat;
- the vinaigrette;
- borsch;
- boiled beets, grated.
It is useful to use dishes if the baby is prone to constipation. The vegetable will have a positive effect on intestinal motility.Suitable for use and beet caviar. This is a grated boiled product, stewed in vegetable oil with the addition of citric acid, salt, and sugar. Cooking time 15 minutes. Add some grated beets to side dishes to add variety to your diet. But it is important to follow the daily norm.
Conclusion
During breastfeeding, beets are one of the permitted foods that should not be excluded from the diet. It is important to simply calculate the daily dosage correctly, not to eat the vegetable raw, and also to monitor the condition of your baby. If a rash, diarrhea or other abnormalities appear, the mother’s diet should be adjusted.
Healthy nutrition for a nursing mother includes various vegetables that can saturate the baby’s body with vitamins, microelements and macroelements. Beets should appear in the diet of a nursing woman in the first days. The amount depends on the health of the nursing mother and the baby’s reaction. If a rash appears, refuse and exclude the baby from the diet. Pediatricians recommend introducing beets into baby's complementary foods at 6 months, and in exceptional cases from one year onwards.
