Caffeine while breastfeeding

caffeine

Caffeine. You probably got used to limiting your caffeine intake during pregnancy. But now your baby’s here – and if you’re breastfeeding, you’ll still need to keep an eye on how much caffeine you’re having. The good news – you can have a little more than the upper limit recommended for expecting moms. 

Can I drink coffee while breastfeeding?

Yes, it’s safe to drink coffee when you’re breastfeeding, as long as you don’t overdo it. Most experts recommend limiting your caffeine intake to 300 milligrams daily, or the amount in about 16 ounces of brewed coffee. That’s about one large cup, depending on the brand.

When caffeine enters your bloodstream, a small amount of it (usually less than 1 percent) ends up in your breast milk. The amount in your milk peaks a couple of hours after you consume it.

If you do have more than one cup a day, you can minimize the amount in your breast milk at any one time by spreading your coffee intake over the course of the day.

The amount of caffeine in a serving of coffee varies widely, depending on the type of bean, how it’s roasted, and how it’s brewed. Although espresso contains more caffeine per ounce, it’s served in small amounts, so a full cup of brewed coffee will deliver more caffeine.

To see how much caffeine is in various popular coffee brands, other drinks, and foods, check our caffeine chart below.

Will caffeine while breastfeeding affect my baby?

Many experts say that a moderate amount of caffeine (no more than 300 milligrams per day) is fine for nursing moms and babies and should cause no changes in most babies’ behavior. But drinking more than two or three cups of coffee a day may cause one or both of you to become irritable, jittery, or agitated, and can contribute to sleeping problems.

That said, every baby is different. If your baby seems to be bothered when you have even a small amount of caffeine, you may want to cut it out of your diet for a while to see if that makes a difference.

Since your newborn’s body can’t easily break down and get rid of caffeine, it may accumulate in their system. (At about 3 months, your baby will begin to process caffeine more efficiently, and over time it’ll become easier for them to excrete it.)

How much caffeine is in different foods and beverages?

To manage your caffeine intake, you’ll need to be aware of various sources, like coffee, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, and coffee ice cream. Caffeine also shows up in herbal products and over-the-counter drugs, including some headache, cold, and allergy remedies. Read labels carefully.

Amount of caffeine in common foods and beverages

CoffeeAmountCaffeine
coffee, generic8 oz95-200 mg
coffee, McDonalds16 oz145 mg
coffee, Peets16 oz260 mg
coffee, Starbucks16 oz260-360 mg
coffee, Dunkin’14 oz210 mg
caffe Americano, Starbucks16 oz225 mg
coffee, Dunkin’ cold brew14 oz260 mg
coffee, Starbucks iced16 oz165 mg
caffe latte, Starbucks16 oz150 mg
espresso, Starbucks1.5 oz (1 shot)150 mg
flat white, Starbucks12 oz130 mg
espresso, generic1 oz (1 shot)64 mg
Nespresso capsules160 mg
coffee, generic instant8 oz75 mg
coffee, Starbucks decaffeinated16 oz25 mg
coffee, generic decaffeinated8 oz2-15 mg
TeaAmountCaffeine
chai latte, Starbucks16 oz95 mg
black tea, brewed1 bag55-95 mg
green tea, brewed1 bag45-95 mg
black tea, decaffeinated1 bag<5 mg
Tazo Iced Black Tea14 oz31-45 mg
Honest T Organic Just Black T17 oz21 mg
Snapple Lemon Tea16 oz37 mg
Lipton Lemon Iced Tea17 oz21 mg
Soft drinksAmountCaffeine
Pepsi Zero Sugar12 oz69 mg
Mountain Dew12 oz54 mg
Diet Coke12 oz46 mg
Dr. Pepper12 oz.41 mg
Pepsi12 oz38 mg
Diet Pepsi12 oz36 mg
Coca-Cola Classic12 oz34 mg
Cherry Coke12 oz.34 mg
Barq’s Root Beer12 oz22 mg
7-Up12 oz0 mg
Sierra Mist12 oz0 mg
Sprite12 oz0 mg
Energy drinksAmountCaffeine
Red Bull8.5 oz80 mg
Mountain Dew Amp Original16 oz142 mg
5-Hour Energy Regular1.9 oz200 mg
Monster Energy16 oz160 mg
Rockstar Energy Original16 oz160 mg
Starbucks Doubleshot Energy15 oz135 mg
Vitaminwater Energy Tropical Citrus20 oz50 mg
DessertsAmountCaffeine
Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate1 bar20 mg
Hershey’s milk chocolate1 bar9 mg
Ben & Jerry’s coffee ice cream2/3 cup65 mg
Dreyer’s or Edy’s coffee ice cream2/3 cup14 mg
hot cocoa mix8 oz1-3 mg
chocolate milk8 oz5-8 mg

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