Is It Safe for To Consume Real Honey While Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding mothers are often worried about their eating habits and very careful in choosing the type of food consumed because it can affect the milk that the baby gets. Most mothers will change their eating habits while breastfeeding, such as reducing their intake of caffeine, alcohol, fruit or certain foods and others in order to provide the best nutrition to their babies. But, as a healthy food, can pure honey be consumed by nursing mothers who are very concerned about the health of themselves and their children?
Can Breastfeeding Mothers Consume Honey?
The answer is, Yes. Honey is still safe and becomes a healthy choice to consume even for breastfeeding mothers. The thing that makes nursing mothers worry about consuming honey regularly is knowing that honey is likely to contain botulism spores.
The botulism spores can harm the baby only if the honey is consumed directly and there is no problem if it is consumed by the mother. Keep in mind that these spores are not passed on to the baby through breast milk, so you don’t have to worry too much. The botulism spores present in honey are very easily broken down and will disappear in the body, especially when it reaches the adult digestive system, so the poison does not enter the bloodstream nor is contained in breast milk. Moreover, botulism spores are too large to enter the mammary glands.
In conclusion, breastfeeding mothers can still consume honey as long as it keeps the baby from direct contact with honey when consuming it. The benefits of honey for nursing mothers will remain the same just like when they consume it as usual.
Tips for Consuming Honey while Breastfeeding
Although it is safe to consume honey during breastfeeding, it’s still a good idea for nursing mothers to pay attention to its safety when going to drink it.
Keep your hands clean by washing them with soap before consuming or touching honey. After consuming honey, don’t forget to clean your hands again so that the baby does not come into contact with your hands which could be exposed to honey.
Don’t even think to apply honey on skin during breastfeeding, especially skin on the breast area because the baby can come into direct contact with your skin. Choose honey with the best quality, such as pure honey from Madurasa. Pure honey from Madurasa does not contain harmful additives so it won’t affect breast milk and is still really safe to consume. Be wise to consume honey in moderation and not excessively and better not to dissolve it in hot water so that the nutrients and benefits of honey will be gained optimally.