The natural stimulant caffeine is present in more than 60 plants. People eat and drink things that contain caffeine to boost their energy. Having a cup of coffee or tea in the morning is the most typical way to consume caffeine.
Caffeine makes people feel more awake, which they find enjoyable. If they haven’t received much sleep due to the new baby, new mothers may use it to assist them feel more awake or to help them adjust to a new work schedule.
Additionally, some people prefer the flavour of caffeinated goods like coffee and chocolate.
Is it safe to consume caffeine when nursing a baby?
The short answer is that drinking coffee while you are nursing your infant is generally safe. However, experts advise reducing your daily caffeine intake while nursing to 300 milligrammes.
Some infants are impacted by caffeine.
The chemical can be found in very minute amounts in breast milk. From mother to mother, the amount varies. Additionally, some infants are more susceptible to it than others. If you drink caffeine, your baby may experience the following side effects:
- More irritation and fussiness
- More difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Hyperactivity
- Restlessness
Three cups of coffee a day reduces the amount of iron in breast milk by around one-third compared to no coffee use. Avoiding coffee can increase breast milk’s iron content. What to do if your breast milk causes you concern.
Experts offer the following suggestions if you believe that your use of coffee is causing your child to stay awake longer:
- Give your infant a meal before consuming any caffeine. After that, wait at least three hours before continuing to breastfeed. This should allow your body ample time to break down the caffeine and prevent it from contaminating breast milk.
- Limit your daily caffeine intake to one cup of coffee.
- Until you have finished breastfeeding or your child is old enough to digest caffeine more quickly, refrain from drinking any caffeine.
Caffeine: Sources and Effects
Mothers who are nursing can consume up to 300 milligrammes of caffeine each day. For comparison, there are 96 milligrammes of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup of coffee. A cup of green tea includes 28 milligrammes, compared to 47 milligrammes in a cup of black tea.
Many herbal teas are devoid of caffeine. To be cautious of your caffeine intake while nursing, make sure to read the label. About 2 milligrammes of caffeine are present in even decaffeinated coffee.
Caffeine is primarily consumed through coffee and tea, although it can also be found in a variety of other goods, such as:
- Energy drinks
- Chocolate
- Sports drinks
- Painkillers, particularly those for migraine headaches
- Weight loss supplements
Prevent unpleasant side effects. If you think you need to cut back or stop using coffee, do it gradually to prevent withdrawal. Your ability to carry out daily tasks may be hampered for two to nine days if you experience caffeine withdrawal. These signs include:
- Headache
- Exhaustion
- Heightened irritability
- Depression
- Difficulty concentrating
- Stiffness or discomfort in the muscles
Impacts of excessive caffeine
Your infant may become uncomfortable, jittery, colicky, and/or sleep poorly if you consume too much coffee. Whether or whether a mother consumes too much caffeine will depend on a number of factors, including how efficiently her body absorbs the drug.
Observing your infant is the only way to determine if you are consuming too much caffeine. Caffeine sensitivity can be especially elevated in newborn infants.
This is due to the fact that a newborn baby’s processing of caffeine can take substantially longer than that of a baby who is three or four months older. For pregnant and nursing women, Food Standards Australia New Zealand recommends a daily caffeine intake of up to 200 mg.
How to handle a gassy breastfeeding infant
The majority of the time, baby gas is nothing to be alarmed about. A little gas is typically entirely normal and doesn’t disturb the majority of babies. You probably won’t have to worry about making your baby queasy by eating everything you want.
However, if your gassy breastfed baby appears to be uncomfortable or colicky, screams for no apparent reason, or persistently exhibits one of the following behaviours, you may wish to try one of the following strategies.
Conclusion
Are you still worried that your child has a food sensitivity? You don’t have to significantly restrict your diet (which might result in nutritional deficiencies, especially if you’re nursing) or stay away from any items that make you feel gassy.
Instead, make notes about your food and the gassiness of your infant and search for trends. Then for two to three weeks, cut out one possibly harmful food at a time to see what occurs.
Within a week, if your infant is sensitive to that meal, you should see a change. Try the food again after a week to see how your baby reacts.