Which foods cause my baby's tummy to hurt?

Question:

I'm trying to figure out what causes my new borns tummy acks but I'm not sure how long it takes for the foods I eat to be in the breast milk. I've heard 24 hours and then I've heard 2 hours I'm confused.

Answer:

Great question! Yes, it can be so frustrating to try to figure out what foods might be causing your baby to be gassy and/or uncomfortable.  And, it is important to remember that sometimes there is no explanation (mom's diet or anything else) for why a baby might be fussy.

It is difficult to know exactly how long it will take for a particular food (or some component of that food, especially protein molecules) to show up in your breast milk . . .there are many factors that impact the rate at which foods are digested and absorbed. If you suspect that your baby is "allergic" or "sensitive" to something that you are eating, I would recommend systematically eliminating foods that most often cause difficulties for babies.  These foods include dairy products, eggs, wheat, soy, shellfish, peanuts, corn and citrus fruits.  Rather than placing large restrictions on your diet, try eliminating one of these food groups at a time to see if your baby's symptoms improve.  I would almost always suggest eliminating cow's milk at first, as this is by far the most common food that babies are sensitive to.