If you are breastfeeding your newborn, certain foods you eat can make your baby gassy, spit up more, or just not feel their best. Colic can keep both your baby and you up all night. So, to help prevent colic and general newborn tummy problems, I tell all my newborn photography clients to talk to their child’s doctor about Foods that May Minimize Colic. However, that can leave you wondering, “What is there left to eat?”
Just a day or two before I had my first baby my childrens’ pediatrician told me that I better hurry up and enjoy some Halloween candy before the baby came. (My first was born in early October.) I felt very taken aback. I had never heard of foods to avoid while breastfeeding, only foods to avoid while pregnant.
Since I wanted my baby to be as happy and comfortable as he could be, I did my best to follow the guidelines.
When I was pregnant with my second baby, I knew what was coming, so I started making a list of all of the things I would need to avoid (and miss) during those newborn days. Each week I would have my hubby get 1-2 things off of my list for me, until I had eaten almost everything on my list by the time number two arrived.
There is some information out there about foods to avoid, but very little about what you can eat. I told myself it was obvious- everything else that’s not on the list. However, I had a hard time finding any recipes without onion, garlic, or tomatoes (some of the big no-nos for baby). I knew most restaurants heavily season their foods in ways that mess with newborn’s tummies, but I wasn’t sure if there were any out there that could accommodate my needs.
So, I thought I would share with you some things that my family enjoyed (including my toddler) that didn’t upset my newborn’s tummy.
Take-out:
I Love it when people bring me dinner when I’ve had a baby, but it doesn’t happen every night, and there will be nights you just need to send your hubby to go fetch something fast.
1. Five Guys
Their burgers, cheeseburgers, and bacon cheeseburgers seemed to work out great for my baby- provided I kept my toppings simple. I would go with grilled mushrooms, sometimes with bacon. It helped to avoid ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions, tomatoes, sweet or spicy peppers, and sauces. Unfortunately my baby never did well when I ate their fries. If you need some more calories, Five Guys does make milkshakes now! Again, keep it simple and go vanilla. These add-ins should be safe: bananas, peanut butter, and salted caramel. You can still have fun; you just have to be picky.
2. Steak-Out
They deliver! If you get your hubby to pick it up, you can get free drinks, but delivery can be a very big blessing with a newborn. Remember with your drink to go caffeine-free. The caffeine gets passed along to your baby through your milk. The best time to quit the caffeine for your newborn’s sake (and yours so that your newborn will sleep better) is in the hospital. Do it while you have amazing nurses helping to take care of you and your baby. With all that’s going on, you need to be drinking lots of water anyway, so I can’t think of a better time to go cold-turkey if you’re a caffeine drinker (like me- except for while I’m breastfeeding my babies.)
Anyway, back to food. If you’ve never had Steak-out, I am assuming you are new to town. While I lived in Atlanta, it was one of the restraunts I missed dearly. Regular chips, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, and grilled mushrooms make for some gentle on the tummy side choices. Also, I am a huge fan of their steak tips (no cutting required- perfect for holding baby in one arm and eating with your other hand)! And again, be careful about sauces, tomatoes in the side salad, and salad dressings. If you’re in need of a dessert, their cheesecake and Bluebell vanilla ice cream are good bets.
After I picked my brother up from the airport last time, we drove through Little Rosie’s before we went anywhere else. I don’t know how I survived living elsewhere; no other Tex-Mex compares.
I found that the kid’s grilled cheese tortilla at Little Rosie’s worked for me. Mmmm, handmade tortillas. Also, I paired it with cinnamon nachos. That let me have some Rosie’s, while still keeping my newborn happy.
It’s not what you traditionally think of as take-out, but if you need your hubby to pick something up, or a sweet friend, it works quite well, and it gives you a few nice meals all from one quick stop. A friend from my Sunday school class did this for me, and it made my week! (And it had been quite a rough week- dealing with the learning curve of a baby plus a toddler, plus my husband returning to work.)
Their ham and turkey can be purchased in smaller than Thanksgiving quantities- who knew? And according to the ingredient list they’re clear of the ingredients to avoid. Hallelujah! The rolls are just fine, and delicious! Oh, and they have pecan pie. Personally, I’m down for pie all year long.
5. Gibson’s BBQ
Gibson’s is a Huntsville staple, and they even makes Food Network’s list of top bar-b-ques in the country. It is an after-church tradition in my family. And… they have take-out! You might have to change what you would normally order to be kind to your newborn’s tummy, but you can still find smoky morsels that fit the guidelines. Pork topped potatoes, pork sandwiches (if you can forgo any sauce and slaw), and bar-b-q chicken are a few things that work. Grits, biscuits, toast, eggs, and bacon work if you need some brunch. And their pies, oh their pies….. You’ve got to get a slice of pie! The chess, coconut, and peanut butter pies really hit the spot for me and my baby.
I love the people who work at Gibson’s, and I hope you get a chance to go there if you haven’t been yet. It also holds lots of special memories for me, including when I told my parents I was pregnant with their first grandchild.
I hope this gives you some ideas of things that you can eat while breastfeeding your newborn that may minimize colic. I am more than happy to email newborn photography clients some recipe ideas that have worked well in my household for making before baby comes to freeze, or to hand off to the sweet people who want to cook dinner for you but have no idea how to cook without their usual ingredients. Enjoy the Tastes of Huntsville!
