Is It Safe To Drink Apple Juice While Breastfeeding?

To reap maximum benefits, have a fresh apple rather than its juice when breastfeeding.

Reviewed by Arushi Agrawal, IBCLC Arushi Agrawal Arushi AgrawalIBCLC MomJunction on FacebookFollow MomJunction on LinkedinFollow MomJunction on Instagram Specialty: Lactation Experience: 4 years
Written by , BE Jessica Albert BE Follow MomJunction on Linkedin Specialty: Baby Growth and DevelopmentExperience: 2 years
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Breastfeeding Mother Drinking Apple Juice

Apples are a popular and nutritious fruit. When consuming apple juice while breastfeeding, you should ensure it is freshly extracted and unsweetened. Lactating women need more fluid and calories than non-lactating women. For sufficient breast milk production and nutrients, nursing mothers should consume healthy foods along with plenty of fluids. Along with water, fruit juices can help meet their daily fluid requirement.

However, it may be more beneficial to consume the fruit on its own to get the raw goodness of vitamins, folate, calcium, Vitamin C, and iron. The fruit may also serve as a tasty weight-loss snack.

Read this post to learn about the benefits of apples for maternal nutrition and whether apple juice is good for breastfeeding mothers.

In This Article

Benefits Of Apples For Breastfeeding Women

Improve your health by consuming apple juice while breastfeeding

Image: Shutterstock

Apple is one of the nutritious fruits to eat while breastfeeding as it is a good source of calcium, iron, folate, and vitamins A and C. As a breastfeeding mom, you need a good supply of all these nutrients. A lack of calcium leads to weak bones and low milk production, as it is a major part of breast milk. At the time of lactation, you need to strengthen your body with iron-rich foods as well since your iron levels decrease during pregnancy (1).

Apple is also a good source of fiber, potassium, and phosphorus. A medium apple contains 80 calories, and is an excellent food if you are looking to eat healthily and shed extra weight (2).

protip_icon Things to know
Many women may develop hemorrhoids during childbirth, especially after vaginal delivery (8). The fiber in apples can help achieve healthy bowel movement, which may help prevent diarrhea, constipation, and hemorrhoids (9).

Fluid Requirement While Breastfeeding

Limit the intake of juices when breastfeeding

Image: Shutterstock

Since your water requirement increases during breastfeeding, you should increase your liquid intake through water, milk, and fruit juices. However, it is better to consume fruits rather than fruit juices as whole fruits contain the necessary dietary fiber for good digestive health. When you drink juice, it is best to limit the intake to 150 ml (3). Ensure that the juice is fresh and unsweetened. Extra sugar does nothing good for the body, and breastfeeding women need to be aware of what they eat for their good health as well their baby’s health.

Apple Juice While Breastfeeding

You may try fresh homemade apple juice

Image: Shutterstock

As a breastfeeding mom, you can safely drink apple juice on a regular basis. But it is still a better idea for lactating women to add whole apples rather than apple juice into their postpartum diet. With whole apples, women can also get fiber, which is lacking in juice (4).

The following tips on apple juice consumption while nursing may help you stay healthy:

  • Continue to drink apple juice if it causes no discomfort to your baby. If your baby is fussy or sick after feeding, check your diet to see if apples may be causing the problem. Even though an apple is a safe food to eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding, some infants may show an adverse reaction to it. The baby’s stomach lining and digestive tract are still developing so they may not always react well to foods that are safe for women to consume during breastfeeding.
  • Keep apple juice consumption to a minimum and try to include whole apples to your diet to get all nutrients and fiber.
  • You may try homemade, fresh apple juice without artificial sweeteners and preservatives than commercially available apple juices.
protip_icon Quick tip
You can tweak the taste of your homemade apple juice by adding some ginger, celery, and lemon juice.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can apple juice cause gas in breastfed babies?

The exact cause of gas in breastfed babies has not been extensively researched. It has been seen that different foods in a mother’s diet can cause varied issues in babies. So, keep an eye on your baby after drinking apple juice. If they experience discomfort, you may eliminate apple juice from your diet for some time (5) (6).

2. Can apple juice make breast milk acidic?

No, apple juice or any other citrus fruit does not make the milk acidic because they do not change the pH of the mother’s plasma (7).

3. Can drinking apple juice while breastfeeding cause colic in the baby?

The available medical research does not link the maternal consumption of apple juice to colic in the breastfed baby. However, apple juice, when consumed by the baby, is known to increase fussiness and crying as it may induce gas (10). Therefore it is best to consult a doctor if your baby seems colicky.

4. Can drinking apple juice while breastfeeding help with postpartum depression?

No studies indicate whether drinking apple juice may help with postpartum depression. However, it may offer adequate hydration and nutrition, especially when you wish to have a quick and healthy snack

5. Will drinking apple juice help my breastfed baby poop?

No studies indicate a relationship between maternal apple juice consumption and babies’ bowel movement. However, apple juice in small quantities is often recommended for breastfed babies with constipation as it contains a natural laxative called sorbitol (11), but this should not be fed to the baby without a doctor’s recommendation.

6. Is it safe to drink apple juice while taking medication while breastfeeding?

There are no known records of drug interactions with apple juice. However, if you develop unexplained symptoms, it is best to consult your doctor (12).

Fruits provide excellent snacking options during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Apples come in several sweet, tart, or crunchy varieties and contain vitamins, folate, iron, and calcium. Apple juice can help meet your increased nutritional and hydration demands when breastfeeding. However, it is better to consume freshly extracted juice as the packaged ones may contain added sugars and preservatives that may be harmful to your baby. Apple juice is considered safe for breastfed babies, but it would be best to check with your doctor if they show signs of discomfort.

Infographic: Ways To Include Apples In Your Breastfeeding Diet

Apples are a rich source of many nutrients and help maintain an adequate milk supply. Apples give nursing mothers the energy they need to heal and provide the ideal development environment for their newborns. Check out the infographic below to uncover ways to include apples in your nursing diet.

how to relish apples while breastfeeding (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Key Pointers

  • Breastfeeding women can safely consume freshly prepared and unsweetened apple juice.
  • Apples are a rich source of vitamins, iron, calcium, and folate.
  • Women are advised to choose whole apples over apple juice as the former contains more fiber.
  • Consuming store-bought or packaged apple juice might lead to unwanted sugar consumption.
  • However, maternal apple juice consumption may cause an adverse reaction in some nursing infants.

Illustration: Is It Safe To Drink Apple Juice While Breastfeeding?

Apple Juice While Breastfeeding_illustration

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.
  1. Pregnancy and Lactation.
    https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/life-stages/pregnancy-lactation
  2. Apple nutrition.
    https://web.extension.illinois.edu/apples/nutrition.cfm
  3. Breastfeeding and diet.
    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding-and-lifestyle/diet/#close
  4. Gitte Ravn-Haren et al; (2013); Intake of whole apples or clear apple juice has contrasting effects on plasma lipids in healthy volunteers.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23271615/
  5. What’s causing gas in my breastfed baby?
    https://women.texaschildrens.org/blog/whats-causing-gas-my-breastfed-baby
  6. 5 Breastfeeding Diet Myths.
    https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-breastfeeding-diet-myths
  7. Goun Jeong et al.; (2017); Maternal food restrictions during breastfeeding.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5383635/
  8. Common Conditions, Constipation.
    https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/ob-gyn/obstetrics/after-delivery/common-conditions.aspx#:~:text=After%20having%20a%20baby%20%2D%20especially,soak%20yourself%20in%20warm%20water
  9. Bastien Vallée Marcotte, et al.; (2022); Health Benefits of Apple Juice Consumption: A Review of Interventional Trials on Humans.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8879758/
  10. Common Infant Problems (Birth – 1 year) – Colic.
    https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/HEALTHYPEOPLEFAMILIES/WIC/Documents/cip-colic-eng.pdf
  11. Three Ways to Relieve Infant Constipation.
    https://www.akronchildrens.org/inside/2023/06/25/3-ways-to-relieve-infant-constipation/
  12. Zvonimir Petric et al.; (2021); Food–Drug Interactions with Fruit Juices
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7823305/#:~:text=there%20are%
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Arushi Agrawal
Arushi AgrawalIBCLC
Arushi Agarwal is a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who started as a mom. She has four years of experience and currently works at Surya Hospital, Jaipur. Her struggles through the journey of breastfeeding led her to her mission of passionately creating awareness about the struggles of breastfeeding and the need for help.

Read full bio of Arushi Agrawal
Jessica Albert
Jessica AlbertBE
Jessica Albert is a passionate writer who seeks to connect with her readers through wit and charm. Her work aims to invoke curiosity and keep the readers engaged through and through. She has two years of experience working with magazines and e-commerce establishments as a content marketer and editor.

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Rohit Garoo
Rohit GarooBSc, MBA
Rohit Garoo is a writer-turned-editor with over 9 years of experience in content writing, editing, and content marketing. He did his bachelors in Science at St. Xavier's College, Hyderabad, and masters in Business Administration at Osmania University.

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Shinta Liz Sunny
Shinta Liz SunnyM.Tech
Shinta is a biotechnologist who is highly intrigued by science and technology. She holds a master's degree in Biotechnology from Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences and a PG Diploma in cellular and molecular diagnostics from Manipal University.

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