I breastfeed and I love tea, it's something I can't live without. Is it bad for my baby?

Question

And if that's not enough, I also love chocolate... lol

I like coffee too (am a caffeine junkie), but it's the easiest to avoid. I don't mind having a cup every other month or so. But this isn't the same with tea and a nice cup of hot chocolate.

How much is too much?

Answer 1

Ya know, I do not know. Ask your childs doctor. That would be the best thing. I am 4 months pregnant and have morning sickness all the time. The only thing that stays down it iced tea that I make from sun tea. I only have one cup a day and I put alot of ice in the cup so by the time I am done sipping on it, its melted into a watery tea...lol..But yea do ask your doctor.  

Answer 2

You're assuming that breastfeeding is hard because we have to eat a special diet.  Really, you can have 2-3 cups of COFFEE a day and it's fine.  Tea has far less caffeine (read the package, it says so) depending on the variety, and hot cocoa has almost nothing.  Also, if you use instant coffee at all (like gas station cappucino), there is almost no caffeine in that, even though there are lots of ingredients in that stuff that no one should have at all.

Drink your tea and don't worry about it.  Eat what you like, and don't worry about a glass of wine or a beer, either.  Breastfeeding is supposed to be easy, not hard.

Answer 3

You really shouldn't be drinking caffeine while breastfeeding. Do you want your baby to be addicted to caffeine as well? Why not drink decaf tea? It tastes very similar to regular.

Answer 4

Gosh! The rubbish you poor young Mothers are fed these days. First let me say well done for breast feeding it is the finest start for your baby. I do think though there is far too much said about what to eat and not to eat before your baby is born and after.Of course I would never drink alcohol not even a glass of wine but it is as with everything. Taken in moderation a cup of tea is fine. In the sixties tea was about all we had in the house Everyone who entered the house had the kettle boiling for a cuppa! My two children are the healthiest. Enjoy your baby and use those "Motherly instincts" Well done and Good Luck.

Answer 5

well if you drink chocolate then chances are you are fat lardo

Answer 6

You can have tea.  There is nothing in it that will harm your baby.  Most teas have far less caffeine than coffee, but if you do drink so much that baby gets fussy or jittery from the caffeine, cut down, or try decaf.

Answer 7

once a day of each is fine.  

Answer 8

Tea and chocolate do not contain a lot of caffeine so go ahead and have some.  I drink the equivalent of two cups of coffee a day and I breast feed.

Answer 9

If you can switch at least some of your tea to decaf that would be a reasonable option.  However in general tea (Camellia sinensis) has less caffeine than coffee.  And most of the negative health effects of tea are borne by the mother, as with all drugs very little is passed through breastmilk.  Also most of the health benefits of tea and caffeine are for the mother as well so it balances out.  I *try* not to have more than 2 cups of coffee per day (drip) so that's about 5-6 cups of tea (assume equal serving sizes, however a proper tea cup is half the size of a coffee mug. In general)

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle...

Introduction

Most breastfeeding mothers can drink caffeine in moderation. Some babies, particularly those under 6 months, may be more sensitive to mom's caffeine intake. Babies whose mothers avoided caffeine completely during pregnancy seem to react more to caffeine in mom's diet. Even if baby is sensitive to the caffeine now, he may not be when he's a little older -- so if you do have to stop or limit your caffeine intake, you can try again when baby is older.

Caffeine is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics for use in breastfeeding mothers. Per Medications and Mother's Milk (Hale 2002, p. 100-102) caffeine is in Lactation Risk Category L2 (safer); milk levels are quite low (0.06-1.5% of maternal dose) and usually peak 1 hour after ingestion. One study has indicated that chronic coffee drinking might decrease iron content of breastmilk (Nehlig & Debry, 1994).

If your baby is sensitive to caffeine, it will typically become less of an issue as baby gets older. Newborns have a much harder time metabolizing caffeine than older infants. Preterm or ill infants might also have more problems with mom's caffeine intake.

Caffeine Sources

Coffee, brewed (non-gourmet)   8   120-180

Tea, leaf or bag   8   48

Tea, green   8   30-35

Answer 10

Just buy decaff tea! Shouldn't think you could eat enough choc for it to be a prob!

Answer 11

well is your baby hyper or anything as i believe they are not newborn so you should know the answer to the question yourself  

Answer 12

Decaff is much better for you and the baby. If you're drinking chocolate you'll have to watch your weight. What about low calorie drinking choc? I know it's not as nice as the real thing, but worth a try. There are also chocolate bars made for diabetics,no sugar but same amount of fat, but it's less calories overall. You can buy them at Boots chemist.

My mother is diabetic and I buy a lot of things fo her at Boots. Their small boxes of sweets are really nice too. Strawberry and cream, mint chocolate, and caramel. I eat them when I'm on diet and have a sweet craving.  

Answer 13

I think a cup a day is fine, but if your concerned there is a tea out there called Mothers Milk which you can find at any vitamin shop.  Its soppose to help with milk supply but it taste very good.

Answer 14

Take a look at this page.

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/youafte...