Caffeine & Breastfeeding

Caffeine & Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and Caffeine

Let chat caffeine, not limited to coffee, remember caffeine can be found in other beverages and food items also!

🤰🏼pregnancy + caffeine
If you search caffeine consumption and pregnancy you will find a very wide range of results. To avoid confusion I am going to reference 𝗔𝗖𝗢𝗚’s recommendation.
✨Moderate consumption of caffeine, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 is considered to be safe. This value of daily caffeine intake does not appear to contribute to miscarriage or preterm labor.

 
Why is caffeine in question when it comes to pregnancy? Caffeine crosses the placenta and increases maternal catecholamine levels, concerns have been raised about a potential relationship between caffeine exposure and the incidence of spontaneous miscarriage. However, studies investigating the association between caffeine intake and miscarriage have been based off of small sample size groups. Ultimately, the study and findings did not find an association between caffeine and miscarriage, regardless the volume of caffeine intake.

👩🏽‍🍼lactation + caffeine
Studies related to lactation and caffeine are less concerning once baby has arrived. This category will reference a 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗠𝗲𝗱 study that compares intake of 10 cups of coffee, response in infants 3 weeks and older, infants younger than 3 weeks and maternal caffeine peak time.
✨ Caffeine appears in breastmilk rapidly after maternal ingestion, approx 1-2 hours post consumption. Mothers that ingested 5 cups a day found no stimulation in infant 3 weeks or older, opposed to infants who were exposed to 10 cups of coffee (breastmilk caffeine saturation) a day. Infants who were exposed to higher amounts of caffeine showed fussiness, jitteriness and poor sleep patterns. Mothers of preterm or babies younger than 3 weeks of age are recommended to reduce intake due to infant‘s slower metabolism.
✨It is recommended that 𝟯𝟬𝟬-𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 is a safe level of intake for most mothers.

 

Excerpt from a study comparing caffeine consumption between pregnany and breastfeeding women.

Conclusion: Most pregnant women did not exceed the recommended maximum daily dose of caffeine, while breastfeeding women often did.

I think many of us could have come to this conclusion without needing a study to confirm. Read study HERE

 

Commonly consumed caffeinated items:
☕️Dunkin Donuts Medium coffee
210mg
☕️Starbucks Pikes Place Grande
310mg
🥤Pepsi 12 ounce
38mg
🍫 Dark Chocolate 1oz
12mg

Breastfeeding + caffeine 

Pregnancy + caffeine 

 

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