Can Breastfeeding Mums Eat Anything? Food Rules, Cabbage, Spice and Why We’re Overthinking It - Ep 8

We nearly didn’t record this episode because breastfeeding and nutrition is a topic loaded with pressure, strong opinions, and a lot of misinformation.

But after an Instagram comment asked us to cover it, we realised this conversation is exactly what many breastfeeding mums and clinicians need: less perfection, more realism, and a lot more nuance.

Katie shares a vivid early-midwife memory of breastfeeding leaflets paired with food pyramids and impossible expectations, and Joh describes the common end-of-consult question: “What should I eat?”

Often it comes with a long list of foods a mum has been told to avoid — brassicas, onion, legumes, spicy food, dairy, gluten, eggs, caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks — until it feels like there’s nothing left.

We talk about why, for most breastfeeding mums, the most helpful message is simple: you should be able to eat everything, unless you have a diagnosed medical condition and specialist support.

We explore the difference between “ideal,” “optimal,” “good,” and “okay,” and why removing foods based on fear can cause guilt, anxiety, and unnecessary restriction in a vulnerable postpartum period.

We also unpack common myths: the assumption that “gassy foods” or fizzy drinks create unsettled babies, and how sleep deprivation plus repeated advice can lead mums to blame themselves for normal baby behaviour.

Katie and Joh discuss cultural patterns around postpartum foods and how many traditional recommendations have the same themes: calorie-rich, nutrient-dense, comforting, and nurturing.

Finally, we talk about calories and diet culture postpartum. Making milk requires fuel, and severe restriction can become risky, especially when anxiety or OCD shows up as control of food intake.

The thread that runs through the whole episode is clinical reality: meet the mum where she is, support her capacity, and choose advice that reduces pressure rather than adding to it.

Key Takeaways:

• Many breastfeeding mums are told to avoid long lists of foods, leaving them restricted, stressed, and hungry.

• For most mums, the simplest helpful message is that they should be able to eat everything, unless a diagnosed medical condition is involved with specialist support.

• Postpartum food advice should reduce pressure, not add guilt or anxiety.

• What often matters most is adequate calorie intake and practical nourishment during an intense period of life.

• “Ideal” nutrition and “what is possible right now” are not the same thing — flexibility matters.

• The idea that foods like cabbage, onion, legumes, or fizzy drinks automatically cause unsettled babies is often assumed and then self-blamed when a baby has a hard night.

• Many cultural postpartum food traditions share common themes: calorie-rich, nutrient-dense, comforting, and nurturing.

• Diet culture postpartum can collide with the demands of making milk, and restrictive control of food can spiral in an already vulnerable period.

• Good clinical care includes meeting the mum where she is, understanding capacity, and supporting mental health alongside feeding.

Want to go deeper?

Head to thelatchrevolution.com to learn more about our latest "baby": Decoding The Suck: Gentle support for Babies With Sucking Difficulties.

For More Resources & Courses: katiejames.site

Breastfeeding & Lactation: The Fundamentals

The Feeding Couch

Instagram: @katiejameslactation@milkandmotherhood

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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for personalised medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Listeners should always seek the guidance of their own healthcare provider, midwife, or lactation consultant with any questions they may have regarding their own situation or that of their clients. Katie James and Johanna Sargeant do not accept responsibility for any decisions