Can a nursing mother eat avocado while breastfeeding - pros and cons

The period of natural feeding is too important a period in a woman’s life to mindlessly eat all the ingredients in a row. But sometimes a nursing mother wants something outlandish - tropical fruits or exotic fruits, especially if she did not deny herself anything before giving birth. How to be in this case? For example, is it possible to eat avocado while breastfeeding?

Eating avocado while breastfeeding is not only not prohibited, but, on the contrary, recommended.

What are the benefits of avocado?

First of all, the advantage of avocado is its high nutritional value. Just 100 g of this fruit contains:

• two grams of protein (or almost 2.5% of the norm in one day);
• almost 15 grams of fat (which is 22.6% of the norm);
• about 2 grams of carbohydrates (1.4% DV);
• almost 7 grams of dietary fiber (33.5% of daily intake).

The energy value is 160 kcal, and fiber is considered beneficial for the intestines, as they help cleanse its walls of toxic substances and toxins. They also serve as food for healthy microflora.

In addition, avocado contains minerals such as potassium and calcium, zinc, magnesium and copper, phosphorus, iron and manganese.

In terms of vitamin content (groups B and A, C, as well as K, PP, E), avocados are superior to healthy seasonal fruits.

Despite the calorie content of the fruit, its soft part is used for dietary nutrition. Therefore, after childbirth, the fetus is recommended to be eaten by those mothers who want to lose extra pounds. Avocado saturates the body quite quickly and keeps you feeling full for a long time.

The fruit promotes the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, since its content of healthy fats is quite high. Thanks to this, the body receives important elements for normalizing brain activity and lung function. The product also has a beneficial effect on the metabolism in cells, helping to accelerate it, which results in rejuvenation of the skin. Avocados help cleanse blood vessels of bad cholesterol and reduce the possibility of developing pathological heart diseases. With constant consumption of the tropical fruit, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is stabilized.

Vitamins A and C contribute to strengthening the immune system, which have a positive effect on vision, help in the absorption of essential amino acids and the breakdown of protein in muscle tissue. Vitamin B restores the nervous system, normalizes hormonal levels, helps fight signs of depression after childbirth, and gives the body strength and energy. The antioxidants present in avocados prevent the development of cancer and vascular diseases. Such an important component as glutathione relieves the liver of excessive stress and stops the action of almost forty carcinogens.

What is dangerous in avocado for mother and child?

A possible side effect from eating this fruit may be allergies. Moreover, one of the dangerous symptoms is not considered to be a rash on the baby’s body, but the manifestation of bronchospasms, signs of suffocation or Quincke’s edema. If the baby has hypersensitivity or intolerance to the product, then even death is possible, so a new ingredient must be introduced into the diet of a nursing woman quite carefully.

Despite all the benefits of avocados, a child may have allergies or gastrointestinal disorders.

Cross-allergy is also possible. If a mother or child has a reaction to kiwi, bananas and latex, then there is a high probability of an allergy to avocado. If the fetus is consumed by a breastfeeding woman, the baby may experience digestive upset in the form of diarrhea, constipation, colic or bloating. The baby sleeps poorly, cries and behaves restlessly.

Benefit

If you try this amazing fruit for the first time, you may confuse it with other products. This is a fatty fruit with creamy pulp. Initially, avocados began to be grown as a cultivated plant in Mexico. It grows on tall evergreen trees. The shape of the fruit can be round, pear-shaped or oval, depending on the variety, and the color of the peel can be green or brown-black.

Avocado has a number of beneficial properties that are indispensable for breastfeeding:

• restores and normalizes hormonal levels;
• improves sleep and relieves depression;
• restores proper metabolism, preventing obesity;
• favorable for the organs of vision;
• promotes the development of brain cells;
• provides women's and children's bodies with essential folic acid, which is involved in regenerative processes.

Avocado contains palmitic, oleic, linolenic acids, which have a positive effect on all organs and systems of the body of both mother and baby: cardiovascular, immune, digestive, reproductive. This exotic aromatic fruit restores sodium and potassium in the body, and also maintains the balance of acids, improves immunity and lowers blood pressure.

Is it worth eating an exotic fruit during lactation?

During breastfeeding, avocados can be eaten only by women who consumed the fruit long before conceiving a child and during pregnancy, and they did not have a negative reaction. Other nursing mothers are advised to eat fruits and berries of local origin, not exotic ones, which can cause severe allergies.

READ MORE: What is recommended for a mother to eat during the first month of breastfeeding

It is not recommended to eat avocados during breastfeeding in the first month; if you introduce an “overseas” product into the diet of a nursing mother, then only after the fourth month. At this time, you need to pay even closer attention to the baby’s condition and follow all recommendations for introducing a new ingredient into the woman’s menu on the guards. Since the alligator pear (as the fruit is sometimes called) is not considered a potentially dangerous product, but in some cases it can cause allergies.

When breastfeeding, it is better to introduce avocado into the diet gradually, starting from the baby’s fourth month.

The effect of avocado on breast milk

Mother's milk ensures the full development of the baby. The composition of breast milk directly depends on the supply of nutrients, microelements, and a balanced diet of the nursing mother.

The benefits and harms of avocados during breastfeeding are determined by the body’s reaction to the product.

Proper use of the product helps improve the quality of breast milk, which becomes more nutritious, rich in vitamins and valuable elements.

The process of introducing a new product is closely related to the risk of developing specific reactions in the baby’s body. It is better to do this after the baby is at least two months old. Substances included in the composition may cause allergies or problems when reacting to citrus fruits. The fruit pit and rind are quite poisonous and must be removed.

Beneficial properties and contraindications depend on the amount of product eaten. Given the high calorie content of the fruit, the maximum allowable intake is one fruit per day. Maximum benefits can be obtained by consuming the product raw.

Rules for entering the menu and eating avocado while breastfeeding

Compliance with the rules for introducing the product and its use will protect the baby from possible negative consequences. Therefore, you need to follow the instructions step by step:

1. To begin with, try the avocado, starting with one spoon, and eat the pulp in the morning. Then they wait about two days to monitor the child’s condition. If during this time the baby’s health has not deteriorated, the mother can increase the portion to two spoons. But the maximum a breastfed woman can eat is only half of the fetus just a couple of times a week.
2. If the baby has a rash or the tummy begins to hurt (colic, bloating), then stop eating avocados.
3. Alligator pear should be the only new ingredient a breastfeeding woman introduces to her diet.
4. If the introduction of the product went well, then next time you need to eat the avocado before meals, 20-30 minutes before.
5. The product must be of good quality, not broken.
6. Since an allergic reaction can occur as a result of a cumulative effect, a caring mother needs to respond to any changes in the child’s condition. Do not stop observing his reaction, and if something does go wrong, then it is better to re-introduce the ingredient after a few months.
7. You should eat avocado immediately after peeling, as after some time the flesh will darken and begin to oxidize.
8. There is no need to eat the pit or skin; they contain poisonous substances that can lead to poisoning of the mother or child.
9. If a cooking recipe requires adding the fruit to a hot dish, then this ingredient is added as the last ingredient.

Rules for introducing avocados into the diet

To avoid the negative consequences of consuming avocados during breastfeeding, you need to follow some rules:

1. Introduce the fruit gradually, starting with 1 tsp. pulp in the morning. Then wait a couple of days to see the baby's reaction. If negative effects do not appear, the portion can be doubled. When the baby gets used to the new product, you can eat no more than half the fetus per day, 2 times a week.
2. If a child develops allergies or stomach problems, alligator pear should be excluded from the diet.
3. Along with the introduction of an exotic fruit, other new products cannot be introduced.
4. The fruit should be consumed 30 minutes before the main meal.
5. You need to choose ripe fruits, without dents, with a uniform peel color.

Allergies have a cumulative effect, so they can appear even after a week. If there is any redness of the skin or deterioration in the child’s health, you should exclude avocado from the diet and try to reintroduce it after 2 months.

A mother can introduce avocado into her menu only when the baby is 2 months old. It is important to combine foods correctly in your diet. It is not advisable to combine the fruit with fatty foods.

What to look for when choosing a fruit when purchasing

There are several varieties of tropical berries on sale; in any case, when buying an avocado, you need to look at the skin. A ripe and healthy fruit of uniform brown-black or greenish color. If you press it, there should be no traces left, the product should not be wrinkled and no juice should be released from it. A good fruit immediately restores its previous shape.

Avocados are healthy if they are brown-black or green in color and firm to the touch.

If the fruit is green, it is most likely not yet ripe. You can buy avocados like this, then you should bring it to a ripe state at home - close it in a paper bag and put it in a dry and dark place for a while.

How to select and store?

The fruits are exported to Russia unripe and “arrive” in transit.
Avocado is a tropical fruit, so its transportation from its growing areas takes a lot of time. In view of this, manufacturers send the product unripe, and on the way it reaches its proper condition. If an avocado was picked from the branches too early and was stored at cold temperatures en route, it will arrive on the counter still unripe, its taste and nutritional properties inferior to that of the ripe fruit. If you plan to eat an avocado soon after purchasing, choose ripe fruits. If you want to buy in reserve, take an unripe one and keep it in a closed, dark place at room temperature until ripe. For example, place it in a paper bag and place it in a closet. Within 2–5 days the fetus will reach optimal maturity. You can speed up the process if you keep it company with an apple or banana, which release ethylene, which promotes the ripening of the avocado. You definitely shouldn’t buy a product that is already overripe and starting to rot. Dark spots appear on the skin, with gentle pressure a dent easily forms, and there are wrinkled areas on the stalk. Another danger is frozen fruits found in markets in winter. Outwardly, this avocado looks great, but when cut, it reveals flaky, darkened flesh that is not suitable for consumption.

We recommend reading: Bananas during breastfeeding

Avocado dishes for women breastfeeding

Today, avocados are quite often present in dishes on the everyday table of an ordinary family. Some recipes are also suitable for feeding nursing women. At the same time, avocado is added to dishes only raw in order to preserve all its nutritional properties and vitamins.

Omelette

A good breakfast option for mom on guard duty looks like this:

Lightly fry the pulp of one tomato in vegetable oil or butter. At this point, peel the avocado and cut half into thin slices. Beat two eggs with half a spoon of milk and salt, pour the resulting mixture over the tomato. Place avocado slices on top, cover and wait about 10 minutes until done.

A nutritious and balanced breakfast for a nursing mother is an omelette with tomatoes and avocado.

Salad

In such a dish you can add those ingredients that have already been well-tasted by your mother. It can be fruits, berries or vegetables. A healthy fruit salad for breakfast for a breastfeeding woman can be prepared as follows:

— cut a green apple and banana into small pieces, add avocado pulp (half the fruit) to the fruit, add half a glass of corn flakes or oatmeal, season the salad with natural yogurt.

Avocado sandwiches

It is enough to simply prepare sandwiches with the addition of avocado, often used instead of butter or mayonnaise (the ripe fruit has the same creamy taste).

To do this, you need to peel the fruit, put the pulp on a plate and mash it a little with a fork to get the desired consistency. Spread the resulting mass in a thin layer on bread; you can put slices of meat, chicken, turkey or fish on top.

Grain bread, cottage cheese and avocado slices are another healthy and tasty breakfast option for a nursing mother.

If you follow all the recommendations for introducing avocado into the diet of a nursing mother, then you can eat it already in the fourth month of breastfeeding. It is important to buy a quality product and not overeat it. Then dishes with tropical fruit will not harm the baby, and the mother will diversify her menu.

Reviews

On numerous forums you can find both positive and negative reviews about the reactions of infants, about tastes, about personal attitudes towards tropical fruits... But the majority of participants believe that avocado is useful for breastfeeding and there is no risk of harming the baby. The only exceptions are allergy sufferers.

When consumed correctly and following the rules of introduction into the diet, avocados will have a positive effect on the body of mother and baby, enrich breast milk and diversify the menu of a nursing woman.

Recipes for nursing mothers

The following dishes with avocado are suitable for the diet of a young mother during the feeding period:

• sandwiches;
• salad;
• smoothie.

A sandwich is the easiest way to eat fruit. Preparation consists of the following steps:

1. Separate the avocado pulp from the pit and peel.
2. Place the pulp in a plate and mash with a fork until pureed.
3. Spread the puree in a thin layer onto the toast.
4. Place a plate of boiled turkey or chicken on top.

You can make a hot sandwich, for this you will need the following products:

1. 2-3 pieces of avocado.
2. A piece of bread.
3. Hard cheese, finely grated.
4. Finely chopped dill.

Slices of fruit are placed on bread, cheese and dill are sprinkled on top. The sandwich is placed on a greased baking sheet and placed in an oven preheated to 180°C for 10 minutes.

The list of fruits allowed during lactation is very limited. However, mother can prepare a salad from products that are already included in the diet and do not cause an allergic reaction in the baby.

To prepare the salad you need the following ingredients:

• apple;
• banana;
• half an avocado;
• half a cup of corn flakes;
• a glass of yogurt.

The fruits are cut into cubes, placed in a deep container and filled with yogurt. Consume immediately after preparation.

Smoothies are also useful for a nursing mother because the drink helps fight extra pounds gained during pregnancy. To make this dish you will need the following ingredients:

• half a banana;
• half an avocado;
• 1 tsp. powdered sugar;
• half a glass of chilled water.

We recommend that you read: What can you do with an avocado pit?

All ingredients are placed in a blender bowl and blended until smooth. The drink should be drunk immediately after preparation.

If the child and mother are not allergic to honey, you can replace powdered sugar with it.