In this post, we will guide you about the effects of caffeine while breastfeeding in detail. Most breastfeeding moms can consume moderate amounts of caffeine.
Some babies, especially those younger than six months, may be more sensitive to their mother’s caffeine use. Babies whose moms fully avoided caffeine throughout pregnancy seem to be more sensitive to caffeine in their mother’s diet.
Even though your infant is sensitive to caffeine now, he may not be when he is older; thus, if you must stop or reduce your caffeine use, you may try again when your infant is older.
Are There Any Risks of Consuming Caffeine While Breastfeeding?
Having a little caffeine won’t hurt you or your baby. However, how she will respond to the amount of caffeine you consume might vary from newborn to infant (if at all). However, if your infant is more sensitive to caffeine than most, she may become more irritable or fussy, become jittery, and and have difficulties falling asleep or calming down.
Just keep an eye on her and see if it helps to reduce the quantity of caffeine you’re taking in a while. Also, try to time it so that you take it many hours before you feed her. Caffeine is not an exception to the rule that most foods and beverages should be consumed in moderation when nursing; rather, it applies to caffeine.
Moreover, you shouldn’t feel you have to deny yourself your daily coffee or tea, even if it’s only one or two cups if breastfeeding your baby.
As long as you remember the quantity that is recommended and make an effort to drink it at least a few hours before you feed your baby, you probably won’t have any problems. However, if you are concerned about the effects of caffeine while breastfeeding or have
Source of Caffeine:
There is no caffeine in many types of herbal tea but some others may have caffeine levels that equal to 1 cup of 65mg coffee or more. When breastfeeding, it is important to be conscious of how much caffeine you consume, so check labels carefully. About 2 milligrams of caffeine may still be found in coffee that has been caffeine free.
Caffeine may be found in various items, the most common of which are coffee and tea. However, caffeine can also be found in the following products:
- Energy drinks (recommended to avoid)
- Chocolate
- Sports drinks
- Weight loss supplements
- Guarana
- Kola nuts
How much caffeine intake is considered safe during breastfeeding?
Observing your newborn baby is the only way to get an exact answer to this question. As was just said, the quantity of caffeine that might potentially affect a baby can vary greatly based not just on the infant but also on the baby’s age and condition of health.
However, the common estimate we come across is “less than five 5-ounce cups of coffee,” which equates to 500 milligrams daily. According to several sources, a daily maximum of between 300 and 500 milligrams of caffeine is recommended (National Library of Medicine).
During Pregnancy: Most sources propose a 300 mg/day maximum limit on caffeine for pregnant women. However, according to one site (Motherisk), pregnant women should not consume more than 150 mg of caffeine daily.
What you should do if you are worried about the quality of your breast milk
If you have reason to believe that the amount of caffeine you consume is keeping your child up for longer than usual, the following are some suggestions made by experts:
- Make sure that your baby is fed before you consume any caffeine. After that, you should wait at least three hours before continuing to breastfeed. Because of this, your body should have enough time to absorb the caffeine, and you won’t have to worry about it getting into your breast milk.
- Try limiting your caffeinated beverages to just one cup of coffee daily.
- Put an end to caffeine consumption completely, either until you are finished breastfeeding or until your child is old enough to process it more efficiently.
Final Verdict:
In this article, we have discussed caffeine while breastfeeding. I hope this article will be very beneficial for you. If you have any questions, contact us without any hesitation. You can also read about how important is nutrition while breastfeeding? Thank You!
Sources: Caffeine – Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
