Is Spicy Food Okay to Eat While Breastfeeding?

Have you been avoiding all of your favorite spicy foods during pregnancy due to heartburn issues?

If so, then you rejoice once your baby is born and order the spiciest foods that you can handle. Spicy food is absolutely safe to eat while breastfeeding, and only should be avoided if it causes you heartburn or digestion issues.

If you are one of the numerous women who enjoys eating spicy foods on occasion, then you probably had to give up this vice during your pregnancy.

Many pregnant women have issues with heartburn and indigestion, especially as you get farther and farther along in your pregnancy.

As the baby grows, your stomach becomes smaller and gets smashed up into your rib cage, causing practically anything you eat to become the perfect heartburn food.

Spicy food, in particular, is known to cause heartburn no matter what trimester you are in. Most people cannot handle spicy food due to its spiciness, but also due to the terrible stomach and esophageal pains that they get from the foods.

Most people cannot handle spicy food due to the increase in reflux of acidic food into the esophagus and a continuous burning pain behind the breast bone.

If you loved spicy foods when you were not pregnant, then you may not love them so much during your pregnancy.

Breastfeeding and Spicy Foods

If you have delivered your baby and now are trying to figure out what you can and cannot eat while breastfeeding, then don’t worry, spicy foods are on the safe list.

Spicy foods are safe while breastfeeding. [1]

There may be a little bit of extra spice that gets into your breastmilk, but it shouldn’t hurt your baby. There is absolutely no medical evidence that states that any spices that get through to your breastmilk would cause your baby harm.

To ensure that your breastmilk is as healthy as it can be for your baby, it is important to eat a variety of foods.

A well-balanced diet is an essential thing that you can do in order to ensure that you have an adequate and healthy supply of breast milk.

Studies have shown that babies that are breastfed from moms who have eaten a variety of foods throughout their pregnancy and breastfeeding time are actually less picky eaters when they get older. [2] [3]

These babies have been exposed to a wide variety of flavors and spices throughout their early months and years. As they grow older, they will be more apt to try new foods and eat foods that have similar spice profiles to what they had while breastfeeding.

So, if you eat a lot of spicy foods while you are breastfeeding, you may just end up with a toddler who loves spicy foods too. One of the best ways to ensure that your child won’t be a picky eater when they grow up is to actually eat a variety of foods while you breastfeed.

How to Incorporate Spicy Foods Into Your Diet

If you are a spicy food lover, then you probably already have all of the Indian restaurants and Mexican restaurants on speed dial for when you deliver.

Or, you may have a stockpile of jalapeños and ghost peppers to eat once you deliver. But if you don’t, and you aren’t a huge fan of spicy foods, then you can start adding the spicy foods to your diet by trying curry powders.

Curry powder can be bought in mild, moderate, and high heat. If you are willing to try to incorporate more spicy foods into your diet for your baby’s wellbeing, then maybe start with mild curry powder.

You can add curry powder to your chicken, rice, and vegetables to make delicious and spicy dishes. As you get used to the spiciness of the mild curry powder, move up to the medium heat type, and then move up to the high heat version.

Peppers are also a great way to add a little heat to your diet. Plus, peppers often have high amounts of vitamin C and other antioxidants that are good for both you and the baby.

Jalapeños, habaneros, and ghost peppers are known to be extra spicy. Start off small with jalapeños and then move your way up to the hottest of the hot.

Spicy foods aren’t absolutely necessary to eat while breastfeeding, but they are safe. If you are simply not a fan of spicy foods, then don’t worry. It doesn’t mean that your child is going to be a picky eater for life if you don’t eat spicy foods while breastfeeding.

Instead, try to eat a variety of foods and drinks while breastfeeding.

This will ensure that you have an adequate supply of healthy breastmilk and that your child will get all of the necessary nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.

References

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