Coffee & Breastfeeding

[thepixie]

Hello all you bf'ing mummies
I haven't had a coffee since I had DD ten days ago. I don't mind so much at the moment but I always used to loooove my coffee (I only had one a day but I really enjoyed it). So I am wondering if people drink coffee while they are BF'ing and if so, do you think it affects your baby? Does it keep them awake?
Mainly just curiosity because I know I can live without it for a while, but would like to know what others do.

[Liz]

I find caffeine affects Kayla, even now. It gives her terrible wind pains. As a rule I drink decaf tea or hot chocolate (the caffeine in this is pretty minimal and doesn't seem to affect her). But on the occasions I've had 'real' tea or eaten a LOT of chocolate, she's had some really bad nights.

I don't think it will keep the baby awake, I guess you can only try it and see! Some people drink caffeine & breastfeed without problem. Depends on the baby really

[AnyDream]

The main reason I keep away from it is because the caffeine has such a drastic effect on my supply. It can suppress your supply quite significantly. I noticed this even when drinking 'regular' tea instead of the usual lower-caffeine variety that we have at home.

After the first few months, I did sometimes indulge in a Robert Timms decaf coffee bag - only ever one as they do still have some caffeine in them, but a lot less obviously than regular coffee.

[~clover~]

The only I've had since DS was born are Mocha's & not many of them
I really only drink coffee while pg. I crave it for some reason.
I drink Milo otherwise.

I do drink alot of coke, always have. I honestly haven't seen a difference there weather I drink it or not.

Everyone is different though.

[principessa76]

I haven't had a coffee since we started TTC. I don't miss it anymore which is good. I drink Rooibos tea which is naturally caffeine free.

At the hosp when DS was born they advised against coffee and eating too much chocolate as it makes babies "unsettled". If you really want a coffee maybe give it a go and see if it causes trouble. If it does then you won't do it again

[mbear]

I have drank coffee throughout all my pregnancies and whilst breastfeeding. I limit it to 2 coffees a day - one is usually instant in the morning, and then i will get an espresso whilst out and about. I find if i ever have had more than this, it does unsettle bub......

[thepixie]

Hmmmm thanks for the tips. I drink a fair bit of regular tea but it sure doesn't seem to keep her awake because she is a great sleeper ( that it continues!)
Maybe I will try a weak mocha in the morning when I've had a good night's sleep, but at the moment I'm not missing it so it's no big deal.

[Nai]

I drank 1 real coffee a day while pregnant and breastfeeding last time and I BF for 14 months no problems. DD is also a fabulous sleeper and would sleep 2 hours at a time during her day naps. Having said that - I only drank my coffee in the morning straight after a breastfeed so it was probably absorbed into my system by the time I next fed.

[Kazmar]

I found if I had anymore then one every couple of days it would affect my supplie also I linked it to her having trouble sleeping soemtimes. Then once she got older I was having one a day and my supplie stayed just fine and Annabelle slept just fine. I just wouldn't recommend doing it to often in the early stages but one every kow and again is fine

[squidipa]

hey there,

I drank no more than 2 a day in pregnancy but now drink what ever but not excessive amounts. I dont feel the caffeine is effecting my son but all i can say is every baby is different and just try it and see

[Jennifer13]

I try to limit my coffee intake so that I can still drink normal tea (about 3 cups a day). I limited myself basically to what I had while pg when DD was little, with the occasional coffee thrown in for a treat. Where possible I get decaf, but I don't feel it had any effect on my DD.

[kelebek]

I read somewhere that the caffiene (sp?) can pass through to the bubs through your milk so while I was preggers I would only ever have 1 mocha a day, maybe a tea. Since DS has been born I only drink hot chocolate (although that does have caffiene as well). It is amazing how tasty decaf coffee is if you haven't had a real one for a while.
If you google caffiene you should find a caffiene calculator so you can see how much you are having.
Let us know how you go I am interested in knowing.

[thepixie]

Hmmm haven't tried it yet, but have been having more tea than I used to when I was pregnant (ie. about 4 each day instead of 2). For now she is sleeping soooooo well I don't want to upset the applecart. Might just resort to a hot choccy if I feel the urge. But thanks for all the tips, and if I crack and have a latte I'll report back the results.