Question About Breastfeeding And Honey

[miasmom]

I am 39 weeks pregnant and I am going to breastfeed. In the breastfeeding class that I recently took, the lactation consultant said that honey is a no-no for the breastfeeding mom. My question is, does that include cooked honey or honey used in recipes (ie bread)? I just got a bread machine and made my first loaf of gluten-free bread- which was AMAZING. All the recipes that I have include honey. So if anyone knows if the baking of the bread kills the botulism spores, could you let me know.

Thanks, Amy

[tarnalberry]

I don't understand why the breastfeeding mom would be proscribed from eating honey - the botulism spores would be broken down by your (the mom's) digestive system. But I'm not a mom...

[slmprofesseur]

I never heard that before and I got the full briefing from the lactation consultant for a NICu baby. BTW, I drank herbal tea w/honey everyday....

[maddycat]

I've never heard that the mom shouldn't eat honey, only babies under 1 year should not eat it. I would check with another lactation consultant to confirm. I ate honey when I was nursing my son all the time.

[ShayFL]

I have never heard this either and I have a Phd in Holistic Nutrition.

Now some might read that putting raw honey on sore nipples can ease the pain and help them heal faster. So dont do this and then let the baby nurse. This is just common sense though.

I found letting my nipples get air everyday helped with the soreness that you get in the first few weeks. Just walked around the house topless for 2 weeks.....LOL Hubby didnt mind.

[Rya]

I've also heard of not giving infants honey directly due to the high risk of botulism.

One website (medline) recommended breastfeeding to prevent botulism. I am making the assumption that this means as long as mom is not sick. While I'm not entirely familiar with breastfeeding, I do believe bacteria can pass through milk.

The articles I read say that the bacteria itself is not heat-resistant, so cooking the honey will greatly reduce your chance of food poisoning. However, the spores are extremely heat resistant so cooking does not affect them; if they are present food poisoning is inevitable. Spores are most commonly found in home-canned foods.

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Practical advice - it's a risk albeit a small one.

[CeliacAlli]

All I know is that I am happy to see this post. After reading things that are not on here(on other sites) and watching this powerpoint I thought I'd never be able to have kids as a celiac(when I'm older of course)!! Very encouraging.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I've also heard of not giving infants honey directly due to the high risk of botulism.

One website (medline) recommended breastfeeding to prevent botulism. I am making the assumption that this means as long as mom is not sick. While I'm not entirely familiar with breastfeeding, I do believe bacteria can pass through milk.

Actually, even if mom is sick, she should still breastfeed if possible, as she will be making antibodies to whatever made her sick, and those antibodies go directly into the milk to protect the baby.

If mom is sick, then NOT breastfeeding is, from the baby's perspective, the worst thing that can happen. THen baby is suddenly NOT getting antibodies--and is much more likely to get sick, either from mom, or from whatever germs whoever is feeding him is breathing on him.

I had intestinal viruses, flu twice, bronchitis twice, and even pleurisy--and on the advice of the lactation consultant and the pediatrician, I continued to nurse--and the baby NEVER caught anything from me.

[dandelionmom]

I ate honey like it was going out of style while breastfeeding all 3 of my kids. My OB and pediatricians all said it was fine.

[Rya]

Actually, even if mom is sick, she should still breastfeed if possible, as she will be making antibodies to whatever made her sick, and those antibodies go directly into the milk to protect the baby.

If mom is sick, then NOT breastfeeding is, from the baby's perspective, the worst thing that can happen. THen baby is suddenly NOT getting antibodies--and is much more likely to get sick, either from mom, or from whatever germs whoever is feeding him is breathing on him.

I had intestinal viruses, flu twice, bronchitis twice, and even pleurisy--and on the advice of the lactation consultant and the pediatrician, I continued to nurse--and the baby NEVER caught anything from me.

Makes sense. I'll remember this, thank you.

[purple]

What about subbing it with maple syrup or agave nectar in your bread recipe?

Sticky and sweet just like that new baby is gonna be

[ItchyMeredith]

From KellyMom- a site I really trust!!!!

Can a nursing mother eat honey?

Honey is not a problem for mom to eat. The gut flora of adults and children over a year old are able to fend off the botulism spores that may be present in honey, and render them harmless. Since the spores would be killed in your gastrointestinal tract, they would not make it into your bloodstream and therefore cannot be present in your milk.

A baby's gut can't defend itself against the botulism spores, and so they can colonize the intestinal tract, germinate and release botulinum neurotoxin. As a result, honey is not recommended for babies under a year old. It's recommended that you avoid giving baby anything that contains honey, or make sure that the cooking process kills any botulism spores that might be present. To kill botulism spores, the food must be cooked at 240 degrees Fahrenheit (this requires a pressure cooker) for at least 15 minutes. Botulism spores are very heat resistant - it takes more than six hours of boiling at 212 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the spores. The toxin is less resistant - boiling foods (at 212 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10 minutes will destroy the toxin.

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