Who drinks coffee while breastfeeding? What about alcohol?

[deafgal]

I started drinking one cup of black coffee every morning after she began eating more solid. I was missing it so bad.

 

[summer rain]

I don't drink alcohol for religious reasons but coffee is harmless, the advice in the US is outdated and out of line with that given in other countries. Very little caffeine gets into your milk even if you drink large amounts of coffee or other caffeinated drinks. Sometimes for my own benefit I cut out caffeine for a few weeks and my son sleeps exactly the same xx

 

[FAB mama]

I know the studies say a cup of coffee is fine, but I've noticed that LO doesn't nap anywhere near as long if I have any coffee (or even sometimes tea). So to save my own sanity I have given up coffee. I have decaf and occasionally tea. I don't like soft drinks. I've always been extra sensitive to caffeine though so he may just be like me.

I kind of regret drinking coffee when he was younger and not on a sleep pattern. It may have helped if I hadn't drank it.

 

[diggory77]

I used to donate my milk to hospital based preemies, the nursing consultant said I'm ok to drink as long as I'd be happy getting behind the wheel of a car in the same state! So I tend to have one drink x

 

[lau86]

I drink coffee, I drink very little alcohol anyway these days but would be happy having a glass of wine

 

[jennifer987]

I think alcohol is bed.

 

[HopefulPony]

I drink caffeine but not alcohol - not for bf reasons just because I don't like it! But I think some babies are more sensitive to caffeine than others.

 

[Tayla2748]

I don't drink tea or coffee normally but I did have a can of Coca-Cola when my DD was a couple of months old. i swear she did not sleep for 36hrs after that!! So I avoid all caffeine drinks when BF now...

 

[eve89]

I don't drink coffee and alcohol... I'm not so sure if it's advisable to take either of the two while you are breastfeeding.

 

[TCK_Runner]

Glad I found this thread. It sounds like every baby is different.

Yesterday was the first day since giving birth that I decided to have not one but two cups of coffee - and admittedly they were both strong. I pumped twice in the next 3-5 hours and fed her that milk in the evening. She then struggled with gas and gas pains for the following 12 hours. So I guess this means I overdid it was the caffeine? Typically I've been having just one or two cups of watery/weaker and/or half-caf.

 

[Brieanna]

Glad I found this thread. It sounds like every baby is different.

Yesterday was the first day since giving birth that I decided to have not one but two cups of coffee - and admittedly they were both strong. I pumped twice in the next 3-5 hours and fed her that milk in the evening. She then struggled with gas and gas pains for the following 12 hours. So I guess this means I overdid it was the caffeine? Typically I've been having just one or two cups of watery/weaker and/or half-caf.

It might have been the actual coffee, and not the caffeine.

I found that certain things gave my lo gas, like onions, but the only reaction I had that seemed to be only from caffeine was when I drank some really strong iced tea at a dinner and she was awake and cranky forever!

I, too, was told that as long as you could drive a few drinks here or there is fine. If someone was getting drunk enough to affect the breastmilk they probably are out partying and shouldn't be responsible for a baby anyways!

That said, I know that a babies liver is very immature and doesn't work well when they are newborn (I think until they are about 4 months old?) so I didn't have anything for several months with dd and plan to do the same with this one.

 

[TCK_Runner]

Well, I've been drinking coffee since day 1 - had a cup with breakfast in the hospital. However, that is weaker than what I typically brew at home. I'd been making 1 cup for myself at home, but a bit weaker/not full strength. Yesterday however I made some for a friend who came to visit and used strong espresso beans, full strength, and had two cups.

 

[wishuwerehere]

I drink a couple of mugs of caffienated tea a day (as i did when i was pregnant) and i don't see the issue. I've had a glass of wine since she was born but i just fell asleep so may have to leave that until she's older and sleeping a bit longer!

 

[halullat]

I drink coffee but not alcohol. Although I don't think there is actually anything wrong with drinking alcohol and breastfeeding, I have an anxiety disorder and I would still worry so having a drink would just stress me out instead of being a pleasant treat!

 

[fatandlumpy]

I have a very strong coffee in the morning, but I rarely drink alcohol now. Not that I'm worried that it gets into breast milk. It clearly doesn't that much (Thanks Science!) but my tolerance is pretty low and so I 'feel' alcohol very quickly and get tipsy on 1 glass of wine. I really don't like holding my baby when I'm tipsy as I don't feel safe and would NEVER forgive myself if anything bad happened.

 

[supertabby]

I drink a lot of decaff tea - if I drank the same amount in caffeinated I'd be very wired lol! I drink cola or caffeinated coffee in a cafe a couple of times a week and it doesn't seem to affect lo. I try to limit it to 2 drinks in s day but I don't obsess it too much.

Alcohol I don't bother with - I'm far too tired so never in the mood lol! The health authority in UK has recently advised that totally abstaining in pregnancy/breastfeeding is best but other studies have recently shown virtually nothing gets into the milk, so very hard to know what's right!

 

[supertabby]

I drink cola or caffeinated coffee in a cafe a couple of times a week

Just reread my post - trying saying that after a drink lol!

 

[TCK_Runner]

Well, I only had decaf yesterday and the gas pains continued last night and into this morning... I'm not sure what gives anymore. Maybe it's just her system developing??? She's been crying off and on the last 24-48 hours, frequently grunting and straining to pass gas or bowel movements... it's heartbreaking to watch her, I don't know what to do. I'm looking online at how to hold her and walking around with her, frequent burping, etc, but this is frustrating. I don't know how to help!

 

[Tayla2748]

Well, I only had decaf yesterday and the gas pains continued last night and into this morning... I'm not sure what gives anymore. Maybe it's just her system developing??? She's been crying off and on the last 24-48 hours, frequently grunting and straining to pass gas or bowel movements... it's heartbreaking to watch her, I don't know what to do. I'm looking online at how to hold her and walking around with her, frequent burping, etc, but this is frustrating. I don't know how to help!

Just a thought, is she latching on properly when you are feeding? My DS1 had a little tongue tie and had trouble latching on, he seemed to get a lot of air in when feeding because of it.

 

[TCK_Runner]

Well, I only had decaf yesterday and the gas pains continued last night and into this morning... I'm not sure what gives anymore. Maybe it's just her system developing??? She's been crying off and on the last 24-48 hours, frequently grunting and straining to pass gas or bowel movements... it's heartbreaking to watch her, I don't know what to do. I'm looking online at how to hold her and walking around with her, frequent burping, etc, but this is frustrating. I don't know how to help!

Just a thought, is she latching on properly when you are feeding? My DS1 had a little tongue tie and had trouble latching on, he seemed to get a lot of air in when feeding because of it.

She's had a terrible latch since day 1, so we've had to feed her from a bottle as well .... it's not ideal, but she can't drain me otherwise and remains hungry. Also my milk took forever to come in, which didn't help.