Today’s women are open to alternative medicine, often combining it with traditional medical approaches. Getting acupuncture treatments while going to a fertility specialist, having their baby in a birthing center within a hospital, learning about epidurals in their Lamaze class (just in case!). When it comes to eating, it’s no different. With the overwhelming amount of information available, moms can get confused as to which way to go. Here, two nutritional consultants, Elyse Falk, a registered dietitian, and Elana Verbin, a certified holistic health counselor, go head to head answering actual questions that they most often get from clients of Mothers & Menus, a healthy food delivery service for new mothers. Elyse has worked with the American Health Foundation. She counsels her clients based on proven research and personal experiences. Elana is accredited with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She works with clients to identify the changes they need to make in their diet and lifestyle in order to live the life they want, looking at their nutritional needs from a holistic perspective.

Q. I have heard different views about eating dairy while nursing. On one hand, I am supposed to consume it for the calcium— and on the other, apparently it is an allergen for my child. Which is it?

A. Elana: Reactions to dairy vary greatly from baby to baby— just as they do from adult to adult. The best tact (as with any food) is moderation. Dairy should not be your only source of calcium, but rather a complement to calcium-rich greens and fortified soy products. When consuming dairy, try to buy organic dairy products to ensure that there are no growth hormones, pesticides, etc. that you could pass along to your baby.

A. Elyse: Your breast milk is the best line of defense against food allergies. Breast milk can boost your baby’s immune system and may contain some of your own allergy-fighting substances. Dairy is a great source of calcium, and critical to breastfeeding. It is also a good source of protein, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin D. So before you eliminate an entire food group, take a wait-and-see approach. If you feel that your baby is having an allergic response or is uncomfortable when you consume dairy, eliminate it from your diet for a few weeks. After this period, reintroduce it into your diet to see if in fact it is the cause of discomfort in your baby. If you feel that your baby is allergic to dairy or any other food, consult with your doctor so you can decide what’s best for you and your baby.

Q. Last year, I switched everything in my house to soy products because I had heard of the benefits of soybeans— now I heard that too much soy may actually be bad for me and my baby. Can you tell me more about this?

A. Elyse: A rat study showed findings that the more genistein (a major type of phytoestrogen in soy) a pregnant female rat consumed, the more reproductive abnormalities the baby male rats had as well as shorter testes length, larger prostate mass and lower testosterone concentrations. Although this does raise concerns, we have to remember that this study is about rats, not humans— and make no assumptions about its effects on humans. There are also many positive effects of eating soy— which is why the best answer is still to keep things in moderation.

A. Elana: I have to agree with Elyse that the studies on soy have been very limited and, as of yet, there have been no conclusive studies done on humans. The best course of action right now would probably be to consume soy in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet, and to buy products that are certified organic to ensure that they aren’t made from genetically modified soybeans. In addition, be aware that soy is considered to be a thyroid depressant and could potentially affect thyroid function in those taking synthroid or other thyroid replacement medication.

Q. I have read everything about the FDA fish warnings— but it also makes sense to me that the benefits of the Omega-3 fats in fish would outweigh the risks of possible diseases. Just how much fish should I be consuming when I am pregnant or nursing?

A. Elana: Omega-3s certainly have a lot of valuable benefits. But since all fish have at least small amounts of contaminants, the FDA advises nursing mothers to limit their intake of any kind of fish to 12 ounces a week (noting that it should always be cooked). Mahi Mahi, king mackerel, tilefish and tuna steaks often have the highest mercury levels and are best avoided or kept to a minimum. Wild salmon, flounder and cod, on the other hand, are considered to be generally safe. Also, you may want to buy organic eggs from chickens who have been fed with Omega-3 enriched feed for an alternative source of this nutrient.

A. Elyse: It’s a good time to look for alternate sources of Omega-3s other than our favorite tuna steaks! If you like salmon, buy wild Alaskan salmon or canned salmon, which is almost always wild Alaskan, or choose Chilean or domestically farmed salmon. You can also get Omega-3s from other sources such as flaxseeds, flax oil, soybean oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds.

Q. I know that organic foods are good for you, but I don’t always have the time, inclination or the budget to buy organic. Just how bad is it if I don’t eat organic when I am pregnant and nursing?

A. Elyse: It is understandable that you can’t afford to buy everything organic all the time. And just because a package says it’s “organic” doesn’t mean it is better nutritionally. For example, organic ice cream has as much unwanted saturated fat as its non-organic counterpart. If you can’t buy organic all the time, make sure you wash fresh fruits and vegetables, peel waxed foods such as cucumbers or apples, buy foods in season when possible and eat a variety of wholesome, minimally processed foods. For animal proteins— avoid fatty cuts of meat, trim fat and skin from all meat before cooking, and look for dairy and meat that is antibiotic and hormone-free. When you do buy organic foods, look for the USDA Organic Seal to make sure it is 100 percent organic.

A. Elana: Weighing the pros and cons of organic foods is a decision that every mother needs to make for herself. However, I cannot stress enough my conviction in the importance of feeding yourself and your baby with the highest quality foods. Since today we are so removed from the source of our food, buying organic is one of the most effective ways of ensuring that suppliers use the best quality ingredients and processes in farming the animals and produce that you consume.

Q. I completely understand that coffee is not good for you while you’re pregnant— but, let’s face it— I am not that good without coffee, and think I am probably better off if I have an occasional cup. Is it really that bad? Is switching to decaf any better?

A. Elyse: I love coffee, and had a hard time giving it up during my pregnancy, and when I started nursing, I learned that it is still best to limit caffeine because it may cause the baby to be irritable and wakeful. Caffeine is processed in our bodies much faster than in a baby’s and therefore can accumulate in their blood. So, if you do need your coffee, try to keep it under two cups a day, at most. While decaffeinated coffee seems like a good way to go— it has its own downfalls. It has been found that a substance in decaf coffee decreases the concentration of iron in the breast milk and therefore affects the baby’s iron status.

A. Elana: The latest studies seem to indicate that a cup or two of coffee a day won’t harm your baby. However, since the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and a diuretic, I’d see if there was a way to cut it out of your diet or at least downshift to a cup of green tea, which has only a quarter of the caffeine. As for decaf, so much of it is decaffeinated through processes that involve the use of chemicals, so I’d try to avoid it.

Q. I know you’re supposed to avoid alcohol when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, but my Mom and her friends all drank though their pregnancies and we are all fine. How often can I raise my glass during pregnancy? And are there certain alcoholic beverages that are preferred?

A. Elana: Just knowing that drinking alcohol during pregnancy could pose a risk of birth defects leads me to want to curb even the most innocent inclination to want to have a glass during a special occasion. While it’s likely that a single sip of champagne to toast a cousin’s wedding is nothing to be nervous about, better to postpone anything more than that until after your baby is born.

A. Elyse: The Subcommittee on Nutrition During Lactation of the Food and Nutrition Board and the Institute of Medicine recommends that mothers who want to drink while breastfeeding should consume no more than two to two ½ ounces of liquor, eight ounces of wine or two cans of beer a day. Personally, I feel this is a bit excessive. So if you want to drink, save it for those special occasions or a couple of times per week on those special nights out. Try feeding your baby before you drink or wait at least an hour for each drink you consume for your body to break down the alcohol before you nurse.

Karen Gurwitz is the founder of Mothers & Menus, Inc.