My baby is very gassy, and it has been suggested to me that I consider what I am eating that could cause his fussiness. Can my diet really affect my baby?

Generally speaking within two to eight hours what you eat enters into your milk supply. Dairy products are probably the most common culprit behind excessive fussiness (possibly due to a sensitivity to cow's milk protein). Here are a few other commonly reported irritants in diets: excessive caffeine (including chocolate); flavorful spices such as garlic, curry, cumin, and cinnamon (interestingly enough, women in countries where spicy foods are a staple don't seem to report these problems on average); highly acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits and their juices; gas producing vegetables like onions, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, bell peppers, and cucumbers; and very spicy foods. A standard recommendation is to begin writing down what you eat, noting in a separate column any fussy times by baby. You can usually look back 2 meals and find the culprit. You could also choose to eliminate all of the standard irritants for at least three days, and then add them back in one at a time, to get a better picture of what is bothering the baby. It may take up to ten days on a dairy-free diet however to see a difference. Another thing to consider is standard allergens like wheat, soy, peanut products, etc.