Breastfeeding and caffeine consumption are topics of interest for many nursing mothers. While moderate caffeine consumption is generally considered safe during breastfeeding, there are some important considerations to keep in mind:
1. Transfer of Caffeine to Breast Milk: Caffeine is a stimulant that can pass from a mother's bloodstream into her breast milk, although the amount that reaches the milk is usually relatively low. The concentration of caffeine in breast milk is typically about 1% of the mother's caffeine intake.
2. Timing Matters: The timing of caffeine consumption can affect the levels of caffeine in breast milk. Caffeine levels in breast milk are highest about 1-2 hours after consumption. To minimize the amount of caffeine in breast milk, it's advisable to wait at least 2-3 hours after having a standard-sized cup of coffee (containing about 100-200 mg of caffeine) before breastfeeding.
3. Infant Sensitivity: Some infants may be more sensitive to caffeine than others. Premature infants and newborns may have a harder time metabolizing caffeine, potentially leading to irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbances. Older infants may be less sensitive.
4. Monitor Your Baby: Pay attention to your baby's behavior and sleep patterns if you consume caffeine. If you notice that caffeine seems to affect your baby, consider adjusting your caffeine intake or timing.
5. Moderate Consumption: Most experts agree that moderate caffeine consumption by a breastfeeding mother is generally safe. This typically means consuming no more than 200-300 milligrams (about one 12-ounce cup of coffee) per day. Keep in mind that caffeine is found not only in coffee but also in tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, and some medications.
6. Stay Hydrated: If you consume caffeinated beverages, remember that caffeine can have a mild diuretic effect, potentially leading to increased urination. Make sure to stay well-hydrated to compensate for any fluid loss.
7. Individual Variability: Each breastfeeding mother and baby is unique. Some babies may be more sensitive to caffeine than others, and some mothers may metabolize caffeine more slowly or quickly. It's important to be attentive to your specific situation and adjust your caffeine consumption accordingly.
8. Caffeine Alternatives: If you're concerned about caffeine's effects on your baby, you can explore caffeine-free alternatives such as herbal teas or decaffeinated coffee.
In summary, moderate caffeine consumption by a breastfeeding mother is generally considered safe for most infants. However, the timing of caffeine consumption and individual variations can influence how it affects the baby. If you have concerns or notice any adverse effects on your baby, consult with a healthcare provider or a lactation consultant for personalized guidance on managing caffeine intake while breastfeeding.
One thing that has changed since becoming a mom is that my brain never stops anymore. Not to be dramatic, but it can get overwhelming sometimes! Whether I’m trying to relax or sleep at night, I always have a million different thoughts running through my mind.
Sometimes you really want to sleep and yet somehow you just can't shut your mind off. It doesn't always happen when you've just had a baby, but that is definitely a time it has happened for me. I'll be laying there knowing I just need to close my eyes, but then alllllllll the things just keep popping into my mind. Did I eat that yogurt that was going to expire tomorrow? How much water did I drink today? Is my computer unplugged or plugged in? It’s always the most random thoughts!
Before giving birth if I woke up with all of the things going on in my mind I'd just throw some peace and calming essential oil on and my sleep stories from the Calm app and be good to go! But with a little one, that doesn't exactly work (think can't move your body when they're sleeping!) so it's up to my mind to slow down and get back to sleep. Sometimes I try to just focus on one simple thing to quiet my mind.
This is still a great resource to use during the day though when I’m not trying to sleep! I love to apply an oil to help calm my mind like peace and calming or lavender when I need to quiet my mind and breathe. If I have a sleeping baby on me, I can use my app quietly or try to just close my eyes and focus on being still. It can definitely be hard some days, but it’s important to find something that works best for you!
The holidays can be a hard time of year for many of us! From all the celebrations, parties and get togethers with yummy food and drinks, it can wreak havoc on our bodies. This year, I’m sharing a few tips to help you enjoy the season and feel good!
There have been so many years where I’ve been like, whatever let me just enjoy, but I’ve paid the price. Now I work to enjoy my holidays without going off the rails with food and drinks. It’s made a big difference in my overall health and no reason to start the year off feeling like garbage. We want to be able to start the year off feeling good and ready for a new year!
One of the things you might not be doing is breathing. Now clearly you’re breathing, but are you taking time to deep breathe? To really pause and breathe in and breathe out? Probably not, and boy does this make a difference. It reduces your cortisol levels, and although cortisol is needed at different times for different things, living in a constant state of stress does not help your body at all and can cause you to retain weight that you might otherwise not.
Another thing you might not be doing is making the healthiest of food options. I know there are so many good foods to enjoy, but it’s important to get a few good things in your diet too! I know there are typically a bunch of foods around that aren’t so healthy for you, cue every holiday cookie and boozy drink that’s served at all the different events you might be attending.
You can bring your own food, you can choose the healthier option out of everything (think the salad that is served or those veggies that likely not as many people will be grabbing for). There’s also the trusted, take a few spoonfuls of everything and eat slowly and mindfully enjoying each bite-but this is often hard for people so I don’t always suggest it.
Lastly, you likely aren’t making a plan. Yup this can be annoying for sure but it truly can be really helpful when it comes to getting through the holidays without feeling like total garbage come January 1.
So what are you going to do next holiday to make it easier for your body?
Having a baby is a journey. There are so many emotions that bubble up during this time - feelings of excitement and joy, but also feelings of anxiety and worry! The #1 thing I reminded myself daily was that it’s a normal part of pregnancy and it’s okay to feel all the things. So many women experience different emotions and each pregnancy is different.
The anticipation of birth can have a lot of different feelings show up too. These ebbs and flows in emotions continues through that postpartum time too. Especially if it is your first pregnancy, you have a lot of feelings of unknown because you don’t know what to expect. In terms of postpartum though, when does it really end?
I looked it up one day because I was curious, and there are a lot of different opinions out there to say the least! Some say it lasts always because the definition of the word postpartum is "following childbirth or the birth of young".
Others say when your kids are young, like not yet in their teen years and still others look at it more being that first year of your little one's life being the postpartum time.
No matter what time you definite postpartum as, it's definitely still a different time period in your life than has ever happened before. I truly refer to postpartum as forever because you become a different person when you become a mom.
It is important to remember to give yourself grace, ask for help when you need it and remember to slow down long enough to take each moment of the journey in - the good, the bad, and the ugly! While you are in the thick of it, the days may seem long, but they say the years fly by! And most of all mama, you aren’t alone!
The changes your body goes through from pre-pregnancy to pregnancy to birth then postpartum can be vast and vary from person to person. No matter which phase you are currently in, it is important to recognize that your body is a literal superhero - taking all of these rapid changes in stride and syncing into a new rhythm.
When you’re pregnant your body is seriously is a superhero. (I had to say this many times during my pregnancy and during labor!)
I recently got a massage by a lovely gentleman who I hadn’t had a massage by since right before I found out I was pregnant and it made me think of how much my body has changed since then.
Every woman’s body recovers differently from pregnancy and birth, which sometimes can be hard to deal with. They say if you breastfeed you’ll burn extra calories and that will help you lose the weight but really it’s not as cut and dry as that.
There’s an idea of way back (think more of that live off the land times) that when you're breastfeeding your body holds onto extra weight to make sure that you have enough umph to continue to nourish your little one if things like famine or war come and you are not able to eat as often.
From the science perspective, the hormone prolactin released during breastfeeding tends to reduce the ability to lose weight in some women. This hormone is released every time you nurse and may contribute to weight gain, especially if you are prone to gaining weight anyway.
Knowing these aspects doesn't always make it easier to deal with the fact that I have not lost the 'baby weight' (which duh, this takes time) but I like to go searching for the why behind things to understand a little bit more of what might be going on in my body.
The one area I am most confident in is FOOD. It is not that I know everything (nobody does) but food has been one of my primary tools for healing and having a magical pregnancy (truly I enjoyed being pregnant like 99% of the time), and as I recently mentioned, a BIG deal when it comes to navigating the holidays.
If you find yourself overindulging during the holiday season and you’re looking for a better way to enjoy foods and feel good stick around, I recently put together a holiday food challenge and I will be doing these throughout the upcoming year so keep an eye out for the next one!
