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After nine months of resisting your evening cocktail and holding that tempting cup of coffee at bay ‘lest they damage your still-growing baby, you’re dying for a sip of wine or a jolt of java. Your best friend shows up at the maternity ward with a steaming double mocha latte, and your grandmother swears by drinking a beer every night to get that baby to sleep better, but the nurse warns that breastfeeding mothers are not to touch the stuff. It is time to set the record straight.Caffeine
Not to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the stimulants in coffee, cocoa, soda, and some tea will reach your breast milk and therefore will be consumed by the tiny fellow you are trying to encourage to sleep through the night. Caffeine and a new baby are not a good combination.
While a small amount of caffeine may not outwardly affect your child, the cumulation in the baby’s small body will have an influence. Drinking too much will show immediate results in the form of an irritable or gassy baby, and long term use may even result in a caffeine-addicted baby. No need to call Caffeine-Drinkers-Anonymous. Just use our savvy tips.
If you must sip, do so right after you have nursed. The longer the baby waits to nurse again, the more diluted the caffeine will be. Two or more hours is ideal, although holding off more than two hours to feed a newborn is not advised, even for the sake of a good cup of coffee. Pumping and dumping after a coffee is another option.
Alcohol
Just as alcohol enters into your blood, it enters into your milk, your baby, and your baby’s blood. Just as your liver will filter the alcohol from your blood, your little cutie’s liver will have to be called on to perform the same cleansing tasks. If your baby is under three months, that tiny liver is half as efficient as Mom’s, meaning any alcohol baby gets through your milk will stay in that little body twice as long.
Okay, that’s the science, but what does it mean? Can I have that White Russian or not?
It depends.
If your baby is under three months, try not to drink at all. If your baby is older, nurse immediately prior to indulging. Wait at least two hours–three is better–before feeding the baby. By that time, the alcohol should be out of your body. If you intend to overindulge, pump ahead of time for a sober caregiver to feed the baby until the alcohol has left your bloodstream and milk.
More than two drinks a day lands you in the heavy drinking category. While drinking heavily, you should neither nurse nor be exclusively responsible for the care of a baby, even at night, since your reaction and ability to be roused from sleep are impaired.
If you do choose to drink lightly and nurse your baby, be forewarned that–sorry Grandma–alcohol actually stimulates a baby and causes fussiness and poor sleep. Alcohol also slows the let-down of the milk. Infants exposed to alcohol are slower in achieving their developmental milestones than those breastfed babies of mothers who do not consume alcohol. Instead of giving up nursing, adjust your schedule to nurse when the baby will be least affected, or seek help to cut back to healthy limits.
Rest easy, Mom! There’s no need to call off beer and pizza night or chat time with the girls at the local coffee shop. Just be smart–your baby will thank you.
