Diseases, endocrinologists. MRI
Site search

Can a nursing mother have cucumbers, fresh vegetables and fruits? Is it possible to eat cucumbers while breastfeeding?

The content of the article:

One of the most common vegetables in our latitudes is cucumber. It is regarding this vegetable that questions often arise when breastfeeding. Can you eat cucumbers while breastfeeding? Can a nursing mother eat pickled or salted vegetables? To answer these questions, you need to delve into the biological side of the question.

Is it possible for a nursing mother cucumbers

Composition of cucumber

Cucumber is a fairly multi-component vegetable. It contains not only fiber and water, but also many vitamins and microelements. This composition looks like this:

Pectin;
iodine;
potassium;
water;
vegetable fibers;
magnesium;
iron;
zinc;
bromine;
cobalt, etc.

All these substances have positive influence on the mother's body. Water, which cucumbers are especially rich in, stimulates lactation and leads to cleansing of a woman’s body. Fiber improves digestion and helps remove toxins from the body. However, the same fiber in larger quantities provokes excess gas formation in the intestines, which negatively affects the mother’s well-being and can cause colic in the child.

All of these substances in fresh cucumbers are contained in pure form. Therefore, their influence on the body of mother and baby is direct. Therefore, eat fresh cucumbers during breastfeeding in unlimited quantities is strictly prohibited. This may cause laxative effect The child has, flatulence and stomach colic.

Salted and pickled cucumbers during breastfeeding

Pickled cucumbers during breastfeeding are also quite a useful product, however, when they are heat treated, most useful substances is destroyed in the vegetable. Potassium, which is found in fresh vegetables, is replaced by salting with sodium salts. The latter can provoke an increase in pressure and the occurrence of edema. That is, in addition to the potentially unsafe nature of fresh vegetables for the baby, salt is also added, which is not the healthiest for the baby.
Spices are also added when marinating and salting vegetables. Spices change the taste of milk for the baby too, except potential harm, they also carry unpleasant taste sensations. The child may even refuse to drink milk. Pickled vegetables are also characterized by increased content vinegar, which has an extremely adverse effect on the baby’s body.

When deciding on the use of pickled and pickled cucumbers, the mother should take into account that this can cause the following symptoms in the baby:

Constipation;
diarrhea;
increased flatulence;
increased thirst;
skin rash(or other allergic reactions);
nervousness;
general anxiety.

Of course, these symptoms can be a manifestation of other reactions of the baby, however, when eating cucumbers, the likelihood of their formation is much higher.

Rules for eating cucumbers while breastfeeding

Doctors do not recommend eating fresh cucumbers in the first three months of a child’s life. This is due to the fact that at this age digestive system development takes place and children often suffer from intestinal colic caused by fermentation of milk in the stomach. The entry of additional irritating substances into the child’s body that provoke gas formation only aggravates the situation. This ban fully applies to pickled or pickled cucumbers.

If your mother decides to introduce cucumbers into her diet, then this should be done by adhering to the following rules:

You can eat vegetables in the first half of the day (if your baby has bloating, it will go away by night);

Convert Special attention on the quality of the cucumbers consumed (it is still better to refuse vegetables grown in greenhouses in winter);

It is strictly forbidden to gorge yourself on cucumbers or, even more so, to overeat.

If a woman decides to eat pickled or pickled cucumbers, then they should be a product exclusively homemade. This is due to the fact that store-bought products contain a fairly large amount of preservatives and other chemical substances which can harm the baby. You can consume no more than 2-3 medium-sized cucumbers per day (the dose is individual and can be increased or decreased depending on the organism of the mother and baby).

Using fresh vegetables food, certain precautions should also be taken. It is best to eat vegetables grown at home or purchased from trusted stores. Fresh cucumbers cannot have cracks, cuts or other damage. They should be hard to the touch and have noticeable pimples.

Cucumbers, like other new foods, need to be introduced into the diet gradually. So, at first, the mother can eat a small piece of the vegetable, then increase the dose (only if the baby does not have a negative reaction). When introducing cucumbers into her diet, the mother should monitor the child’s reaction very carefully. Alarm signals are:

Bloating;
rash;
colic;
dysbacteriosis;
general anxiety of the baby.

If one of these symptoms appears in a child after the mother ate cucumber, it is worth holding off on introducing it into the diet. It is fair to note that this rule applies not only to cucumbers, but also to many other vegetables (tomatoes, cabbage, green salad and etc.). To be completely sure that it is safe to eat fresh, salted or pickled cucumbers while breastfeeding, they should be introduced into the diet no earlier than 1 year after the baby is born.

Cucumbers during breastfeeding

Can you eat cucumbers while breastfeeding? Many people love this vegetable: fresh, salted, canned, pickled... But should mothers eat cucumbers during breastfeeding or should they give them up? After all, vegetables are a source of vitamins and microelements, which are very necessary during breastfeeding.

Benefit

This green vegetable is present on almost every table. On a hot summer day it’s so nice to crunch on it. Some people like pickled cucumbers, while others prefer to eat pickled ones. How is this vegetable useful?

  • large amounts of potassium, which is necessary for normal operation heart muscles and kidneys;
  • dietary fiber that improves the functioning of the digestive system;
  • iodine, necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland;
  • vitamins B, E, PP;
  • a large number of different microelements: sodium, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium.

Cucumbers can be eaten when needed:

  • improve digestion;
  • cope with bowel problems;
  • improve work urinary tract;
  • normalize metabolism.

All this is very beneficial for the body, but is it possible to eat cucumbers while breastfeeding?

Introduction to the diet of a nursing mother

What a mother eats can affect the well-being of a breastfed baby. Cucumbers, despite their beneficial properties, can negatively affect the body of both the mother and her baby. If you eat them from the very first days after birth, the newborn may experience bloating and gas formation. He may also have severe colic.

In the first three months, the child’s body just gets used to eating food. Breast milk itself can cause discomfort in a stomach. And cucumbers, salted or just fresh, can make things worse best condition newborn That is why a nursing mother should not eat them immediately after giving birth.

It is better for a nursing mother to eat cucumbers three months after the baby is born, when his digestion process has improved. You should not consume them in large quantities for the first time. First, you can eat a small piece of vegetable during breakfast. All day you need to monitor the well-being of the child. If he has problems, then it is better to refuse to eat cucumbers. Well, if everything is in order, then the young mother can eat a little more, but the main thing is not to overeat.

Vegetable selection

You need to choose cucumbers carefully, look at their quality. So, in winter they sell fresh cucumbers grown in greenhouses. Typically, these vegetables contain a lot of nitrates and other chemicals. Therefore, it is better not to eat them at this time of the year, but to wait for the onset of summer.

Pickled cucumbers retain all the vitamins and microelements, so they are as healthy as fresh vegetables. However, nursing mothers need to eat them carefully. They can cause a fermentation process in the stomach, which is unlikely to please the baby. Pickled vegetables contain a lot of salt and vinegar, which can also cause discomfort.

Therefore, it is better to give preference to fresh cucumbers.

If you use pickled cucumbers in large quantities, they can cause the baby:

  • allergies;
  • gas formation;
  • increased nervousness;
  • bowel dysfunction;
  • I'm thirsty.

Salad Recipes

To treat yourself to this crunchy vegetable, you can make salads with it. There are many recipes that include cucumber, and not only in fresh, but also canned.

Cucumber salad with sour cream

  • 1 kg fresh cucumbers;
  • half a glass of sour cream;
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice;
  • salt pepper;
  • greenery.

Preparation:

  1. Peel the cucumbers, cut them and remove the seeds.
  2. Cut the vegetables into thin strips and add salt. Let stand for about an hour to release the juice.
  3. After an hour, drain the cucumbers in a colander and let the liquid drain.
  4. Place the chopped vegetables in a bowl and pour sour cream mixed with lemon juice over them.
  5. Add spices and herbs to taste.

Cheese salad

To prepare it you will need:

  • 400 grams of hard cheese;
  • 200 grams of fresh cucumbers;
  • 3 small apples;
  • any salad dressing.

Preparation:

  1. Cut the cheese into small cubes.
  2. Peel washed apples and remove seeds, cut into slices.
  3. Cut the cucumbers into small cubes.
  4. Mix all ingredients and season with sauce.

The vinaigrette

To prepare it you will need:

  • 400 grams of beets;
  • 400 grams of potatoes;
  • 300 grams of carrots;
  • 200 grams of sauerkraut;
  • 200 grams of sliced ​​or pickled cucumbers;
  • 150 grams of onion;
  • salt and vegetable oil.

Cucumbers during breastfeeding are of great benefit to a woman. Contained therein minerals and vitamins are essential for the body. However, we note for women prone to obesity that the tartronic acid contained in these vegetables prevents the conversion of carbohydrates into fats. Let's find out when a nursing mother is allowed to eat cucumbers, why she should beware of “winter” vegetables, and how not to harm the baby by introducing a new product while breastfeeding.

Cucumbers are very useful for an adult, and their additional “merit” lies in the minimum amount of calories with sufficient vitamin value. If we talk about infant, then the reaction of his gastrointestinal tract may be different

Properties and nutritional value of fresh cucumbers

Remarkable properties of cucumbers for a nursing mother:

  • low calorie content;
  • improving digestion thanks to the dietary fiber contained;
  • The potassium they contain strengthens the heart muscle and helps the kidneys function;
  • high iodine content, which prevents the formation and growth of tumors;
  • contains vitamins E, PP, B;
  • many microelements - sodium, chlorine, potassium, fluorine, zinc, iron, magnesium.
NutrientsVitaminsMicroelementsMacronutrients
Proteins - 0.8 gA, RE - 10 mcgAluminum 425 mcgPotassium - 141 mg
Fat - 0.1 gbeta carotene - 0.06 mgIron - 0.6 mgCalcium - 23 mg
Carbohydrates - 2.5 gB1 - 0.03 mgIodine - 3 mcgMagnesium - 14 mg
Organic acids - 0.1 gB2 - 0.04 mgCobalt - 1 mcgSodium - 8 mg
Dietary fiber - 1 gB4 - 6 mgManganese - 0.18 mgPhosphorus - 42 mg
Water - 95 gB5 - 0.27 mgCopper - 100 mcgChlorine - 25 mg
Ash - 0.5 gB6 - 0.04 mgMolybdenum - 1 mcg
B9 - 4 mcgSelenium - 0.3 mcg
C - 10 mgFluoride - 17 mcg
E - 0.1 mgChromium - 6 mcg
H - 0.9 mcgZinc - 0.22 mg
K - 16.4 mcg
PP - 0.3 mg
Niacin - 0.2 mg

Eating these vegetables while breastfeeding normalizes digestion. Cucumbers have a laxative and diuretic effect, promoting recovery correct exchange substances. It is clear that this is useful for an adult, but what about a newborn baby? It should be noted that the food that the mother ate during breastfeeding does not go directly into the milk, but indirect impact has an impact on him. If you introduce cucumbers into a nursing mother’s diet too early, the baby will feel discomfort. It will be expressed in bloating, increased gas formation, colic. Some children may even develop dysbacteriosis.

Pickled and pickled cucumbers

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to find out from me how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

Your question:

Your question has been sent to an expert. Remember this page on social networks to follow the expert’s answers in the comments:

Pickled cucumbers do not lose the properties of fresh ones: they will increase your appetite and improve digestion. Nursing mothers should eat with caution canned cucumbers. The baby may develop diarrhea or colic from them. Start with one slice of cucumber and see how your baby reacts to it. If he does not show signs of tummy discomfort or pain, eat 2 cups the next day. If the child does not have an undesirable reaction to pickles, the mother may well eat them, but she must remember that pickles retain fluid in the body, so take them in moderation.

Choose your dishes with care. Too salty or pickled cucumbers are harmful to a child. Pickled ones contain vinegar, which can negatively affect a baby's digestion. It is better to eat lightly salted and fresh cucumbers.


It is better to refuse pickled cucumbers with vinegar, but lightly salted version will not bring any harm to the health of the baby. Of course, you should not consume such products in large quantities anyway.

Timing of a woman's diet change

In the first months after birth, the baby already suffers from abdominal pain, as the eaten mother’s milk begins to “ferment” in the intestines. Cucumbers will only intensify this process, so a young mother should not eat them at the beginning of her baby’s life, especially in their raw form. They can be gradually introduced into the diet when the child goes to the fourth month. At this time, his digestive problems will gradually disappear and vegetables will not harm him, but they must be consumed little by little.

Start eating cucumbers in the morning and little by little. If your child has any digestive problems, they will go away by night. If you have colic, diarrhea, or bloating, you should postpone the introduction of cucumbers into your diet for some more time.

Pay attention to the quality of the product. If you start eating cucumbers in winter, you risk getting poisoned - in winter, cucumbers are grown in greenhouses. To make them grow faster and larger, nitrates are used as fertilizer, which are very harmful to the body. With breastfeeding, cucumbers should be eaten in the summer, preferably from your own garden bed.

If you eat too many cucumbers, your child may develop:

  • allergies in the form of skin rash;
  • diarrhea;
  • bloating and colic (we recommend reading:);
  • increased irritability;
  • thirst.

Recipes for nursing mothers

In the first couple of months of lactation, it is better to completely avoid fresh cucumbers or prepare them as part of vegetable stews and warm salads. Pickled vegetables can also be consumed only after heat treatment, for example, as part of pickle, the recipe for which will be offered below.

We will need:

  • 200 gr. pickled cucumbers;
  • 300 gr. potatoes;
  • 100 gr. barley;
  • 100 gr. carrots;
  • 1 onion;
  • 2 l. beef broth;
  • 1 Bay leaf;
  • herbs and salt to taste.

Sort the pearl barley and wash it in cold water several times, then lower into boiling broth and cook until half cooked. At this time, chop the potatoes, onions, carrots and also add to the broth (you can pre-sauce the vegetables). Grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater, simmer and add to the broth 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Add salt to taste, bay leaf. Serve hot pickle with finely chopped parsley and dill.

Cucumber salad with cheese

We will need:

  • 200 gr. cucumbers;
  • 100 gr. lettuce leaves;
  • 150 gr. hard cheese (see also:);
  • 100 gr. sour cream;
  • salt to taste.

Wash cucumbers, cut lengthwise into 2 halves and chop in semicircles. Chop the cheese into small cubes. Add lettuce leaves, season with sour cream and salt to taste.


You can diversify the salad by adding a little brisket to the recipe.

Carrot salad with celery and cucumber

We will need:

  • 400 gr. carrots;
  • 200 gr. cucumbers;
  • 30 gr. celery roots;
  • 200 gr. beets;
  • half a liter of water;
  • 100 gr. lettuce leaves;
  • 150 gr. sour cream;
  • dill and salt to taste.

Peel the carrots and celery, wash them, and grate them on a medium grater. Wash the beets, boil them in their skins, peel them, cool and cut into cubes. Tear the lettuce leaves with your hands. Finely chop the cucumbers. Mix the prepared ingredients, seasoning the salad with sour cream, herbs and salt to taste.

The process of pregnancy and childbirth takes a lot of energy - in fact, it is a serious stress for the body, both psychological and physical. Of course, the joy of communicating with the baby and positivity makes these processes unnoticeable, and with the support of relatives, all the consequences of this stress quickly pass. But a young mother needs not only sleep and peace, the help of her spouse, but also a varied diet.

One of the most neutral products growing in our latitudes is the cucumber - juicy and non-allergenic. But can a nursing mother eat cucumbers while breastfeeding? Are they really that harmless? What amount will be harmless for the baby? Will a vegetable included in the diet be beneficial?

Useful properties of cucumbers

Fresh cucumbers have much more important elements than it seems:

  • dietary fiber has a positive effect on gastric tract, improve metabolism;
  • thanks to the iodine content, the functioning of the thyroid gland is improved;
  • a large amount of potassium supports the cardiovascular system;
  • vitamins E, PP, group B, sodium and other microelements, in particular tartanic acid, normalize metabolism.

But are cucumbers good for breastfeeding? Young mothers approach the issue of nutrition during breastfeeding seriously, excluding allergens and products that have no natural ingredients, preservatives. Cucumber is seemingly harmless. But let's look at it from the other side.

Cucumbers will only bring benefits to a nursing mother, but they can cause big trouble for a baby, especially if we're talking about about babies up to 4-5 months.

There are a number of diseases for which the use of cucumbers is contraindicated.

There are a number of contraindications to the use of cucumbers during breastfeeding. Is it possible or not to eat cucumbers while breastfeeding? Surprisingly, such a harmless vegetable has a number of contraindications:

  • If a nursing mother has a tendency to form stones in the kidneys or bile ducts;
  • If pyelonephritis (kidney inflammation) is in the acute phase;
  • If you have a history of gastritis, enterocolitis, etc. chronic diseases Gastrointestinal tract and intestines;
  • If a nursing mother is hypertensive.

As a rule, mothers know that food restrictions are due to illness. Therefore, it would be most correct in this situation to wait until the child is one year old. At a very young age, symptoms various diseases may be blurred, more difficult to diagnose and more difficult to treat. Heredity can also manifest itself in early age. Therefore, with an older child it is easier to establish what kind of manifestation occurred and whether it has anything to do with cucumbers during feeding.

On a note! Is it possible to pickle cucumbers while breastfeeding a baby? Eating pickled gherkins can lead to allergic reactions, swelling and rashes in the baby, constipation or diarrhea, anxiety, tearfulness and colic.

You should avoid pickled cucumbers during breastfeeding

Is it possible to eat cucumbers while breastfeeding or not?

The basis of this vegetable is 95% water. Everything else is fiber, vitamins, healthy sugars, proteins, acids, pectin, minerals. The benefits of cucumber are obvious: microflora and intestinal motility improve, kidneys are cleansed and lactation increases. Is it possible to eat fresh cucumbers during the first month while breastfeeding? From not large quantity(more precisely, parts or a slice) of a cucumber, which you can eat without harm to the child, will not have the benefits mentioned above. Large amounts, which will have a beneficial effect on your body, can cause diarrhea in a baby. And since his intestines are still weak, the microflora is unstable, dysbiosis can develop into inflammation.

Fresh cucumbers for breastfeeding

How does fresh cucumber affect a baby’s digestion while breastfeeding? Cucumber juice capable of provoking painful sensations in the tummy, increased gas formation, fermentation, colic and even an imbalance of intestinal microflora. When digestion is established, after 4-5 months, when introducing the first complementary foods, you can try cucumber. But this must be done in small portions, monitoring the newborn’s reaction.

Is it possible to have pickles during breastfeeding?

Store-bought pickles are especially dangerous.

Pickles contain many elements, but when breastfeeding it is better not to experiment, in particular, categorically avoid store-bought pickles. Homemade pickles can be eaten infrequently, in small quantities, and monitor the regularity and quality of the child’s stool. Any product should be as natural as possible in the first months of breastfeeding, and pickled cucumber contains salts and spices, garlic, which generally inhibit lactation.

Introduction to the diet of a nursing mother

Like anyone New Product, cucumbers should be introduced into the diet during breastfeeding very carefully and in small portions. For a child, such a harmless vegetable in the first days and months of life can result in bloating and colic.

A newborn adapts to a new environment, each has its own immunity and the rate at which lactic acid bacteria colonize the intestines. It is in the first months of life that healthy microflora is formed in the stomach and intestines.

When can you eat cucumbers while breastfeeding without harming your baby? If you see that your baby is calm and happy after feeding with milk, do not limit yourself to one experimental time. It is better to do this in the morning so that you can see the child’s reaction during the day. After a couple of days, try again and watch your child.

In what cases should you not eat cucumbers while breastfeeding?

In winter, cucumbers are grown in greenhouses, so they may contain chemicals

The main reason why cucumbers should not be included in the diet while breastfeeding is the child’s young age. Up to 4-5 months, microflora is formed in the intestines, and the digestive process is improved. If, upon reaching this age, the baby is growing well and does not suffer from abdominal pain, if he is gaining weight correctly, most likely, the pediatrician will support you - you can start introducing cucumbers.

If the mother does not limit herself to cucumbers physiological reasons, it’s better to try them in the morning and observe the baby’s reaction in the afternoon. If the baby's stool has not changed, if it has not become more capricious and restless, you can continue to increase the portion, at least every other day, preferably two.

When can you eat cucumbers while breastfeeding, so as not to get problems instead of benefits? The seasonality of the vegetable has become conditional thanks to supermarkets. Even in the middle of winter, you can buy cucumbers that look beautiful and are juicy.

Remember! In the depths of winter, cucumbers can only be grown in greenhouses, which means that nitrates and chemicals have greatly affected the taste and appearance of the cucumbers.

As for pickled gherkins, their use is strictly contraindicated during breastfeeding. The point is the vinegar content in large proportions.

When preserved, pickled cucumbers lose a significant part of their nutrients. And the spices contained in the brine (horseradish, red pepper) will be felt by the baby in the milk. He may be capricious from hunger because he does not like the taste of milk, or he may react calmly to it, but suffer from colic later.

When pickling cucumbers, various spices are used, which can enter the baby’s body along with breast milk

Which cucumbers to choose?

In autumn, winter and early spring, vegetables in our region grow only in greenhouses, or they can be imported, where even in other climatic zones they are grown in greenhouses. Accordingly, vegetables grown on nitrates will not be beneficial.

It happens that even in the warm season, cucumbers are not collected from the garden, but also grew in greenhouses. The best option is to eat only vegetables whose origin is beyond doubt when breastfeeding.

Cucumber salad recipes

Any mother wants to give her child the maximum benefit, so lactation will continue as long as possible. For some it’s only a couple of months. And, perhaps, it won’t be difficult to deprive yourself of the pleasure of crunching a cucumber during these 8-9 weeks. For the sake of the child this is not a sacrifice at all.

For some, lactation lasts 6 months. But in the period of 5-6 months the child is introduced to the first complementary foods. He little by little tastes a variety of foods: cereals, purees, vegetables, fruits. You don’t have to worry too much about the fact that half a cucumber eaten by mom will harm him. It’s still worth watching, but the risk that the baby will suffer from colic or flatulence is no longer great.

When the child is about a year old, feeding is still ongoing, the total share of breast milk in the child’s diet is much less than in the first months, when it made up his entire diet. You can safely consume cucumbers while breastfeeding, not only in kind, but also in salads.

We have prepared several healthy recipes for nursing mothers.

Greek salad with feta cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 cucumber, peeled
  • 1 tomato
  • half a yellow bell pepper,
  • a few lettuce leaves,
  • several pitted olives,
  • Feta cheese 100 grams.

Preparation:

Cut all the vegetables and cheese into cubes, place in lettuce leaves, garnish with rings of chopped olives and season with olive oil.

Salad with omelet

Ingredients:

  • 1 cucumber, peeled
  • 1 egg omelette,
  • a few sprigs of dill,
  • a few lettuce leaves,
  • Russian cheese 50 grams.

Preparation:

Cut the cucumber and cheese into small cubes, tear the lettuce leaves, sprinkle with chopped dill. Bake an omelet from 1 egg, milk (its volume should be equal to the volume of the egg) and ½ teaspoon of flour. Cut the cooled omelette into thin strips, mix with the prepared ingredients and season with sour cream dressing (sour cream, salt, lemon juice).

Cucumber is healthy and dietary product, but at breastfeeding Any mother should carefully select her diet for a baby. Because Cucumbers can cause diarrhea and flatulence in a baby; a nursing mother should give up this vegetable in the first six months of a newborn’s life.

Cucumbers are good for women to eat at any age, including breastfeeding, but take into account some features and contraindications. This vegetable has virtually no contraindications, as it effectively cleanses the body of toxins, helps satisfy hunger and replenish vitamins and microelements. But when consuming cucumbers during lactation, mothers should be careful, as gastrointestinal tract babies react differently to the substances contained in them. We are not talking about completely excluding the product from the diet, but there are restrictions on its inclusion in the diet of nursing mothers. Therefore, each of them should know how, when, how many cucumbers can be eaten so as not to harm the baby’s health, and which of them to give preference to.

About the principles of breastfeeding

In order to understand how much the quality of milk depends on the mother’s nutrition, you need to understand how it is formed and what processes take place in the body when consuming certain products. Many people ask the question of what nursing mothers can and cannot eat. Doctors say that there are no prohibited foods. There is a rational and the right approach to the organization of nutrition for the mother herself.

Basic principles of breastfeeding:

  1. Don't give up healthy food, including vegetables.
  2. The mother herself can determine what food she has eaten that causes the baby’s tummy to swell and colic begins, and she should stop eating these foods.
  3. If you completely give up cucumbers, there is a risk of your child developing allergies in the future.

The rules that every woman should remember when determining her diet have long been determined by specialists. To their professional recommendations needs to be taken seriously.

  1. Don't give up healthy foods, including vegetables. All substances that enter the mother’s blood and are secreted into milk pass the hemato-milk barrier. Many harmful components do not overcome it. This is a natural protection for the baby’s health during breastfeeding.
  2. The mother herself can determine what food she has eaten that causes the baby’s tummy to swell and colic begins, and she should stop eating these foods. This also applies to cucumbers.
  3. If cucumbers have always been in the mother’s diet, then you should not give them up, but they should be consumed in moderation.
  4. If you completely give up cucumbers for fear that they will cause unwanted effects or reactions in your baby, then this will be wrong. The risk of your child becoming allergic to cucumbers will be increased in the future.

That is, all products during breastfeeding should be treated with common sense. You can eat a little of everything, you just need to exclude harmful products, for example, alcohol, smoked meats and chemical additives in preservatives.

What are the benefits of cucumbers

Cucumber consists of 95% water, so it has a powerful cleansing effect, removes toxic substances from the body and at the same time solves many other problems.

  1. Cleansing occurs naturally, while stool is normalized and the urinary tract is activated. Many women after childbirth have problems in this regard; eating cucumbers in quantities that will not harm the baby helps solve them.
  2. Useful components - vitamin (PP, B, E) and microelement complexes contained in cucumber, along with mother's milk enter the child’s body, strengthen it immune system and increase resistance to disease.
  3. For moms important factor is the effect of tartronic acid on carbohydrate metabolism. Under its influence, carbohydrates do not turn into fats, but become a source of energy and vitality. This contributes to a successful fight against extra pounds, accumulated during pregnancy, and supports the woman during the difficult days of caring for a newborn.
  4. The low calorie content of the product, which can suppress your appetite, also helps stabilize body weight. There are only 9 kcal per 100 grams of cucumbers, so you won’t be able to gain weight, but bananas will excess weight just can be formed. ABOUT CONSUMPTION you can read a separate article.
  5. The high content of potassium and iodine has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular and endocrine system mother and child. Potassium is good not only for the heart, it is an indispensable element for normalizing kidney function.
  6. Sodium, fluorine, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium have beneficial effect on all systems and organs and ensure their normal functioning.
  7. Availability dietary fiber stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, which normalizes digestion and metabolism.
  8. Rich fiber content helps digest animal proteins

The effects of general health improvement and increased vitality can be expressed by a four-component formula:

1) cucumber helps absorb nutrients from food;

2)removal of harmful components;

3) helps eliminate constipation;

4) stimulates metabolism.

This effect on the mother’s body has a positive effect on the child. With the help of cucumbers you can correct body weight, improve appearance skin, fight congestion in the body. This vegetable is digested without the participation of enzymes, that is, there is no additional load on the pancreas.

Cucumbers during breastfeeding - is it possible or not?

When should you not eat cucumbers while breastfeeding:

  • serious illnesses stomach and duodenum. These include ulcers and increased acidity.
  • bloating and fermentation in the child’s intestines, which they can cause
  • place of cultivation, technology, time of year (buying greenhouse cucumbers or from abroad is not recommended due to the large amount of fertilizers and chemicals).

Despite the long list useful properties, some nursing mothers are not recommended to eat cucumbers. This applies to those who have serious diseases of the stomach and duodenum. These include ulcers and hyperacidity. Eating this vegetable can cause complications in them in the form of relapse of illnesses, and at the same time destabilize the feeding process. Used during exacerbation of ulcers intensive therapy requires stopping feeding. This is done to avoid harm to the baby’s health.

A serious reason for stopping the use of cucumbers is bloating and fermentation in the child’s intestines, which they can cause. Such phenomena cause diarrhea and colic in the baby. The baby tolerates them very poorly, constantly cries, does not sleep, and becomes restless. To prevent abnormalities, all mother needs to do is stop eating cucumbers.

Doctors do not recommend that nursing mothers eat cucumbers grown in environmentally polluted areas or using large amounts of fertilizers. All this chemical in breast milk will enter the baby’s body and can cause allergic reactions and poisoning. You need to eat with great caution salted cucumbers. In this case, mothers may experience edema, because salt negatively affects water exchange, and the composition of the marinade may deteriorate the quality of milk.

If you choose vegetables carefully, you should take into account such indicators as place of cultivation, technology, and time of year. Winter greenhouse cucumbers are always saturated with nitrates; they are dangerous to the health of mother and child, so it is better to refrain from introducing them into the diet in winter and early spring. Homemade cucumbers grown in your own beds are the safest. If you do not have a garden, it is better to buy them at the farmers' market, from mid-June to mid-October. This will guarantee that you will purchase ground vegetables and not harm yourself and the baby.

In what form and how should you eat cucumbers while breastfeeding?

The diet during breastfeeding is more strict than during pregnancy. Those who have children know this own experience. They have already experienced childhood illnesses such as allergies, gases, so they eat vegetables and fruits with caution and only those that will not cause problems. And young mothers are surprised to learn from the doctor that they are not allowed to eat many delicacies and favorite dishes while breastfeeding, or they can, but just a little. Cucumbers belong to the category of such products, and you need to know when a nursing mother can start eating them, how much to eat and what fruits to buy.

Doctors clearly prefer fresh vegetables. Only this type of product contains the entire complex of useful substances that help improve the health of mother and child. A woman can eat a small amount of cucumber at breakfast and conduct an experiment by observing the child’s well-being. If you find that the baby has bloating and colic, then forget about cucumbers. This product is not suitable for your baby.

You need to focus on your own feelings and the baby’s condition.

If there are no unpleasant phenomena in the form of colic, gas or diarrhea, then you can eat fresh vegetables, but do not overeat. Remember that you need to focus on your own feelings and the baby’s condition. Proper consumption of fresh cucumbers helps to beneficial effects will affect the rest of the day and night:

  • your milk will be well replenished thanks to the water in the vegetable;
  • digestion will work like clockwork, because the fruits are rich in fiber and dietary fiber;
  • the laxative effect is useful for both you and the baby, this property allows you to cope with constipation in the child and helps regulate the functioning of his intestines;
  • microelements and vitamins, together with milk, enter the baby’s body and help improve health and normalize metabolism.

Why lightly salted cucumbers should be treated with caution

The baby's digestive system during breastfeeding is not direct, but depends on what the mother eats. If you feel like it lightly salted cucumber, think about how your baby will react to this. Try eating half a fruit from homemade pickles. They are not as dangerous as store-bought preservatives. At the same time, do everything in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations.

  1. The first use should be only after the baby is three months old.
  2. Eat one piece of cucumber and do not add other new foods to your diet that day. In this case, you will know for sure that the negative reaction (if there is one) is from lightly salted cucumber.
  3. You need to start the experiment in the morning; by the evening, the dysfunctions that have arisen from the new ingredient in the child will disappear.
  4. After normal reaction baby on a piece of lightly salted cucumber you ate, repeat the experiment no earlier than two days later. You can slightly increase the amount of food eaten. If no troubles happen this time, then you can eat salted cucumbers.
  5. You need to limit yourself to 2-3 cucumbers, no more. Eat them with other foods, and not on an empty stomach. Eating pickles on an empty stomach is not recommended for everyone, especially nursing mothers.

To understand how your baby reacted to lightly salted cucumbers, you need to know the symptoms of unpleasant consequences.

It consists of the following features:

  • flatulence, painful bloating;
  • anxiety, crying, nervousness;
  • skin rash, that is, a manifestation of an allergy to the product;
  • bowel dysfunction, expressed in diarrhea or;
  • thirst.

The appearance of even one of these signs indicates that the baby’s body is not ready to accept this product. You need to give up pickles; you can try again only after a month.

Important. Eating pickles can also be harmful to the mother’s body. It consists of swelling due to water retention in the body and changes in the quantity and quality of milk. The worst consequence is the loss of milk, but this happens extremely rarely.

Introduction of cucumbers into the diet of a nursing mother

The reaction of the mother's body to the product is always transmitted to the baby. Therefore, cucumbers should be introduced into the diet with caution. Medicine knows cases of various intestinal disorders in a child with early introduction in mother's nutrition fresh and lightly salted cucumbers. They usually consisted of painful bloating, gas formation, and colic. A serious consequence What can happen is the occurrence of dysbiosis.

The optimal period for introducing vegetables into the mother’s diet is the fourth or fifth month.

Babies under three months of age are characterized by unregulated bowel movements. The milk ferments in it, which causes pain. This phenomenon can worsen when the mother eats cucumbers and bring a lot of suffering to the child. It is for this reason that it is not recommended for a nursing mother to eat cucumbers in any form when the baby is under three months old.

The optimal period for introducing vegetables into the mother’s diet is the fourth or fifth month. By this time, his own infant digestive problems disappear, and the baby reacts less sensitively to new foods. This should be done gradually, in small quantities, eating cucumbers in the morning in order to monitor the child’s reaction during the day.

Remember, cucumber - useful product for both the nursing mother and the baby, it should not be abandoned. But you need to eat it in accordance with the recommendations of doctors and additionally focus on your own observations of the baby’s well-being.