It is very important for women whose children are breastfeeding to monitor their diet and choose products that are useful and will not harm the baby. The article will focus on one of the most common types of greens, namely: parsley. You will learn how to properly enter it into your diet, what useful properties it has, as well as what features of its intake should be paid attention to in order to avoid possible negative consequences.

Is it possible to eat parsley while breastfeeding

Women who breastfeed are especially careful about greens, and not in vain: the use of certain herbs can adversely affect the baby’s health and the lactation process. However, if you follow the rules of eating greens, then you can avoid unpleasant consequences and benefit the body of both mother and newborn.

Important! You can enter any greens in the diet of a nursing mother only after the child is 1 month old. It is important to add plants one at a time in order to be able to observe the baby’s reaction to the new product.

As for parsley, this plant causes allergies in rare cases, which is why it is considered one of the safest for women who breastfeed. Only dill, which is introduced into the diet of nursing women first, and only then the turn comes to parsley, may be safer.

Useful properties of parsley

Refusal of this product during breastfeeding is far from the best idea, because a bunch of greens contains many useful substances, thanks to which the female body, weakened by childbirth and feeding, will recover faster.

The inclusion of this variety of greens in the diet of a nursing mother is vital, and all thanks to the beneficial properties that parsley has.

Did you know? Parsley contains as much vitamin A as carrots. For this reason, greens can be an excellent substitute for vegetables, which are strictly prohibited in the first months of HB.

• They include:
• increase immunity;
• beneficial effect on the functioning of the kidneys and liver;
• lactation stimulation;
• improving the ability of the mother and child to absorb calcium;
• bringing blood coagulation to normal levels;
• calming effect (greens help relieve irritability and normalize the functioning of nerve cells);
• stabilization of hemoglobin in the blood;
• normalization of metabolism, elimination of toxins from the body;
• beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails;
• stabilization of the menstrual cycle and restoration of the hormonal background;
• strengthening bones and gums, whitening tooth enamel;
• stimulation of normal digestion, improved appetite.

In addition, greens contain vitamins K, B1 and B2, folic acid, magnesium, iron, potassium. And in terms of ascorbic acid content, this product is a clear leader among all existing types of herbs.

Parsley consumption by feeding periods

As already mentioned, a nursing mother can introduce parsley into her diet no earlier than a month after giving birth. However, this does not mean at all that during the entire period of lactation, you can consume greens in any form.

Let us examine more specifically in which month and in what form this type of greenery should be entered into its menu in order to get the maximum benefit from the product.

In the first month

This month is especially important, because it is during this period (at the end of the month) that a woman can add parsley to her diet for the first time. It is important to do this with caution, little by little, since the abrupt introduction of any food product threatens with a negative reaction of two organisms at once: maternal and child.

Important! Initially, it is worth introducing into the diet parsley that has undergone heat treatment (in the first dishes). In this form, it is the safest and less likely to cause allergies or colic in the baby, as well as bloating in the mother.

In order not to harm the health of the newborn, the best solution is to add a small amount of greens to the soup or the second dish. Then it is necessary to monitor the condition of the child for two days. If everything is normal, then the nursing mother can gradually increase the portion of greens in her menu. But the appearance of a rash, itching, swelling and redness in the child suggests that his body is not yet ready for the perception of the product and will have to be abandoned. You can retry a month later.

In the second month

In the second month of breastfeeding, you can continue to consume parsley in small quantities, as well as add other types of herbs. However, it is important not to introduce several products into the diet at once. It is enough to add once a week.

In the third month

In the third month after childbirth, the diet of a nursing mother expands, so you can get by with more than one type of greenery. Accordingly, the need for parsley will be less and it is not necessary to eat it daily during this period.

In the fourth month

This month is characterized by the fact that it is during this period that you can try to switch to eating fresh greens. For example, parsley can be added to salads from fresh vegetables.

Features of the introduction of parsley in the diet of nursing mothers

You have already seen that parsley is a product that cannot be avoided by women who are breastfeeding. However, before you include greens in your menu, you must definitely familiarize yourself with the features of its reception. Following these rules, you eliminate the risk of possible harm and give the product the opportunity to give you all the useful substances and properties that it possesses.

How often to use

It’s worth starting with the fact that greens can be consumed daily. The question is only in what form and how long you have included the product in your diet.

Of course, after the first use of parsley, you should wait a couple of days to make sure that it does not cause allergic reactions in the baby. Then you can add greens to your dishes daily, gradually increasing its amount, if you need it.

Moreover, this product is low-calorie and will allow the nursing mother not to gain excess weight, because 100 g of parsley contains only 36 kcal. This is one of the reasons why daily use of this product is permissible.

Dosage

The maximum amount of parsley that can be eaten per day is about 50 g. With daily use of the product, its weekly rate will be no more than 350 g.

Cooking methods

In the first 3 months of breastfeeding, parsley should be heat-treated. It can be added in the first and second courses, as well as in the preparation of side dishes as a natural seasoning or in baking, for example, in dough for pancakes or in the preparation of pies. In addition, this type of greens is great for preparing sauces on a natural basis.

Important! If parsley undergoes heat treatment before eating, it is necessary to ensure that the product is not digested: being overexposed, it loses its useful properties and practically does not bring any benefit to the body.

From this greenery, you can prepare a decoction, due to which the process of milk formation is improved. To do this, you need 1 tbsp. l parsley (fresh or dried) and 250 ml of boiling water. Parsley should be poured with water and insisted for half an hour, then strain. It is necessary to use the infusion warm 30 minutes before feeding the baby.

Right combination

This product cannot be the basis of a full-fledged dish, so its role in the diet is secondary. Parsley can be a complement to a side dish of vegetables, to various types of meat and fish. It is also great for making sauces from greens based on butter. The product is combined with baking.

Eating this greens on an empty stomach is highly discouraged, as well as its use in its pure form, without the addition of other food products. The only possible way to eat on an empty stomach is a decoction that stimulates the production of milk by a nursing mother.

Harm and contraindications

Despite its many beneficial properties, parsley can harm the body. The reason for this can be both individual characteristics of the body of a nursing mother, and non-compliance with the rules for using the product.

• The harm may be as follows:
• Allergic reaction in the baby. This is indicated by a rash, redness, or hives. The appearance of these symptoms is a good reason to refuse any food product, including herbs.
• Digestion problems. As a rule, they occur in the baby and appear in the form of colic, diarrhea or constipation, as well as abdominal pain. In some cases, a lactating woman develops bloating. The reason is the high content of plant fibers in the product.
• Food poisoning. Occurs when parsley is not well washed. Intoxication occurs primarily in the mother, but this process in the body can also harm the baby if the poisoning is severe. Its light form does not carry any danger to the baby.
• Painful uterine contractions. Such a symptom can appear if there is parsley in large quantities or add it to the diet immediately after birth.

The only contraindication to the use of parsley during breastfeeding is an allergy to this greens, which is available to any of the parents or immediate relatives. The thing is that a newborn can well get such food intolerance in a genetic way, so you should not risk his health.

Summing up, we can say unequivocally that in no case should you refuse parsley during breastfeeding. Its benefits for the body are great, so you should carefully read the rules of use of this product and get from it the maximum of useful substances - both for yourself and for the baby.