Is it possible to cabbage while breastfeeding

Cabbage is rich in vitamins, and bloating occurs from it. It is the latter fact that worries young mothers when it comes to whether cabbage is allowed during breastfeeding in the first month.

It is undesirable to eat a vegetable for the first time after childbirth.

Is it possible for a nursing mother cabbage

Most nutritionists agree that after the birth of a child, a woman can introduce cabbage into her diet, but only if it is properly cooked, eat it in small portions.

We must not forget that the approach to compiling the menu should be individual. If mom and baby respond well to the introduction of a vegetable into the diet, then it is allowed to use it. You just do not need to enter the product from the first days after childbirth, but it is better to wait for a certain period. Then he will only benefit.

What cabbage can be breastfed

The older generation did not have as much cabbage variety as you can see now on supermarket shelves. Only one grew in the garden – white cabbage, so women did not have to choose. Today, store shelves are littered with many types of cabbage, not only fresh, but already processed. You can always find something to your taste.

When breastfeeding, colored is more useful than white

Doctors advise to use white cabbage during breastfeeding, and in a processed, but not raw form. Color is also useful, it is even better absorbed, it is considered a dietary product. It contains a lot of folic acid, vitamin A and group B.

Brussels view or broccoli will not be superfluous. The use of Beijing (Chinese) cabbage is allowed. But the red-headed one should not be introduced. Your baby may be allergic to it. All types should be started to be consumed only in boiled and stewed form, and only then gradually switch to raw foods.

Another variety is marine. Although it is not a vegetable in the literal sense, but an algae, it is also called cabbage. Since the product is sold more often in pickled form, with the addition of salt, vinegar, it should be used especially carefully. We must not forget that some manufacturers add flavor enhancers, preservatives, and sweeteners to kelp. All these supplements are contraindicated for the baby.

From what month can a nursing mother eat cabbage

The vegetable should not be introduced into the diet of a nursing woman until 3-4 weeks after childbirth. Then you can include boiled broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, then white cabbage in the diet. You need to start with a small amount – no more than 50 g. Eat cabbage no more than 3 times a week. Gradually, the portion can be increased to 200 g per day.

The optimal time for the introduction of raw cabbage into the diet with HB is 4-5 months after the birth of the baby. A pickled vegetable is permissible only 6-8 months after childbirth. The same goes for pickled kelp. At the same time, it is important to monitor the well-being of the baby. If he has symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea, then the fresh vegetable should not be consumed for another 2-3 months.

Benefits of cabbage while breastfeeding

The vegetable has a lot of trace elements necessary for the body. This is what makes cabbage useful.

All types of plant culture contain beneficial trace elements

During breastfeeding, a herbal product:

• acts as a source of vitamins and mineral compounds, antioxidants, which are especially important at this time;
• has a low energy value, helps to normalize weight, if necessary, lose extra pounds;
• due to the abundance of fiber relieves constipation, regulates bowel function;
• due to the high content of folic acid, it positively affects the nervous system of mother and baby;
• is a source of iron and other minerals, prevents the development of anemia;
• increases immunity;
• improves memory;
• reduces cholesterol levels (when cooking without animal fats);
• improves the condition of nails, hair;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• helps to recover faster after childbirth.

In addition, the vegetable has an affordable cost and helps to diversify the diet, because you can cook a large list of dishes from cabbage.

What is harmful cabbage when breastfeeding

A vegetable causes a negative effect only if it is used incorrectly:

1. If you introduce fresh cabbage into the diet, without heat treatment, then it can provoke flatulence (gas formation, bloating), colic in the child and mother. Therefore, the product should be consumed only in cooked form: boiled, stewed, fried.
2. If a plant has been treated with pesticides or used too much nitrate when grown, it may contain harmful compounds. Therefore, when breastfeeding, you should refrain from eating early spring vegetables, it is in them that nitrates are the most. In late (autumn) varieties of leaf culture, many of these chemical compounds do not exist. For a child’s body, even the minimum amount of nitrates is dangerous.
3. Another aspect that can be harmful to health is the microbes that live on the surface of the plant. Before use, the cabbage should be thoroughly washed, remove the upper leaves. Heat treatment in this sense is the best way of disinfection.
4. In very rare cases, this product causes allergies in babies.
5. If you eat quite a lot of sauerkraut or pickled cabbage, which contains salt, this causes a change in the taste of breast milk, a deterioration in its quality.

Contraindications to cabbage during breastfeeding

Negative manifestations after use are associated with the characteristics of the preparation. To avoid them, you do not need to enter too much into the menu of this product. Nursing mothers should not often eat salted cabbage, it will lead to thirst, stagnation of fluid in the body and the appearance of edema. Also, excess salt in food can change the taste of milk.

Women after caesarean section are also not recommended for the first time cabbage, so as not to provoke gas formation and discomfort in the abdomen.

How to cook cabbage while breastfeeding

Many women are interested in the form in which a vegetable crop is most useful when breastfeeding, how best to cook it so as not to harm the baby. To prevent gas formation, the vegetable must undergo heat treatment.

So that the vegetable does not cause gas formation, it is important to cook it correctly.

Boiled cabbage while breastfeeding

Boiling is the most optimal type of vegetable processing during breastfeeding. Cauliflower and white cabbage can be added in small amounts to soups. This vegetable cooks quickly, does not require long heat treatment. Therefore, during cooking, the loss of valuable substances will be small.

You can start introducing cabbage into the menu as early as 3 weeks after giving birth. From 3 months it is permissible to use boiled white cabbage.

Fried cabbage while breastfeeding

Fried cabbage is also allowed to be consumed during breastfeeding, but it should be borne in mind that due to fat it will be quite high in calories. To minimize possible harm, it is better to add the ingredient in small portions to other products. Color will be a good addition to an omelet.

Braised cabbage while breastfeeding

If the boiled vegetable product does not cause any discomfort, then you can switch to stews with cabbage, for example, cabbage rolls. It is useful to combine different types of cabbage with other vegetables, for example, cauliflower with potatoes.

It is also good to cook a vegetable with lean meats: veal, turkey, chicken. You can stew broccoli with the addition of onions and carrots. Another cooking method is in the form of a casserole with potatoes and meat.

Sauerkraut while breastfeeding

When breastfeeding, sauerkraut is an excellent source of ascorbic acid, which is especially important during the winter months. It also contains beneficial lactic acid bacteria that positively affect bowel function. The main thing is that there is not too much salt in sauerkraut.

To prevent gas formation from this product, cumin must be added to it. Do not confuse sauerkraut and pickled cabbage, which is seasoned with vinegar. It should not be used during lactation. Especially a store-bought product, as preservatives are often added to it. If there is at least a minimal negative reaction in the baby, then you will have to refrain from the fermented species until lactation is completed.

When breastfeeding, any vegetable should be introduced into the diet little by little.

Useful Tips

In order for cabbage to bring only benefits during the period of breastfeeding to the baby and his mother, the following recommendations should be followed:

• introduce a new product into the diet only in small portions, starting with 1 tablespoon;
• eat a new type of food for the child in the morning, so that during the day it is easy to track his reaction;
• start introducing boiled cabbage into the diet in the form of soups, then stewed and only then, with good tolerance, fresh;
• prepare only a quality product without any signs of spoilage;
• pickled cabbage is not allowed during the entire lactation period.

It is best to use homemade vegetables rather than store-bought ones. Before use, always remove the top leaves from the head and wash it thoroughly.

Conclusion

Cabbage during breastfeeding in the first month raises many questions. And, although this is a very healthy vegetable, it is better not to use it for the first time after childbirth. In the future, with good tolerance and a reasonable approach, it is permissible to eat it during lactation. Boiling is the best cooking method. You should not rush with the introduction of fresh vegetable salads into the diet, this is too heavy a product for a baby’s fragile body.