is anyone a coffee drinker?

[workin'mumof2]

i dont want to be judged but yes i am one of those people who did drink coffee through out there pregnancy but only a max of 2 cups a day... just wondering for those that did drink coffee during pregnancy did u keep drinking during breastfeeding? and did u increase the cups at all or is it still considered bad to drink while breastfeeding..

dh reckons i can drink more now that im not pregnant but i would have thought bubs still gets it and i dont want to drink more if it will effect her more

any info on this would be great.. (not judgements)

[AllyCat]

hey there, i have always been the same, drank coffee right through my pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding and had no problems at all. only ever had 2-3 cups a day max..

[MummaBear03]

I didn't drink it through pregnancy because I couldn't, nothing would stay down and it tasted terrible coming back up again :barf:

I did drink it while breastfeeding and my DD slept 14 hours a night, waking at 10pm and 6am for a feed and nappy change from birth. The day she was born I drank 3 cups that afternoon (she was born at 10:50am) and she went to sleep at 6pm, didn't wake until 6am, the nurses said not to wake her to feed through the night and helped me to express. From the second night though she started waking at 10pm for a feed but went straight back to sleep. I was told it may affect the supply, as it dehydrates a person, but drinking lots of water will help that anyway.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but my DD has no health problems, no weight problems, is quite tall for her age, is fit and active, and has never had problems with sleeping.

[bel_aiden]

hey rosie! i gave up coffe with ds1 as i was a serious coffe drinker... like talken 3 double short maccis to get me started for the day, and evry time i had a smoke id have 1... n worken in a cafe, if they stufd 1 up it be put out the back for us chefs... so i really need to go cold turkey as i gave up smoken too!

any ways, once aiden was here i would treat myself to a normal coffe evryso often but found a nice decaf coffe for the coffe machine and stuck with that.
i found it kept aiden awake is i had 2 much normal coffe.

this time round i just have 1-2 cups a day of normal, as it doesnt effect brock.

my advice, if you love ya coffe, ease yaself in so you can see if it effects ruby or not, you mite be lucky and it doesnt.. and drink lotsa water as caffine will dehydrate you, and you need your energy!

[the_queen]

I drink coffee and also waaaay too much caffeinated soft drink. The cola addiction began during my last pregnancy, I couldn't get enough and still now he's 23 months old and I'm the same with it. He's a normal happy kid, healthy birth weight, feeds well, eats food well, recognised the Coke sign at 5 months old :o :o :o But nah he's fine, it definitely is a stimulant but it's something that some people are badly affected by and others are not. A cup of tea has more caffeine than a can of coke - and lots of everyday stuff has stimulants in it that we don't even think about. So don't worry too much, and look - if you have 5 cups of coffee today, and tonight and tomorrow she's wide awake, then just don't have that much again.

[Duchessa]

I have one espresso a day and i'm bfing - I do feel an amount of pressure to make myself stop though (ain't gonna happen :)). The fert spec I saw with my last preg said that 3 a day was fine during preg. I was rather surprised at that though, and I stopped for most of my preg, but couldn't help myself at the end.

[zenifa]

With both of my pregnancies I had 2 coffees per day (very occasionally 3) and the same whilst breastfeeding with no adverse effects to me or the babies.

I think everything in moderation is okay.
Of course if you notice any difference in bubs sleeping or being overstimulated then you may need to cut back.

[bigglet]

I was listening to a study done in Europe (think it was Denmark or thereabouts) and the study was on coffee during pregnancy and they found that there were no side effects of coffee during pregnancy! The other thing they found was that some people who drank lots of coffee also tended to smoke during pregnancy which of course had an effect.

I drank coffee during pregnancy and also while I'm breastfeeding and I haven't seen any effects in my children passed on.

I'll have to find more about that study done. Was very interesting.

[Shanaynay]

Also just be aware that caffeine can sometimes cause a reduced milk supply, so if you feel like you're not producing enough milk, cut down a bit and see if it makes a difference.

[jacks mum]

I drank coffee through out both of my pregnancies and bf and no dramas, some days only 2 some days up to 4-5.

[forbetoel]

I drank coffee while breast feeding and had no problems with it at all. All of my babies were excellent sleepers so the caffine certainly did not keep them awake.

[Little Chookie]

Coffee/tea is fine in moderation, from what I have read about 1% is transferred to the baby through breast milk.

Some studies suggest a daily intake between 400 - 600mg is unlikely to affect the baby. Of coarse you would watch your individual baby for signs of being affected.

A cup of tea (150ml) would contain about 50 mgs of caffeine, and a cup of coffee around 75mg maybe a little more with espresso (but not sure and its only going to put 1% of the total dose across to the baby).

I'm a coffee drinker through pregnancy too.

ETA (http://www.theteacentre.com.au/index1.html) further information:


Type of Product Caffeine (mg/ serving)
Tea All types 50mg/ 190ml serving1
Coffee Brewed (filter or percolated) 100-115mg/ 190ml serving1
Instant 75mg/ 190ml serving1
Cola drinks Standard and Sugar Free 11-70mg/ 330 ml can2
‘Energy’ drinks All types 28-87mg/ 250ml serving2
Chocolate Bar 5.5-35.5mg/ 50g bar2
On average we consume 3.98mg of caffeine /kg body weight per day ie 239mg/ day
for a 60kg person3.
What is a safe intake of caffeine?
Up to 300mg/day (6 cups of tea) is considered moderate, with no evidence of harmful
effects in the vast majority of the adult population. Some individuals are sensitive to
caffeine and will feel effects at smaller doses than other individuals who are less
sensitive. For this reason, these individuals may need to limit their caffeine intake.
Metabolism and Clearance
Caffeine does not accumulate in the body over a course of time and is normally
excreted within several hours of consumption. The rate of caffeine elimination varies
between individuals and this maybe as a result of genetic factors affecting the
enzymes involved in the metabolism, or due to certain lifestyle factors eg smoking.
Children also metabolise caffeine at a quicker rate. Generally caffeine absorption is
complete within about one hour after ingestion and the plasma concentration peaks

2
after about 60-90 minutes. The half-life of caffeine in the plasma is about 2.5 – 4.5
hours in healthy adults.4
Caffeine Tolerance
A number of different factors affect individual tolerance to caffeine, including the
amount ingested, the frequency of caffeine consumption and individual metabolism. It
is widely recognised that gradual tolerance develops with prolonged caffeine use.
Physiological Effects
Caffeine is a pharmacologically active substance, and depending on the dose, has a
number of actions:-
• Central Nervous System Stimulant. A moderate caffeine intake can cause mild
stimulation that maybe beneficial in terms of increased alertness, concentration,
improved performance and decreased fatigue.5-10 However, higher intakes may
affect sleep, cause nervousness and an irregular heartbeat.
• Weak Bronchodilator. As a result, interest has been shown in its potential role as
an asthma treatment. A number of studies have explored the effects of caffeine in
asthma and the conclusions from a Cochrane Review suggest that caffeine
appears to improve airways function modestly in people with asthma for up to four
hours after consumption.11
• Diuretic. The diuretic action of caffeine may be due to an increase in renal blood
flow, leading to an increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), or due to a
decreased reabsorption of sodium in the renal tubules. The diuretic effect of
caffeine is dependent on the amount consumed and duration of intake eg the
caffeine in tea does not have a diuretic effect unless the amount of tea consumed
at one sitting contains more than 250-300mg of caffeine, equivalent to between 5
and 6 cups of tea.12-17
In fact, due to the volume of fluid that is drunk whilst enjoying a cup of tea, the
British Dietetic Association advises that tea can contribute towards the dailyrecommended
fluid intake of 1.5 to 2 litres.
• Cardiac Muscle Stimulant. Moderate caffeine consumption does not increase
cardiac arrhythmias.18
If regular caffeine consumption is stopped abruptly, symptoms such as headaches,
irritability and fatigue may occur. These effects are usually temporary, disappearing
after a day or so and can be avoided if caffeine cessation is gradual.
Caffeine and Health
The role of caffeine in the development of certain diseases and conditions has been
the subject of extensive research in recent years.
• Cancer.
A number of studies investigating the impact of caffeine in the development of
cancer have failed to establish a relationship.19-22 In fact, tea is one of the richest
sources of flavonoids, a powerful group of antioxidants. The role of antioxidants in
the prevention of free radical damage has led to suggestions that tea maybe anti 3
carcinogenic.23 Despite interesting preliminary research, further work is required to
prove its beneficial effect in this area.
• Heart Disease.
A number of studies have investigated the relationship between caffeine and heart
disease and results from these and epidemiological studies have led to the
conclusion that the ingestion of moderate amounts of caffeine is not associated
with any increased risk of heart disease.24-28 The Committee on Medical Aspects of
Food Policy concluded that ‘there is little evidence that caffeine itself has any
relation with CHD risk’ in the 1994 Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease
report.29
• Parkinson’s Disease.
Observational studies have suggested that caffeine may play a role in protecting
against Parkinson’s disease,30-31 although further research is required to determine
the exact mechanism.
• Relief of headaches.
In a study of 301 regular headache sufferers, researchers found that a combination
of ibuprofen and caffeine was better than either drug alone in relieving pain.32
Although a caffeine ‘pill’ was used in this trial, the researchers believed that
caffeinated beverages would work just as well. However, they did warn that
chronic headache sufferers should avoid caffeine because it might exacerbate
symptoms. More work is required in this field before firm conclusions about
caffeine and pain relief can be drawn.
• Pregnancy
Caffeine crosses the placenta and achieves blood and tissue concentrations in the
foetus that are similar to maternal concentrations. For this reason recent advice
published by the Food Standards Agency33 recommends that pregnant women
should limit their intake of caffeine consumption to less than 300mg/ day
(equivalent to 6 cups of tea/ day). At this level there is little evidence to suggest
that the health of the unborn child or mother is affected.
In Summary…
Despite recent publicity about caffeine, the fact remains that the consumption of
caffeine at intakes of 300mg/ day has no adverse effects in the vast majority of the
adult population. For this reason an average intake of three to four cups of tea34 a day
is well within the level considered safe.
Caffeine and breastfeeding.

Caffeine enters breastmilk in small amounts (about 1% of the mother's
plasma level) but it does accumulate in smaller babies. Six to eight
cups of coffee a day can result in infant wakefulness and
hyperactivity. Smoking augments this effect. Of course the dose of
caffeine from one cup of tea a day is nothing like the dose from
several cups of coffee a day, but it is best to keep the dose the baby
gets as low as possible

References:-
1. Gray J (1998). Caffeine, coffee and health. Nutrition and Food Science 6:314-
319
2. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) (1998). Survey of caffeine
and other methylxanthines in energy drinks and other caffeine containing
products (updated). Food Surveillance Information Sheet No. 144 (No. 103
revised). London
3. Barone JJ, et al. (1996) Caffeine consumption. Food and Chemical Toxicology
34:119-129

4
4. Graham TE (1997) The possible actions of methylxanthines on various tissues.
In Reily T., Orme M (eds). The clinical pharmacology of sports and exercise.
Elsevier Science, Amsterdam. 257-270
5. Lieberman HR, et al (1987). The effects of low doses of caffeine on human
performance and mood. Psychopharmacology 93:308-312
6. Jarvis M. (1993). Does caffeine intake enhance absolute levels of cognitive
performance? Psychopharmacology 110:45-52
7. Hindmarch I, et al. (1998). The effects of black tea and other beverages on
aspects of cognition and psychomotor performance. Psychopharmacology
139(3) :230-238
8. Smith AP, et al (1990-91). Effects of caffeine given before and after lunch on
sustained attention. Neuropsychobiology 23(3): 160-163
9. Durlach PJ, et al (1998). The effects of a low dose of caffeine on cognitive
performance. Psychopharmacology 140(1):116-119
10. Battig K. (1986) Effect of coffee on the speed of subject-paced information
processing. Neuropsychobiology;16(2-3):126-30
11. Bara AI, Barley EA. (2001) Caffeine for asthma (Cochrane Review). In: The
Cochrane Library, 2, Oxford
12. Nussberger, J. et al. (1990) Caffeine-induced diuresis and atrial natriuretic
peptides. Journal of cardiovascular Pharmacology, 15, 685-691
13. Neuhäuser-Berthold, M. et al. (1997) Coffee consumption and total body water
homeostasis as measured by fluid balance and bioelectrical impedance
analysis. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 41, 29-36
14. Martof, M.T. and Knox, D.K. (1997) The effect of xanthines on fluid balance.
Clinical Nursing Research, 6:186-196
15. Stookey, J.D. (1999) The diuretic effects of alcohol and caffeine and total water
intake misclassification. European Journal of Epidemiology, 15, 181-188
16. Passmore AP et al (1987) Renal and cardiovascular effects of caffeine: a dose
response study. Clin. Sci. 72(6), 749-56
17. Grandjean AC et al (2000) The effect of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, caloric
and non-caloric beverages on hydration. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 19(5), 591-600
18. Myers MG. (1991) Caffeine and cardiac arrhythmias. Annals of Int Med,114:
147-150
19. Rosenberg L. (1990). Coffee and tea consumption in relation to the risk of large
bowel cancer. A Review of Epidemiological Studies. Cancer Letters 52:163-171
20. Jacobsen BK, et al (1986). Coffee drinking, Mortality and Cancer Incidence:
Results from a Norwegian prospective study. Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, 76:823-831
21. Gordis, L (1990). Consumption of methylxanthine-containing beverages and
risk of pancreatic cancer. Cancer Letters, 52:1-12
22. Lubin F, et al. (1990) Consumption of methylxanthine-containing beverages
and the risk of breast cancer. Cancer Letters, 53:81-90
23. Huang MT, et al (1992). Phenolic compounds in food and cancer prevention.
Phenoloc Compounds in Food and Their Effects on Health II Washington:
American Chemical Society Symposium Series,
24. Grobbee, DE, et al (1990). Coffee, caffeine and cardiovascular disease in men.
The New England Journal of Medicine 323:1026-1032
25. Bak AAA, et al (1991). Caffeine, blood pressure, and serum lipids. Am J Clin
Nut, 53:971-975
26. Stamler J, et al (1997). Relation of body mass and alcohol, nutrient, fiber and
caffeine intakes to blood pressure in the special intervention and usual care 5
groups in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Am J Clin Nut, 65(Supp.):
338-365
27. Willett WC, et al (1996). Coffee consumption and coronary heart disease in
women. A ten-year follow up. JAMA 275: 458-462
28. Woodward M, et al (1999). Coffee and tea consumption in the Scottish Heart
Health Study follow-up: conflicting relations with coronary risk factors, coronary
disease and all-cause mortality. J. Epidemiology and Community Health, 53:
481-487
29. Nutritional Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease (1994). Report of the
Cardiovascular Review Group Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy.
Department of Health
30. Ross G et al (2000). Association of coffee and caffeine intake with the risk of
Parkinson Disease. JAMA, 283:2674-2679
31. Ascherio A, et al (2001). Prospective study of caffeine consumption and risk of
Parkinson’s disease in men and women. Ann Neurol, 50(1):56-63
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Headache. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics;68:312-319
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Consumer Products and the Environment. Statement on the Reproductive
Effects of Caffeine
34. National Drinks Survey, April 2001



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!

[Sheer Bliss]

Also just be aware that caffeine can sometimes cause a reduced milk supply, so if you feel like you're not producing enough milk, cut down a bit and see if it makes a difference.

:yes: Yup - this happened to me with DD, whenever I had too much coffee or coke, she wasn't satisifed, so i had to cut it out. I don't know if i have more milk with DS, or what, but i can have a can of coke (or 2) or a cappacino & have no worries.

I usually avoid it, and drink decaf where i can, as I have a big reaction to caffine. If i have a large gloria jeans, i am buzzing & bouncing off the walls, so i figure that it MAY react with DS the same way. He seems to be fine in the low doses i have, and I don't mind the taste of decaf anyway.

When pregnant, i hardly touched it with DD, abut would have the odd one with DS (after about 25weeks when i could handle the smell again) - dunno if that has made any difference to anything. She was an unsettled baby, he is a very settled one - so don't think there are any withdrawal issues going on. Some days i'll have no caffeine

[Laksa]

through my first pregnancy, breastfeeding and now BOTH - i have one coffee per day :D

[alphafemale2901]

Virtually no coffee with my 1st and whilst breast feeding her. With the 2nd I had 2 cups of full-strength a day and only decaf if I could help while breast feeding, but up to 4 cups a day. :rolleyes:

I would worry about being judged. Do whatever you want because you will know your limits and what works or doesn't for your bub.

[kimmymonster]

When I was pregnant with my twins I drank 1 cup of coffee a day. Once I had them I allowed myself 2-3 cups a day. I drink plenty of water as well and have found that drinking coffee hasn't affected my bubbas at all. Some days I wouldn't be able to get my brain in gear without my morning cup of coffee.:D