Caffeine and breast milk

[Mum2SweetCs]

Hi All,

Currently I think I have been drinking too much caffeine. With the weather being cold, I have been drinking 1-2 cups of coffee (instant) and about 2-3 cups of black tea a day. Is this too much caffeine?

How long does caffeine stay in the breast milk and what effects does it have on DD?

Thank you!

[BellyBelly]

Tea isnt as bad as coffee, but remember, your baby will take much longer to process caffiene in her body and it will be in her system longer than yours. Madura make a nice caffiene free tea (I think its actually low caffiene) but coffee and coke are the worst culprits for lots of caffiene which could make her unsettled.

[KatieRabbit]

I think caffeine stays in the breastmilk for some time- as in, not rapidly processed (can't think of the word!!). It can cause jitters in babies, sleeplessness, increased heart rate etc as with the effects it has on adults. Personally I don't think that it is worth drinking it. Like BB said, try Madura tea, Virgin Garden (if you can find it) or my very favourite Vital Organics Rooibos tea (avail in Woolworths). The rooibos tea is yummy (after your 2nd cup- I didn't like the first one) and is naturally caffeine free. If you really need the coffee, why not get a decaf one and for the first few days mix it half and half with your normal one till you go to full decaf?

[Kitt3n]

Why not try some herbal tea? Green tea, chammomile, jasmine -these are so lovely on a cold day

[mbear]

I breastfeed and i have my morning instant coffee (cannot function without that one...) and then if im out and about during the day i will buy a latte.

I once was shopping with mum most of the day and ended up having 3 small bought caffe lattes....i was up till 11pm that night and bub stirred all night...so ive learnt my lesson...

If your cold and need to warm up, why not try a cuppa soup ???

[{sarah}]

Maybe try something different like hot chocolate or or Aktavite (which is good for increasing BM anyway).

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

It depends on the baby. One friend of mine could drink 2 coffees, 3 teas and 3L of coke a day plus 1kg of chocolate and her baby slept all night. I had one tiny square of dairy milk and DS wouldn't sleep at all.

I still don't have much caffeine (including in chocolate and proper hot chocolate) but that's lifestyle now as DS only feeds in the morning these days.

So while caffeine may affect a baby, you're best off looking at how caffeine affects your baby and adjusting your diet accordingly.

[Mum2SweetCs]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I think i will stick to tea and minimise that as well. I hate the taste of decaf coffee.

I thought i could get away with it in that caffeine will dissappear from the breast milk after a few hrs (like alcohol would) but it seems it wont.

My baby is fine with my caffeine intake but i dont want any long term effects on her.

[Nai]

I think one cup of coffee a day in the mornings is going to be ok, especially if bubs seems to be unaffected by it. The decaf process for coffee leaves so many chemicals in the brew that unless it is water filtered it is actually worse for you so I wouldn't use that as an option. Slowly decreasing from 2 cups to 1 and slowly changing to naturally decaf tea would probably be easier. I find that if I miss my coffee I get narky and get a headache so gradual weaning from the caffeine seems to work best (for everyone around me too )

[Beach Mama]

I drank quite a bit of coffee and even diet coke while b'fing Iz and it never affected her in any way but I think it really depends on the child.
Good luck with it.

[Liz]

Caffeine can be a culprit for causing wind too. All depends on the baby. I still avoid caffeine (and alcohol) out of habit more than anything. I went off both when TTC #1, and haven't had any since! (well.. maybe a couple here and there )