Caffeine and Breastfeeding
Chocolate, soft drinks, tea and coffee all contain caffeine and breastfeeding will see that it's passed onto your baby. Eliminating caffeine from your diet completely can be tricky, and thankfully in most cases unnecessary.
When you're consuming caffeine and breastfeeding you may find that your baby is constipated, restless and has colic. This is often the case for mums that drink over 3 cups of strong tea or coffee each day.
A new born baby will take around 97 hours to metabolize 1 cup of coffee. Bringing the level under 300mg per day can improve your baby's condition and make life that much easier. Perhaps so much so that you don't need that extra cup, chocolate or soft drink to get you through.
If you have a low breast milk supply or blocked milk ducts which just don't seem to clear, it may be helpful to pay attention to how much caffeine you are taking in. Some mums have found that reducing their caffeine intake has helped them to increase their breast milk supply and avoid mastitis.
Unlike alcohol and nicotine, the effects of caffeine on breast milk are at their highest after 1 hour of drinking the tea, eating the chocolate, and so on. So you may be able to time your caffeine hits so that you have them just before a breastfeed. And it can help to drink lots of water so that you stay hydrated and the effects are diluted.
While breastfeeding and coffee, chocolate, tea and soft drinks are are all normal and part of almost every mothers' day it can help to be aware of how you and your baby are feeling. If something isn't quite right and you have tried other remedies you can always cut back on your caffeine intake and see if anything improves or changes for you and your baby.
Please always remember to consult your health professional to find out information that is relevant to your specific situation.
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