Milk free diet for breastfeeding mums
Breastfeeding provides the best source of nutrition for babies. Occasionally breastfed babies can react to cow's milk in breastmilk from the mother's diet. This is usually for those babies that have delayed symptoms such as reflux, being unsettled, abnormal stools or severe eczema. For babies that have immediate symptoms to dairy products the maternal diet does not need to change. This dietary advice sheet gives some general information to help you make the recommended changes to your diet and should only be followed for 4 weeks.
If you have any other allergies or medical conditions, please seek further advice.
It is important for you to have a milk free diet, and to avoid major sources of soya. This is because many babies who have delayed reactions to cow's milk also react to soya proteins. Soya can often be tried later to see if your baby reacts to it or not, but it is best not to include it for the first 4-6 weeks. However, do not worry about "soya lecithin" or "soya flour" in products such as bread and sausages.
You will need to avoid cow's milk, soya milk, dairy and soya yogurts, dairy and soya custard, cheese and any products that contain these. Other mammal milks such as goat and sheep are not suitable alternatives as your baby is likely to react to these.
Suitable alternatives to cow's milk and soya milk are: Calcium enriched oat milk, calcium enriched hemp milk, calcium enriched coconut/almond/hazelnut/cashew milks.
| Milk and soya free foods | Foods to avoid / check labels | |
| Fruit & vegetables | All plain fruit vegetables Fresh, dried, frozen or tinned |
Vegetables mixed with sauces made from cow's milk Fruit mixed with ordinary yogurt, custard, cream, ice-cream or soya alternatives |
| Meat, fish, eggs, quorn, pulses | Plain meat, fish, eggs, nuts and pulses Plain quorn products (but check labels) |
Meat, fish, eggs, and pulses in a sauce made from cow's milk Processed/prepared meat/fish (check labels) Tofu |
| Dairy products | Calcium enriched milk alternatives can be used in cooking as well as in cereals E.g. Oat milk, nut milks, coconut based yogurts |
Cows', goats' and sheep's, soya milk and all products made from these All cheeses, including cheese spreads, cream cheese, soya cheese Dairy or soya ice cream, cream and desserts |
| Starchy food and cereals | Bread/rolls/wraps/bagels/pitta/crackers if no milk in ingredients (soya in the ingredients is fine) Flour, plain pasta and rice Plain potatoes Plain breakfast cereals (oats, cornflakes, Weetabix, shredded wheat (check labels) |
Bread/rolls/wraps/bagels/pitta/crackers with milk in ingredients list. Filled pasta/ravioli or rice in cows' milk based sauces Processed potato products (check labels) Breakfast cereals which contain milk |
| Other foods | Any oils, lard, suet, dripping Dairy-free margarine e.g. Pure, Vitalite, Tomor, Flora fairy-free, supermarket own dairy-free brand, Kosher and some vegan spreads Milk free chocolate and spread |
Standard butter, ordinary margarine or spread Biscuits and cakes that contain milk Milk chocolate, most chocolate spread Large quantity of soya spreads |
Ingredients to watch out for on labels:
Milk and milk products will be indicated and 'Milk' in bold on the ingredient list, so check the labels. Most supermarkets will provide a list of their milk-free foods on request. There's no need to avoid all products with 'soya' in the ingredients. Only avoid the main source of soya such as soya milk and yogurts, soya desserts and cream, soya cheese and tofu.
When eating out, check with the restaurant or food outlets as they have to provide allergen information by law. As a breastfeeding mum your daily calcium requirements are 1250mg. If this is not met from your diet, then you should take a supplement that provides 1000mg of calcium per day.
Use the following chart to check your calcium intake:
| Food | Average Portion | Calcium (mg) |
| Alternative milk (calcium enriched) | 100ml | 120mg |
| Sardines Pilchards Salmon (tinned with bones) Prawns Whitebait Lentils, boiled Cooked chickpeas Peanuts Tahini Quorn mince |
60g (1/2 small tin) 60g 52g (1/2 tin) 60g 50g 100g 50g 20g 15g (1 tbs) 100g |
550 300 47 90 130 19 25 18 100 30 |
| White bread Wholemeal bread Calcium fortified bread Pitta bread/chapatti Calcium fortified cereals Calcium fortified hot oat cereals |
100g (2 large slices) 100g (2 large slices) 40g (1 slice) 65g (1) 30g 15g (1tbs dry cereals) |
100 54 191 60 137 200 |
| Broccoli, boiled Spring greens Curly kale |
85g (2 spears) 75g (1 serving) 67g |
34 56 100 |
| Medium orange Dried apricot |
120g (1 medium) 5 apricots |
75 20 |
If your baby requires a cows' milk free diet then you should be referred to a Paediatrician Dietitian or a trained Health Professional for advice on introducing solids and to ensure you are achieving a nutritionally adequate diet.
What about Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is needed by the body to absorb calcium and the best source is from the action of sunlight on the skin. Vitamin D is only found in a few foods so a supplement is recommended for everyone.
Note: micrograms (mcg) can also be written as µg. IU stands for International Unit.
| Target group | Recommended supplement (SACN 2016) | Do not exceed |
| Breastfeeding mothers | Equivalent 10 micrograms/day or 400IU | 100 micrograms/day |