By Setareh Kiumarsi
How Should the Mother’s Diet Be?
Is your baby gassy and suffering from abdominal pain? Does the pain intensify at night?
If your baby is breastfeeding, it’s very important to be mindful of what you eat:
Legumes: Minimize your intake of legumes.
Cold Raw Vegetables: Avoid raw, cold vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, cilantro, Brussels sprouts, etc. Instead, eat them cooked and seasoned with balanced spices.
Potatoes: Reduce potato consumption—it’s highly gas-producing. If you must eat it, cook with balanced spices and olive oil.
Spicy Foods: Avoid heavily spiced foods (like chili, curry, mustard, etc.). They can increase bile secretion and make breastmilk taste bitter.
Processed Carbs & Dairy: Avoid white flour (e.g., white breads, pasta, pastries), sugar, and hard-to-digest cow dairy (e.g., salty cheese, yogurt, cream). After childbirth, digestion weakens, and these foods can lead to undigested phlegm in the digestive tract, which ends up in your breastmilk—making it sticky and hard for the baby to digest.
Recommended Alternatives: Use whole wheat or gluten-free flour products and natural sweeteners (like grape, date, or maple syrup).
Instead of caffeine (coffee, black tea, green tea), drink this anti-gas and milk-boosting herbal tea:
Fennel (2) + Rosemary (1) + Chamomile (1) + Rose petals (1) + Mallow (1)
Home Remedies for Infant Abdominal Pain
Is your baby gassy and uncomfortable? Try this:
Homemade “Grip Mixture” for Babies:
Mix the following herbs (whole form, not powdered) in the ratios shown. Break any large pieces by hand to ensure an even blend:
Mix 1: Fennel (3) + Chamomile (1) + Valerian (1)
Mix 2 (alternative): Fennel (1) + Cumin (1) + Cardamom (1) + Coriander seeds (1)
To prepare: Steep 1 tsp of the mixture in a cup of boiling water. Strain and let it cool slightly (warmer than room temp). Give 1 tsp of the tea to your baby every 15 minutes.
Massage Remedy
Gently massage the baby’s belly and navel area in a circular, clockwise motion using this oil blend:
Flaxseed oil + Sweet almond oil + Coconut oil
- Place a warm compress (like a small hot water bottle or soft warm scarf) on the baby’s tummy.
- After feeding, hold your baby upright for 10–15 minutes and gently massage their back in circular, clockwise motion.
- Several times a day, lie your baby on their back and bring their legs gently toward their abdomen, then stretch them out. This helps release trapped gas.
- Keep a 2–2.5 hour gap between feedings to prevent bloating (Note: this does not apply during the early weeks of life when feeding intervals are naturally shorter).
If you republish this post, which was written with care and in the hope of well-being for all, please credit the author “Setareh Kiumarsi.”
