You’ve made it through nine months of giving up or limiting some of your favorite foods and drinks because you were pregnant. So, now that you’re a new mom who’s breastfeeding, you may be wondering can breastfeeding moms drink coffee, what you can eat again and what you still need to cut back on.
Caffeine while breastfeeding may be at the top of your list. Is it okay to drink coffee, tea, or soda at the same level you did before you got pregnant, in small amounts like you did before, or not at all?
Caffeine is liked because it makes people feel more awake. It could help new moms get used to a new work schedule or feel more awake if they haven’t slept much because of their baby. Some people also like the taste of things like chocolate and coffee that have Caffeine in them. But is it okay to drink Caffeine while feeding the baby?
Is Caffeine safe to drink while breastfeeding?
Yes, it is typically safe to drink Caffeine while <a href="https://gynaefit.com/index.php/2022/12/12/can-breastfeeding-cause-miscarriage-what-hows-and-why/" title="<strong>Can Breastfeeding Cause Miscarriage– What, Hows and Whybreastfeeding. But experts say that you should only have 300 milligrams of Caffeine per day if you are nursing.
Can breastfeeding moms drink coffee? Caffeine hurts some babies. There may be tiny amounts of the substance in breast milk. Does Caffeine in breast milk keep the baby awake? The part is different for each mother. It also affects some babies more than others.
Some signs that your caffeine consumption is affecting your baby are:
- Getting fussier and more irritable
- Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
- Restlessness
Coffee affects younger babies more than it does older ones. Also, a newborn baby’s body holds onto Caffeine longer than an older baby’s. A baby who is six months old has a half-life of about 2.5 hours, but a baby who is just born has a few days.
Can I drink coffee with lemon while breastfeeding? If you drink Caffeine, it could change how healthy your breast milk is. About one-third less iron is in the breast milk of mothers who drink three cups of coffee per day than in mothers who don’t drink coffee. Getting rid of Caffeine can make breast milk have more iron.
What should pregnant women drink in moderation?
Chemical water
Mineral water might seem like the best drink during pregnancy, which makes sense, but surprisingly, that might not be the case.
Mineral water is usually safe to drink, but it should be something other than your primary water source daily. Some mineral waters can have a lot of sodium, which, in large amounts, can cause swelling and make it hard to control blood pressure.
Soda water
You might also want to think twice about drinking tonic water while pregnant. It is because it has quinine, which gives it its distinctively bitter taste.
“There have been reports of “withdrawal symptoms” in babies born to women who drank more than one liter of tonic water a day while pregnant. Can Caffeine cause gas in breastfed babies? Nervous tremors were one of the withdrawal symptoms seen 24 hours after the baby was born, and quinine was found in the baby’s urine. It took two months for all the signs and symptoms to disappear.
Smoothies and juices
When thinking about what to drink while pregnant, you might also be curious about what kinds of juice are safe. Can breastfeeding moms drink coffee? We all know that eating our five fruits and vegetables a day is good for our health, and pregnant women should try to get 85 mg of vitamin C a day (or 80 mg a day if they are under 19). So, drinking juices and smoothies with citrus fruits like oranges could be good for you while pregnant.
But even though juices and smoothies are suitable for pregnant women, they should only be drunk in small amounts. “If you drink too much, you might get more calories or sugar than you need. “Whole fruits are better than juices and smoothies because they have fiber, vitamins, <a href="https://gynaefit.com/index.php/2022/12/08/101-facts-can-breastfeeding-moms-eat-honey-while-breastfeeding/" title="<strong>101 Facts– Can Breastfeeding Moms Eat Honey While Breastfeeding?honey and minerals that are important for a healthy pregnancy.”
Carbonated drinks with added sugar
The following common question about drinks for pregnant women is whether or not you can still drink carbonated beverages like soda and energy drinks. If you can, limit how much of these you drink. “They often have sugars, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and other chemicals, and they don’t have any nutritional value,” says the Mayo Clinic. Can breastfeeding moms drink coffee? If you feel sick during pregnancy and find that drinking ginger ale helps, that’s fine, as long as you try to limit how much you drink.
However, “commercial flavored waters can also be high in sugar, artificial sweeteners, and chemicals.” So if you want to make your flavored water, you can “add lemon, ginger, cucumber, or mint.” But, as we discussed above, you should only drink herbs in small amounts to make this a healthy drink while pregnant.
How Much Caffeine is in Common Drinks
Coffee, tea, energy drinks, and sodas are all caffeinated drinks. There are a lot of different amounts of Caffeine in these drinks.
The chart below shows how much Caffeine is in standard drinks.
| Energy drinks | 8 ounces (240 ml) | 50–160 mg |
| Coffee, brewed | 8 ounces (240 ml) | 60–200 mg |
| Tea, brewed | 8 ounces (240 ml) | 20–110 mg |
| Tea, iced | 8 ounces (240 ml) | 9–50 mg |
| soda | 12 ounces (355 ml | 30–60 mg |
Keep in mind that this chart shows roughly how much Caffeine is in these drinks. What are the side effects of Caffeine while breastfeeding? Some drinks, like coffee and tea, can have more or less Caffeine depending on how they are made.
What is the best time to drink coffee when breastfeeding? Caffeine can also be found in chocolate, candy, some drugs, supplements, and drinks or foods that claim to give you more energy.
Can breastfeeding moms drink coffee? If you drink or eat multiple things with Caffeine every day, you may take in more than what is recommended for breastfeeding women.
Conclusion
At this point, Caffeine is not thought to be bad for breastfeeding. Can breastfeeding moms drink coffee? It can help babies who are at risk of apnea stay awake. But over time, it could make your breast milk less healthy and make it harder for your baby to fall asleep, making you even more tired. Taking care of when you drink Caffeine will help. But remember that too much Caffeine can be bad for your health and may also hurt your baby.