Popularly known as yeast infections, they may often be related to the hormonal changes that are taking place in a new mom’s body. If you had your little one delivered by cesarean section with a dose of antibiotics, or you are experiencing cracked nipples due to breastfeeding, you may be incredibly at risk.
This infection can be traded back and forth between you and your baby every time you breastfeed, so a full treatment involving a course of antifungals is recommended for both mother and child.
Usually, there are clear symptoms to watch out for and you can also easily tell if your baby has a yeast infection when she starts having problems with gas, white spots inside her mouth, or on the lips, or recurrent diaper rash that won’t clear up.
However, as you proceed with your antifungal dose, you should still stick to a healthy, low-sugar candida diet just to thwart the infection from recurring.
The definition of candida
Candida is a genus of yeast that normally lives on the skin and inside the body. There are several of these living yeasts, but many species can cause fungal infections if they grow out of control or enter the bloodstream or invade other organs.
When the yeast is present in excess, it becomes a candida overgrowth and is the source of several health symptoms overcome by dietary changes.
A candida diet for a nursing mom
To beat candida hands down, below are three simple diet changes breastfeeding mothers need to make and adhere to.
Modify the diet
Although the standard candida diet can be a very effective plan for most of us ladies who suffer from candida, breastfeeding moms will have to make some changes and follow a less strict diet as little fruit and very little carbohydrates may not be suitable for nursing moms.
Here are guidelines to follow to help you set up an effective candida diet while you are breastfeeding.
- Eat small amounts of fruits. Low GI fruits like berries, green apples, and pears are the best. Remember to eat the fruit itself rather than juicing it or buying the juice. This way you will process the sugars slowly and benefit from the fiber in the fruit.
- Avoid added sugars. Avoid any foods that contain high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, glucose, and anything else that sounds like an added sugar. It is an opportunity for you to eliminate processed meat, sodas, flavored yogurt, sauces, and ketchup.
- Eat high-quality carbohydrates. Cutting out carbs entirely is not an option as your body needs the energy to produce milk. Brown rice and whole-grain are good sources of carbohydrates while sticking to vegetables like sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beans can get you some complex carbs that won’t spike your blood sugar.
- Lean, healthy proteins. Chicken, lamb, and fresh cuts of beef, as well as organic eggs, are great sources of lean protein choices. Salami or sandwich meats are loaded with sulfates, nitrates, and added sugars.
Be careful with supplements
Anything you consume can be passed on to your little one through breast milk so you need to be very careful what supplements you take while breastfeeding.
If both you and your baby are suffering from a yeast infection, a joint treatment of Nystatin for you and Nystatin drops for your baby is important to prevent you from passing the yeast infection between yourselves.
Natural probiotics should be safer to take while breastfeeding, and probiotic yogurt may be a safer and gentler option that helps replenish your good bacteria without any adverse reaction.
Don’t do the cleanse
As a nursing mother, you should skip the cleansing stage of the diet completely because just like during pregnancy, your body needs just as many nutrients while breastfeeding. Instead, a gentle massage can improve your blood flow and help to expel toxins faster.
Contrast showers can also increase circulation in your blood and lymphatic systems and boost your immune system as you look to set up your Ultimate Candida Diet treatment plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can candida affect breast milk?
The candida fungus that causes thrush can live in your nipples, on your breast, or in your breast milk, making it easy for it to pass to your baby during feeding.
And anything that touches your baby’s mouth including your hands, your clothing, burp cloths, or milk can potentially end up causing thrush in your baby.
Can you have dairy on the candida diet?
Mothers following the candida diet avoid taking certain foods such as gluten, sugar, alcohol, and some dairy products that may promote the growth of candida yeast in the body.
This diet also involves eating healthful fats and anti-inflammatory foods. Still, selected dairy products such as butter, ghee, and other products that contain live active cultures like yogurt are recommended.
Can you treat candida while breastfeeding?
Yes, and while you are in the treatment process, your fresh, refrigerated, or frozen, pumped breast milk can be used safely for the baby. If you are using antifungal cream to treat nipple thrush, be sure to remove it before feeding and apply it after your baby is finished.
Take away
Candida thrives on sugar-rich foods and eliminating these from your diet will help to reduce the presence of candida and help bring your digestive flora back into balance.
There’s a large scope of health problems that are blamed on candida but do not be consumed with following a candida diet if you think you have another medical condition like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth that needs to be diagnosed. It’s unlikely that one condition is responsible for all those health issues and a diagnosis might be missed.
However, if left untreated, candida can penetrate through the intestinal wall into the circulating blood. It could then move to the sexual organs and the anus or into other areas of the body, making it systemic candidiasis, which can be life-threatening.
