Many women are advised not to have caffeine during the pregnancy as there is a chance that caffeine consumption will affect the fetus. But the effect of caffeine is much less in breastfeeding babies. Experts say that only 1% of the caffeine that a woman is consuming will reach your baby through breast milk, which is not enough to harm most of the babies.
Caffeine is a low-risk drug and the safe limit of consuming caffeine is 300 mg a day, which is equivalent to 2 to 3 cups of coffee. It is also noticed that women who stopped having caffeine totally during the pregnancy period, their babies seem to react more with the caffeine intake. Though one can start caffeine consumption after her baby gets older.
Does caffeine pass through breast milk?
Around 1% of the caffeine that you are consuming passes through your breast milk. Though this amount seems small, infants do not have the power to process caffeine as fast as adults. When someone consumes caffeine it absorbs from her gut into the bloodstream. After that liver processes, it breaks into several different compounds, which affect our different organs and body functions. Normally caffeine stays in a healthy adult body for around 3 to 7 hours. But the case is different for an infant. The time duration is about 65 to 130 hours because their liver and kidneys are not fully developed.
How much caffeine consumption is safe?
Around 300 mg of caffeine intake is safe for breastfeeding mothers. That means one can take around 2 to 3 cups of coffee in a day and it won’t be harmful to your baby. But in case the mother consumes more than 300 mg caffeine in a day affects the breastfeeding infant. And the baby may face
- poor sleep patterns
- Irritability
- Fussiness
- Jitteriness
Also, note that all babies do not react in the same way. If you notice excessive irritability or sleeping disorder, it will be best to stop having caffeine until she grows up.
Here is a list of caffeine content in some common drink
| Drinks | Serving size | Amount of caffeine |
| Decaf coffee | 240 ml | 2–4 mg |
| Hot chocolate | 240 ml | 3–32 mg |
| Soda | 240 ml | 30–60 mg |
| Iced Tea | 240 ml | 9–50 mg |
| Brewed tea | 240 ml | 20–110 mg |
| Brewed Coffee | 240 ml | 60–200 mg |
| Energy drinks | 240 ml | 50–160 mg |
Does caffeine affect breastfeeding mom?
Having too much caffeine also affects a breastfeeding mother. Taking more than 4 cups of coffee a day leads to irritability, nervousness and more. Here are the effects of consuming more caffeine
- frequent urination
- rapid heart rate
- upset stomach
- trouble sleeping
- Migraines
- muscle tremors
Though there is no proper scientific evidence that caffeine consumption affects breastfeeding babies, it is always good to enjoy it on a moderate level.
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