Although a lot of copies are broken in the debates about the diet while breastfeeding, this topic continues to excite the minds of young mothers and their relatives. One of the many products that raise questions about the appropriateness of a nursing woman is onion. These questions are not idle, since this vegetable is used in a huge number of dishes. The article will try to debunk myths and give an answer, which onion and in what form is better to use for food, so that it benefits both the mother and the child.

Is it possible to breastfeed onions

The main complaints about onions that can be heard in the context of a diet for HB are the presence of a large amount of quercetin flavonoid in it, which, according to some experts, can ruin the taste of breast milk and cause gastrointestinal problems in the baby.

Important! Any product eaten by the mother can cause an individual reaction in the child, so the main rule of the nursing diet is the gradual introduction of the product and, if possible, keeping a food diary. This is especially important for children with a genetic tendency to allergies.

In reality, the taste and composition of breast milk are never constant, changing in accordance not only with a woman’s diet, but also depending on her hormonal background and lifestyle (for example, physical exertion). In infants, nature is supposed to adapt to these changes, getting used to different tastes.

Only 5% of choosers can refuse a breast if they do not like the taste of milk. In addition, colic and flatulence are usually associated only with the use of raw vegetables. That is why it is safe to say that a nursing mother can and should even eat onions, however, strictly following the recommendations that will be discussed below.

Properties of onions for a nursing mother

This is an ingredient in many holiday and everyday dishes. It is hard to imagine cooking soup, stews or roasts without adding onions. It not only improves the taste of the dish, giving it a special aroma, but also has a lot of useful properties.

Benefit

• This vegetable is inherent in:
• a wealth of vitamins and minerals that can inhibit the development of vitamin deficiency in a young mother;
• the presence of volatile, protecting against harmful microbes;
• blood sugar control;
• antioxidant effect with the aforementioned quercetin and ascorbic acid;
• normalization of the intestines, prevention of constipation;
• reduction in the number of low density lipoproteins in the blood, prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Harm and contraindications

• When introducing this vegetable into the diet, the following nuances should be taken into account:
• like any product, it can cause an allergic reaction in the child, expressed in hives and stool disturbance;
• excessive consumption can cause gastrointestinal problems in both the mother (heartburn) and the child (colic, increased gas formation);
• mothers suffering from asthma, hypertension, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver and gall bladder, the use of onions is possible only with the permission of the doctor and in minimal quantities.

How to choose a good bow

When breastfeeding a woman, special attention should be paid to the quality of the products included in her diet.

A good, fresh vegetable meets the following requirements:

• onion size about 5 cm (too large or small heads are reassorted);
• dense, not friable head with dry husk and white, juicy contents;
• lack of green sprouting feathers;
• lack of sprouted roots at the bottom of the bulb;
• lack of mold, rot and unpleasant, too pungent odor.

Norms of use

During lactation, a woman can consume up to 50–80 g of onions per day (the size of a small onion). As for onion feathers, the norm of their use is 2 tbsp. spoons per day. Of course, the above norms are permissible not in the first days after birth, but with a gradual increase in the volume of this vegetable in the diet.

Important! The most useful and safe way to cook is to bake the vegetable in the oven.

In what form is it better to use

In the first month after birth, the onion should be heat treated. In boiled and stewed vegetables, the negative effect of flavonoids on the child’s fragile intestines is minimized. In the future, you can add a little fresh vegetable to salads. It is not recommended to get involved in fried onions, as carcinogens are released during frying, and the vegetable itself loses its useful qualities. As a dressing for soups, it is better to fry it in butter. Pickled onions are harmful for both the mother and the baby due to exposure to acetic acid.

How to introduce onions in the diet

Onions are introduced into the diet of a nursing mother in stages:

1. In the first few months after childbirth, it is stewed, boiled or baked, trying to add to meals in small portions (about 10-15 g), preferably in the first half of the day, to make it easier to track the baby’s health. If there are digestive problems (flatulence, tightening the legs to the stomach, violation of the stool), the vegetable is temporarily removed from the diet.
2. After the famous “100 days of crying” (this is what the first 3 months of life is called in Asian countries, which we know as the period of infant colic), you can try adding a small amount of raw vegetable to your diet, starting with 10 g and observing the safety precautions mentioned above. Before use, it can be scalded with boiling water, this will somewhat remove the bitterness. When a negative reaction occurs, the product is removed from the diet for 1-2 months. You can also try leek and red onions, which have a milder taste.
3. For 3-4 months after giving birth, it is allowed to include raw green onions in the diet, starting with the smallest servings.
4. Onion soups and pies can be eaten no earlier than 6 months after childbirth, because they contain too much vegetable, even if thermally processed.

Did you know? For 365 years now, the annual autumn onion festival has been held in the German city of Weimar, where you can taste not only pies and stews, but also onion ice cream, cakes and onion rings in powdered sugar.

Despite the presence of essential oils and a specific aroma in the onion, a nursing mother should not refuse to use it. It is only necessary to observe moderation and gradualness when introducing it into the diet, and also remember about possible individual reactions to the product.