If you consume five or more cups of coffee a day, you may notice some of these effects with your baby. Breastfeeding women (as well as pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and parents and caregivers of young children) should follow the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) advice about eating fish: Eat a variety of fish. The U.S. government does not warrant or assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information on this Site. According to Healthychildren.org, taking three cups of coffee or less throughout the day might show some or no caffeine in the kid’s urine. The definition of moderate varies anywhere from 150 mg – 300 mg a day. Average caffeine levels at 30, 60 and 120 minutes after the dose were 1.6, 1.5, and 0.9 mg/L, respectively. Caffeine makes the constriction of your blood vessels worse making your breastfeeding painful. [PMC free article, Bailey DN, Welbert RT, Naylor A. Br Med J. [7] Smokers have more rapid clearance of caffeine and shorter half-lives than nonsmokers because smoking induces CYP1A2. The liver processes it and breaks it down into compounds that have different effects on the bodily functions and organs. Disclaimer: Information presented in this database is not meant as a substitute for professional judgment. Are there other reasons to avoid caffeine while breastfeeding? Check out the tips for breastfeeding to learn more about how, what and when regarding breastfeeding. [17], Restlessness and irritability were reported in a breastfed (extent not stated) 5-month-old infant whose mother drank 20 cups of coffee a day. The half-life of caffeine is high in babies, and it takes longer to get out of their system. Wakefulness. One study found that the level of caffeine in breast milk peaks approximately two hours after consumption by the mother. This means that certain babies may show the effects of caffeine intake even when the nursing mother keeps her consumption lower than the recommended 300 milligrams. When a mother ingests caffeine, it is absorbed into the bloodstream via gut. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. 1989;299:121. Peak milk levels of 1.3 and 1.6 mg/L occurred at 1.5 and 2 hours, respectively. This might be because your child is plagued with constipation and colic. [21], In a study of low-income nursing mothers in Costa Rica, subjects were divided into high-intake (over 450 mL daily) and nondrinkers of coffee. Ryu JE. Caffeine secretion into breast milk. The duration of the caffeine depend upon the dosage and on personal factors, including age, body weight, and how sensitive a person is to caffeine. Many mothers wonder if breastfeeding means the end of lattes, black tea and caffeinated soft drinks. [PubMed. Effect of pregnancy on the pharmacokinetics of caffeine. In one study released by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it was found that women who consume 200mg or more of caffeine daily are twice as likely to have a miscarriage as those who do not consume any caffeine. Do you know what that means? Breastfeeding is usually exhausting, especially the early days after birth, when the baby has an irregular sleep pattern and wakes up several times at night. Ther Drug Monit. Pediatrics. Coffee, Caffeine and Breastfeeding. Breast milk of women who drink coffee during the pregnancy and breastfeeding will make their breast milk contain 1/3 less iron compared to the women who doesn’t have the same regular caffeine intake. On to the issue of how much caffeine is too much, that really depends on the mother and their little one. Excerpt from Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple: A Guide for Helping Mothers, 2010, p. 521. By 3–4 months, however, it takes a baby only about 3–7 hours.1 Caffeine appears in breastmilk with a peak usually occurring about 1 hour after a dose.