DEAR MOMS, some of you posted question about what I said in the article written by Mommy Nearest. The following is my response to one of the questions posed to me. It is long but I think it is important and it will give you a better understanding of my purpose and my work. The question posed to me is posted in the first comment, in case youd like to read it. Thank your for your comment. All of my references will be available for you to peruse and review in my book. Yes, poor women in underdeveloped countries do manage to make breast milk that keeps their child alive. But does that negate the need for or benefit of encouraging mothers to eat well while they are breastfeeding? Right now many people are using the fact that moms who eat nothing but rice/millet/ sorghum etc and still produce breast milk as reason to assume that a quality, nutrient dense, low allergen, alkaline, easy to digest, lactogenic focused diet would similarly have no effect on breast milk, baby and mom. BUT there are plenty of anecdotal stories (including your own, and my own and that of other moms who have changed their diet and found success) that suggest that this may not be true. In my opinion the only thing this study proves is that the human body is miraculous and will, even in the worst of circumstances ensure to the best of its ability, that the next generation lives. To be honest I am getting tired of people referencing this stud.y I’d rather people begin to ask questions like: where is a study that looks at the effect a whole foods, plant based (not necessarily vegan or vegetarian) diet has on the health of mom, baby and nutrient quality of breast milk? Where is the study that looks at the rates of allergic reaction in babies fed breast milk of a mom who avoids high allergen foods compared to one who doesn’t? Whie these studies (to the best of my knowledge) do not yet exist in large quantity there are a few studies that have come out over the last few years that suggest diet may impact breast milk and baby more than previously thought. And there are plenty of anecdotal stories shared with me by moms I’ve worked with that diet can and does impact breast milk and baby. I’d like moms, birth workers and lactation consultants to ask why do we have so little faith in moms and their desire to do what is best for themselves and their children that we are afraid to say to moms: YES your diet matters and it is important for you to be mindful of what you eat. Not only because it may impact your breast milk and your baby but also because 1) it will help you be a healthier mom with more energy 2) learning these skills now will make it easier for you to feed your family quality food for a lifetime 3) if you have healthy foods on hand, you’ll have healthy first food choices for your baby too 4) if moms all over the world feed themselves well, beginning with breastfeeding (and even better in pregnancy and before) mothers have the power to end the food related illness epidemic we now face. Because if moms learn these skill and pass them on to their children those children will be healthier, smarter and live longer than if they had been eating crappy food their entire life. And yes I am proposing a breastfeeding diet. Whats wrong with that? At all the stages in our life we have different dietary and nutrient needs that are best addressed with whole, real found in nature foods. When babies are growing in our womb they need lots of DHA. When our kids are growing, they need lots of calcium for growing bones; when our girls begin menstruating they need more iron, when we are preparing our bodies for pregnancy it is helpful to cleanse and to build up our nutrient reserves by eating really nutrient dense foods....and the examples can go on and on. I believe we need similar dietary awareness and guidelines for breastfeeding moms. And that what my book and website (will) strive to provide. To be clear, I am NOT suggesting that mothers eat a “strict” diet or that there is a “perfect” diet. I am NOT suggesting that mothers who don’t want to eat nutrient dense foods have lesser quality milk. In fact there is a section in my book that says (something to the effect of) if you already feel overwhelmed by being a new mom and feel like adding diet to your list of concerns would be too much, then put this book down right now and go take care of yourself and your baby in the ways that work best for you, your baby and your family and keep on breastfeeding. If in the future you find that you our your baby are experiencing some symptoms that you think may be addressed with diet than perhaps that would be a better time to read this book. And, just so you know, my hope is to get my book into the hands of pregnant moms who have more time to think about and adjust their diets before baby comes. I also wrote my book and am building my website to help moms whose baby is already experiencing some challenges like colic, cradle cap etc.. and who are interested in using real whole foods to address them. There are two main points Im working to include in the breastfeeding conversation. The first is that eating a nutrient dense whole foods diet that takes into account the delicate nature of our babys digestive system is a good idea. And second that eating for breastfeeding and foods for weaning should be part of the basic education provided to new moms. Im surprised given your own experience with the impact diet can have on your breast milk, your children and yourself that you are resistant to my message. I’d also like you and other people to know/note that the above article is a limited (and well written) snap-shot into my message and my suggestions for breastfeeding moms. My book goes into much more detail, with loads of footnotes and explains my point of view in more depth. I talk about the importance of acid alkaline balance, easy to digest foods, nutrient density, low allergen foods and much more. AND perhaps most importantly, my book FOCUSES on the wide variety of beautiful, delicious and nutritious foods that are, in my opinion best for breastfeeding and weaning and teaches moms how to shop for, store, and cook them. I spend much less time talking about what foods to avoid. And in fact only mention them in the chapter of my book meant to help moms address challenges like low milk supply, colic etc. As far as my credentials they are as follows: NYU Food Studies Graduate, Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts graduate, Plant based nutritionist certified by Cornell University, Certified Lactation Counselor, over 10 years experience as a food and wellness educator, Healthy Eating Specialist for Whole Foods Market, mom who nursed for almost 3 years and who healed her daughter through food. I hope that the above response gives you a bit more insight into my point of view. Please let me know if you have more questions or concerns. Thank you for being apart of this community. Love, Light and Boobie Milk Ebeth
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:29:02 +0000
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