Heh. I will now subject you to my near-geriatric reminiscences.

When Spawn the Elder was about 4 months old, one of my closest friends, a woman originally from South India, visited us. As typical for her familial culture, my friend loved blazing hot - as in spicy - cuisine. So my husband prepared shrimp étouffée from Paul Prudhomme's cookbook and added every bit of cayenne, black pepper and white pepper that the recipe called for. The dish was fantastic - very spicy and certainly endorphin inducing.

Spawn the Elder - a breastfed infant - showed absolutely no sign of fussiness. However, his butt was bright red the next day from all the capsaicin that passed into my milk. He was none-too-pleased when I started to wipe his bum with a baby wipe, but plain water and lotion were OK.

I ate plenty of well-seasoned and highly spiced food throughout my pregnancy and lactation with Spawn the Elder. Interestingly, the young man has always had a propensity for hot n' spicy food. Spawn the Younger also eats some pretty hot curries, preferring Indian over Thai.

Lily, I am more than a little skeptical concerning the advice given on those herbs. I say this not only from a scientific standpoint, but also as a former card-carrying member of LaLeche League. Those certainly were not on LLL's "List o' Forbidden Things."

Rtt offers good advice on avoiding Hg-carrying fishies and Jhi Jhi's advice is spot-on.

How ambitious are you, Dervin? You want I should send you my minestrone recipe? I have always made that as a foodish gift for friends who have popped out new spawn, and feedback from the nursing moms indicates that there are no ill effects.

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Dr. Joan Bushwell's Chimpanzee Refuge[/URL" target="_blank">

http://This message has been edited by CharlesRiverBlowfish (edited Nov-16-2007).

quote:<HR>Originally posted by luckylily:
From a parenting website:

Here are some things to avoid as they tend to suppress milk production:

* Sage
* Thyme
* Mint
* Oregano

It went on to say something about small amounts being harmless, but to avoid all out if there are supply issues.<HR>

They forgot nipple clamps.

I agree with above ~ no broccoli, onion, beans, dairy. All causes gas which makes for a fussy baby. Mom/parents don't need that!

Hearty stews are good and freeze some for later so new mom can warm up dinner in the future.

Dervin, it's nice of you to do this. I appreciated meals more than gifts or presents.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by willmary:
I was told beer stimulates production. I drank a lot of beer when I was nursing. <HR>

Guinness is very good for the mother and baby, in moderation of course.

Once in a blue moon dairy is a serious issue.

The best things people made for us were lasagna, pot roast, baked mac & cheese, and more lasagna. The key is to put it in something you don't need back any time soon, coo at the baby as you drop it off, and then leave quickly.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Dervin:
Well, is dairy a serious issue? That would f*ck about 95% of my recipes.

Send me the minestrone recipe.

<HR>

Turns out that I posted it in the beta version of the Chimp Refuge. Addendum: check out the current blog - I figured this would be a suitably banal Friday post for the Refuge. The recipe isn't a simple whip-it-up in 30 minutes deal, but it is truly kick-áss as you young folks say.

Here's the link: Minestrone for the masses.[/URL" target="_blank">

As for broccoli, beans and such causing gas, er, that is something of an old wives' tale or at the very least, an anxious mom applying offhanded interpretations to a nursing kid's fussiness. The carbohydrates and active principles that cause gas in the human gut are not absorbed -or if they are, the plasma is extremely low and thus insignificant in breastmilk. The complex carbs and other chemicals are feasted upon by the bacteria lower down in the intestines, thus producing gas. Cow's milk, OTOH, as lily notes, can be potentially problematic, but that's infrequent. Small amounts of hard cheeses - probably not so much.

Edited to add: Onions and garlic might flavor the milk, but otherwise are not problematic. I mean, there are a LOT of babies world-wide whose moms consume plenty of garlic and onion.

And cecicela -

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Dr. Joan Bushwell's Chimpanzee Refuge[/URL" target="_blank">


http://This message has been edited by CharlesRiverBlowfish (edited Nov-16-2007).

quote:<HR>Originally posted by CharlesRiverBlowfish:
Turns out that I posted it in the beta version of the Chimp Refuge. Addendum: check out the current blog - I figured this would be a suitably banal Friday post for the Refuge. The recipe isn't a simple whip-it-up in 30 minutes deal, but it is truly kick-áss as you young folks say.

Here's the link: Minestrone for the masses.[/URL" target="_blank">

As for broccoli, beans and such causing gas, er, that is something of an old wives' tale or at the very least, an anxious mom applying offhanded interpretations to a nursing kid's fussiness. The carbohydrates and active principles that cause gas in the human gut are not absorbed -or if they are, the plasma is extremely low and thus insignificant in breastmilk. The complex carbs and other chemicals are feasted upon by the bacteria lower down in the intestines, thus producing gas. Cow's milk, OTOH, as lily notes, can be potentially problematic, but that's infrequent. Small amounts of hard cheeses - probably not so much.

Edited to add: Onions and garlic might flavor the milk, but otherwise are not problematic. I mean, there are a LOT of babies world-wide whose moms consume plenty of garlic and onion.

And cecicela -

<HR>

I don't know if it's an old wive's tale but it made my son particularly very cranky the night I ate broccoli, onions/garlic, beans or dairy. It doesn't affect every nursing mom, just me but you never know. I'm sure whatever you give will be nutritious and gratefully received. Nursing moms become especially hungry and dehydrated so I appreciated those meals brought by family, friends and neighbors. I wanted meals more than store-bought gifts. All this baby talk is making me so glad I'm way passed that stage in my life. Those baby years were cute and adorable but so exhausting.