A Breastfeeding Recipe to Calm Your Fussy Baby
Breastfeeding moms don’t always have an easy start to their lives as new mothers. They go through the awesomeness of pregnancy (and the not-so-awesomeness as well). New moms give birth and then learn to breastfeed and care for these new people... and some of this time is a very difficult shift to make.
If you are one of the moms whose babies is very fussy and you are having difficulties with breastfeeding, take heart. You are not alone. If your baby is continually fuss, there could be a physical reason that your baby is experiencing pain. Make sure that all is well with your pediatrician. Consider taking your baby to a pediatric focused chiropractor. Many times, babies are experiencing pain in their bodies and that is the reason that they fuss and cry. If latch is an issue, go to a lactation consultant.
If you have tried all avenues of help, and still find that your breastfed baby is fussy, crying or colicky throughout the evening and won’t settle to sleep, chances are he is reacting negatively to something you are eating. Everything that you eat ends up in your breastmilk, and some babies can be reacting negatively to the proteins in some foods of their mother’s diet. These proteins irritate the lining of the baby’s gut, which can create discomfort.
If your baby does not settle well, especially in the evenings, you might want to try the advice of The Calm Baby Cookbook. As a breastfeeding mom, by simply changing your diet and eliminating specific foods on a short term basis, you could dramatically calm your baby. The tips in the book can make a quick difference.
Calmer babies are better able to bond and interact with family members. Mothers of calmer babies gain confidence in their own parenting skills. With the added quality time together, mothers and babies bond more easily with each other. Many of the moms that I’ve counselled over the years have noticed a rapid improvement upon eliminating certain foods from their diet.
The following is one of the delicious recipes from The Calm Baby Cookbook:
Easy Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1/2 onion, diced
1 can chicken broth
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. basil leaves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Place all of the cubed chicken and chopped vegetables into a large bowl.
Drizzle the chicken broth and olive oil over top, and then add the garlic, oregano, basil, sea salt and pepper. Toss well. Pour into two large baking dishes that have been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° F for approximately 1 hour.
Remove from the oven, stir well and continue to bake, uncovered, for another 30 minutes. Test the potatoes for doneness.
Do You Have a Fussy Baby in Your Life?
Oftentimes, fussy breastfeeding babies are either experiencing physical pain from birth, they are reacting negatively to the foods that their breastfeeding mom is eating, OR BOTH!
Birth is a very difficult process for babies to experience. If you suspect that your baby is in physical pain when you feed or diaper him or her, take your baby to see a pediatric focused chiropractor in your area. We are trained to gently relieve irritations to muscles and joints.
If your baby is fussy after breastfeeding or cries inconsolably in the evenings and won’t settle easily, chances are that your baby is reacting to foods in your diet.
If this is the case, please consider purchasing the Calm Baby Cookbook – it outlines the foods that commonly cause problems for babies to digest and offers 100+ delicious breastfeeding recipes to get started! It has helped to calm many babies in my practice and I sincerely hope that it will calm your fussy baby as well.
Yours truly,
Dr. Melanie Beingessner
Dr. Melanie Beingessner is a pregnancy and pediatric-focussed chiropractor, a breastfeeding counselor, a certified infant massage instructor and a mom of three awesome kids.