Consuming Ginger and Ginger Tea While Breastfeeding

After giving birth to your baby, you might have lots of questions about the foods you should eat to ensure your baby gets all the nutrition required for his growth and development. One food that new mothers are sceptical about is ginger. Although ginger offers various health benefits, is it really safe to eat fresh ginger or consume ginger tea while breastfeeding? Let’s find out!

Is Consuming Ginger and Ginger Tea Safe During Breastfeeding?

Consuming ginger or ginger tea is considered safe while breastfeeding if consumed in moderation. Daily intake of ginger tea should not exceed 75ml. And if a woman has had a lot of blood loss during delivery, she should avoid ginger completely.

Does Ginger Change the Flavour of Breast Milk?

The flavours of the foods you eat enter your breast milk and change its taste. The flavour of breast milk changes with each feed. So like any other food, ginger can change the flavour of breast milk. Ginger has a strong flavour and while most babies don’t mind the variations in flavour, if your baby is sensitive to the changes and refuses to breastfeed after you’ve introduced ginger in your diet, you may want to stop eating it to see if the problem is ginger or something else.

Benefits of Consuming Ginger and Ginger Tea While Breastfeeding

Although ginger and ginger tea makes the breast milk smell, it has some benefits too. Listed below are some of the benefits of drinking ginger tea while breastfeeding.

1. Helps Treat Digestion Problems in Nursing Moms

Ginger has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years and for good reasons. During the nursing phase, it can provide relief from digestion-related issues, constipation, and more. Consuming ginger or ginger tea also helps with vomiting and nausea in the breastfeeding phase.

2. Helps Boost Immunity

This medicinal herb is known to boost immune strength and fight infections that cause cold and cough. A woman’s body tends to be weak after delivery, but eating ginger can help. During the breastfeeding phase, consuming ginger on a regular basis (in moderate amounts) can enhance immunity. Its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties also help in warding off infections and inflammations.

3. Keeps the Body Warm

Consuming ginger also has a warming effect on the body. Eating ginger or drinking ginger tea in the breastfeeding phase will prevent nursing moms from contracting a cold and cough.

Side Effects of Consuming Ginger While Nursing

As you know every coin has two sides. Ginger sure has many benefits, but it has its share of side effects too. Eating ginger can cause heartburn, diarrhoea, and mouth irritation. Too much intake of ginger by a nursing mother could result in bloating of the stomach and the baby becoming too gassy and irritable as a result.

Ways to Consume Ginger

There are multiple ways in which ginger can be consumed, such as:

• Ginger Tea

This hot beverage is a favourite among many. Drinking ginger tea (with or without milk) works as a saviour when someone is down with the flu, cough, or cold. Ginger tea will make your body warm, bring down the cold, and relieve nasal congestion.

• Pickled Ginger

Pickled ginger tastes delicious and provides relief from motion sickness. It is said to cure digestive problems too, but it is not recommended for breastfeeding moms. However, if you want to eat it during the nursing phase, you must check with a doctor first.

• Juice of Ginger

A spoonful of ginger juice mixed with honey and a little warm water can keep your immune system healthy. It helps with a sore throat but of course, while nursing, it is best that you take it after checking with your doctor.

• Grated Ginger

You can use grated ginger in soups. But it should be consumed in very small quantities and only once a day.

• Ginger Paste

It is a common ingredient in almost all the Indian curries. It enhances the taste of the dish and makes it more appetizing.

Things to Remember Before Consuming Ginger Tea While Breastfeeding

Ginger tea is, of course, a common beverage, but while breastfeeding there are certain things you should consider before consuming it:

• Always remember that tea contains caffeine, even if it is ginger tea, so limit your intake.
• Stick to 1 cup or 120 ml per day. Too much of ginger tea may make you and your little one bloated and gassy.
• Do not drink ginger tea just before breastfeeding your baby. The caffeine may enter your breast milk making the baby fussy and deprived of sleep.
• Women who have had complications while birthing should avoid taking ginger.

How to Make Ginger and Honey Tea

Ginger and honey tea is a delicious concoction that helps soothe a sore throat and clear the phlegm. Ginger ale is also somewhat similar in taste. Both ginger honey tea and ginger ale while breastfeeding is absolutely safe but should be taken in moderation. Here’s how you can make this tea.

What You Will Need

• Freshly grated ginger – 1 tbsp
• Honey (pasteurized, if possible) – 1 tbsp
• Fresh lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Hot boiled water – 1 cup

How to Prepare

• Take some grated ginger in a cup.
• Pour hot water into it.
• Cover the cup with a lid and let it remain so for 5 minutes.
• Strain it into another cup.
• Add honey and stir. You can also add palm candy or jaggery in place of honey.
• Lastly, add lemon juice.
• Your ginger and honey tea is ready.

Not many are aware of the benefits and side effects of consuming ginger while breastfeeding. Although it has been used as a spice in cooking food and as medicine since long, it should be consumed in moderation, especially while one is breastfeeding.

Also Read: Drinking Green Tea during Breastfeeding