May 22, 2025 • 12 mins
Planning for a birth that makes breastfeeding easier? Check out my FREE guide on setting yourself up for breastfeeding success:https://bit.ly/los-birthpractice-workbook
---------------------------------
In this evidence-based episode of Lo’s Lactation Lab, host Lo Nigrosh addresses a common concern for new parents: Is it safe to consume caffeine while breastfeeding? With practical examples and scientific clarity, Lo demystifies how caffeine enters breast milk, what effects it may have on infants, and how to safely manage your caffeine intake while caring for a baby. Whether you're surviving on lattes or craving chocolate, this episode offers peace of mind and realistic guidance.
Lo Nigrosh is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), birth doula, and certified childbirth educator. With deep expertise in breastfeeding and postpartum recovery, Lo brings both technical knowledge and emotional support to families navigating infant feeding. Her compassionate and empowering approach helps parents make confident, informed choices.
Expect to Learn:
Follow the Host:
#breastfeeding #breastfeedingjourney #breastfeedingstruggles #breastfeedingsupport #postpartum #postpartumsupport #ibclc #childbirtheducation #caffeinewhilebreastfeeding #breastfeedingandcoffee #postpartumnutrition
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lo-s-lactation-lab--5834691/support.
Follow Lo Nigrosh:
---------------------------------
In this evidence-based episode of Lo’s Lactation Lab, host Lo Nigrosh addresses a common concern for new parents: Is it safe to consume caffeine while breastfeeding? With practical examples and scientific clarity, Lo demystifies how caffeine enters breast milk, what effects it may have on infants, and how to safely manage your caffeine intake while caring for a baby. Whether you're surviving on lattes or craving chocolate, this episode offers peace of mind and realistic guidance.
Lo Nigrosh is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), birth doula, and certified childbirth educator. With deep expertise in breastfeeding and postpartum recovery, Lo brings both technical knowledge and emotional support to families navigating infant feeding. Her compassionate and empowering approach helps parents make confident, informed choices.
Expect to Learn:
- How caffeine is metabolized in adults versus infants, and why it matters.
- What the science says about how much caffeine is safe while breastfeeding.
- Common signs that your baby might be sensitive to caffeine.
- Practical ways to enjoy your favorite drinks without worry.
- Myths about caffeine “drying up” milk supply and what’s actually true.
- [00:00] – Introduction and Why Caffeine Matters
- [03:57] – Half-Life of Caffeine by Age Group
- [06:34] – Safe Caffeine Limits and Common Sources
- [08:25] – Signs to Watch Baby Sensitivity to Caffeine
- [09:41] – Managing Intake and Spacing Caffeine Around Feeds
- [10:52] – Debunking the Myth of Caffeine Lower Milk Supply?
- [12:12] – Final Thoughts and How to Get Support
Follow the Host:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lo-nigrosh-16371495/
- Website: https://www.quabbinbirthservices.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quabbinbirthservices/
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/los-lactation-lab/id1614255223
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F54fe1szmemB9n7YUJgWv?si=2eea7f1cfba64867
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@loslactationlab3967
#breastfeeding #breastfeedingjourney #breastfeedingstruggles #breastfeedingsupport #postpartum #postpartumsupport #ibclc #childbirtheducation #caffeinewhilebreastfeeding #breastfeedingandcoffee #postpartumnutrition
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lo-s-lactation-lab--5834691/support.
Follow Lo Nigrosh:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lo-nigrosh-16371495/
- Website: https://www.quabbinbirthservices.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quabbinbirthservices/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
There is no evidence to suggest that caffeine has any
impact on your milk supply at all. In fact, this
has been studied extensively and in studies we see no
difference in milk supply. The only caveat to this is
a baby who is experiencing symptoms from having too much
(00:23):
caffeine may not feed as well, and so that baby
may have lower weight gain because they are not feeding well.
But it's not because you don't have enough milk. Before
we begin, I want to share something special with all
of you expecting parents out there. As an internationally board
(00:44):
certified lactation consultant, I've seen firsthand how a little planning
can go a long way to helping you achieve your
baby feeding goals. That's why I'm offering you my free ebook.
It's called Birth Practices to Support Breastfeeding and it's a workbook,
so check out the link in the description below. Hello,
(01:06):
and welcome back to Lowe's Lactation Lab. I'm low Ni Gosh,
an International Board certified lactation consultant, a doula, and a
childbirth educator, and today we are going to be talking
about how much caffeine is too much? If you are
a parent who runs on coffee, You're not alone. And
(01:28):
many of us, when we are pregnant try to reduce
our caffeine consumption, but wonder how much is too much
Once that baby is born and we're in the postpartum
period and we're getting even less sleep than we were
while pregnant, even though we didn't think it was possible.
So today we're going to be diving into the science
(01:48):
and the myths and what experts say about ingesting caffeine
while nursing. So why does this topic matter? Because, as
I'll say again and again breastfeeding and chest feeding and
pumping parents, we will do so much to ensure that
our babies are healthy and thriving and getting what they need,
(02:12):
and many of us feel like we need to eliminate
any potential harm to our babies, no matter how small
the risk. However, it is important to look to the
science of what is actually harmful and what is okay
so that we can have balance in our lives still
(02:34):
feel like we are able to enjoy things that we
enjoyed before we became parents, and for many people, caffeine,
whether that's in the form of coffee, tea, soda, chocolate
is one of those things that we don't want to
give up if we don't have to, and that's okay.
(02:54):
Your comfort is important while you're feeding your baby, and
it is important to be able to find the joys
in life that you found previously. So a lot of people,
especially when they're infant, is not sleeping long stretches, wonder
if their caffeine consumption could be too much. So today
(03:16):
you are going to discover whether or not you are
drinking too much caffeine. So we know that caffeine is
a stimulant that's found in all sorts of drinks and
in food like chocolate, and in some medications it does
pass into the breast milk, but how much and what
(03:37):
does that mean? So caffeine is metabolized differently in adults
and babies, and in fact, it's metabolized differently in newborn
babies versus babies that are a little bit older. So
what does this mean for you? So, the half life
(03:58):
of any subset stance that you ingest is the time
required for the quantity to reduce to half its initial value.
And every drug has a half life measurement. Because this
is one of the things we look at to see
whether or not it is safe for a lactating parent
(04:20):
to use. It's not the only measurement we look at,
but it is one of the measurements. And so for caffeine,
the half life for an adult is four point nine hours,
so whatever the initial dosage is four point nine hours later,
it is now half of what it was initially. For
(04:41):
a newborn, the half life of caffeine is ninety seven
point five hours, So if a newborn were to ingest caffeine,
which sometimes they need to. Sometimes caffeine is given in
high doses for infants that have breathing difficulties, it's ninety
seven point five hours until it's at its half life.
(05:02):
If you look at a three to five month old,
that half life is fourteen hours, and then if you
look at a six plus month old, that half life
is two point six hours. So that goes to show
that there is a wide variance in age and how
quickly the caffeine is metabolized. We also know that caffeine
(05:27):
peaks it's at its highest level in the blood one
to two hours after the ingestion, and then that caffeine
gets taken from the blood and as the blood is
being turned into breast milk, some trace amounts of the
caffeine gets transferred into the breast milk. Now, how much
(05:50):
of this caffeine actually gets to the baby, Well, it's
a very small amount. So whatever amount of caffeine the
parent ingests, the infant is going to take probably somewhere
around six to ten percent of that amount. So what
does this mean practically for you, the tired parent who's
(06:12):
trying to nurse your baby around the clock and would
also like to enjoy caffeine. Go ahead and enjoy your coffee,
your tea, your hot coco, because the amounts that you
take are probably much lower than what would have any
impact on the infant at all, any noticeable impact. So
(06:35):
the average recommendation we often hear is to keep caffeine
levels to about five hundred milligrams per day. So that's
anywhere between three hundred and seven hundred and fifty milligrams
of caffeine. Depending on how sensitive your baby might be
to the caffeine during pregnancy. Most sources suggest three hundred
(06:56):
milligrams a day of the upper limit, but some sources
have that upper limit at around one hundred and fifty
milligrams per day during pregnancy as a comparison, So if
you go through some of the most common sources of caffeine,
a Starbucks coffee, a short one, for instance, has two
(07:17):
hundred and fifty milligrams of coffee, a tall one has
three hundred and seventy five milligrams of coffee, and a
grande has five hundred milligrams of coffee. But a cappuccino
or a latte has about seventy milligrams of caffeine. A
brewed coffee at home is going to have about one
hundred and twenty to one hundred and eighty milligrams of coffee,
(07:39):
and then sodaes A twelve ounce soda, for instance, is
going to have anywhere between twenty and fifty five or
sixty milligrams of caffeine, and then tea is going to
be around that as well, so anywhere between thirty and
fifty milligrams of caffeine in about eight ounces of tea.
(07:59):
But you you can always look at the labels because
the caffeine is labeled there. So depending on what type
of coffee you like, that could be anywhere between three
and five cups of coffee if you're brewing it at home,
one big Starbucks coffee in a day gets you to
that value, and so you can definitely still enjoy your caffeine. Now,
(08:25):
what should you look out for? What are the signs
of too much caffeine in baby? Because all of these
data points are based on averages, and so each little
individual baby may have different reactions to caffeine. So the
signs and too much caffeine are irritability, poor sleep, fussiness
(08:45):
and jitteriness, and elevated heart rates as well. So if
you think, you know what, my caffeine levels might be
high enough that it is impacting my baby, or if
you have a baby who was born early or has
extra medical complications and you are noticing irritability and fussiness
(09:08):
and you can't discover any other root cause, it may
be important to switch out that caffeinated drink for a
non caffeinated drink and see if it makes an impact. Now,
it may take up to a week to have all
of the caffeine leave the baby's bloodstream, especially if they
(09:30):
were born early, and so it may take up to
that amount of time to notice a difference in their symptoms.
If they are experiencing any symptoms from caffeine. There are
some tips for managing caffeine intake if you are feeling
worried about it. Space your caffeine around feedings. So if
you feed your baby, then have your cup of coffee
(09:52):
and your baby doesn't need to eat for another one
to two hours, well, then the caffeine levels have peaked
both in your blood and in the breast milk. When
it has gone down in your blood, it also goes
down in the breast milk. The same as what we
talked about in alcohol in a previous episode. It doesn't
get stored in the breast milk. Once the levels come
(10:13):
down in your blood, it also comes down in your milk.
You can try to switch out lower caffeine options, and
you can just do searches online of how much caffeine
is in various items. You can look at menus of
your favorite coffee and tea places and they should have
(10:34):
the dosage on there, So try switching it out for
lower caffeine options and staying hydrated. So getting enough water
is always going to help with flushing out your system
and helping the levels in the caffeine reduce more quickly. Now,
let's talk about a couple of myths Before we wrap up,
(10:57):
if you look online, you will see a lot of
chatter about caffeine drying up your milk or decreasing your
milk supply, and there is no evidence to suggest that
caffeine has any impact on your milk supply at all.
In fact, this has been studied extensively and in studies
we see no difference in milk supply. The only caveat
(11:22):
to this is a baby who is experiencing symptoms from
having too much caffeine may not feed as well, and
so that baby may have lower weight gain because they
are not feeding well, but it's not because you don't
have enough milk. And again, like with alcohol, pumping and
(11:46):
dumping is not going to reduce the amount of caffeine
in your breast milk. Waiting the amount of time if
you have had a huge dose of caffeine in medication
or for some other reason, just waiting until that caffeine
level has peaked and then feeding or pumping is going
(12:08):
to be a better way to ensure that your baby
doesn't get too much caffeine. So with that, I would
love for you to share your own stories or questions
about caffeine intake. You can reach out to me on
my socials, on Instagram or on TikTok. So reach out
to me there and if you have any questions regarding
(12:30):
food substances, I'm here for it. So book an appointment
and I would love to help reassure you and give
you the guidance that makes you feel really good about
feeding your baby. Talk to you soon.
There is no evidence to suggest that caffeine has any
impact on your milk supply at all. In fact, this
has been studied extensively and in studies we see no
difference in milk supply. The only caveat to this is
a baby who is experiencing symptoms from having too much
(00:23):
caffeine may not feed as well, and so that baby
may have lower weight gain because they are not feeding well.
But it's not because you don't have enough milk. Before
we begin, I want to share something special with all
of you expecting parents out there. As an internationally board
(00:44):
certified lactation consultant, I've seen firsthand how a little planning
can go a long way to helping you achieve your
baby feeding goals. That's why I'm offering you my free ebook.
It's called Birth Practices to Support Breastfeeding and it's a workbook,
so check out the link in the description below. Hello,
(01:06):
and welcome back to Lowe's Lactation Lab. I'm low Ni Gosh,
an International Board certified lactation consultant, a doula, and a
childbirth educator, and today we are going to be talking
about how much caffeine is too much? If you are
a parent who runs on coffee, You're not alone. And
(01:28):
many of us, when we are pregnant try to reduce
our caffeine consumption, but wonder how much is too much
Once that baby is born and we're in the postpartum
period and we're getting even less sleep than we were
while pregnant, even though we didn't think it was possible.
So today we're going to be diving into the science
(01:48):
and the myths and what experts say about ingesting caffeine
while nursing. So why does this topic matter? Because, as
I'll say again and again breastfeeding and chest feeding and
pumping parents, we will do so much to ensure that
our babies are healthy and thriving and getting what they need,
(02:12):
and many of us feel like we need to eliminate
any potential harm to our babies, no matter how small
the risk. However, it is important to look to the
science of what is actually harmful and what is okay
so that we can have balance in our lives still
(02:34):
feel like we are able to enjoy things that we
enjoyed before we became parents, and for many people, caffeine,
whether that's in the form of coffee, tea, soda, chocolate
is one of those things that we don't want to
give up if we don't have to, and that's okay.
(02:54):
Your comfort is important while you're feeding your baby, and
it is important to be able to find the joys
in life that you found previously. So a lot of people,
especially when they're infant, is not sleeping long stretches, wonder
if their caffeine consumption could be too much. So today
(03:16):
you are going to discover whether or not you are
drinking too much caffeine. So we know that caffeine is
a stimulant that's found in all sorts of drinks and
in food like chocolate, and in some medications it does
pass into the breast milk, but how much and what
(03:37):
does that mean? So caffeine is metabolized differently in adults
and babies, and in fact, it's metabolized differently in newborn
babies versus babies that are a little bit older. So
what does this mean for you? So, the half life
(03:58):
of any subset stance that you ingest is the time
required for the quantity to reduce to half its initial value.
And every drug has a half life measurement. Because this
is one of the things we look at to see
whether or not it is safe for a lactating parent
(04:20):
to use. It's not the only measurement we look at,
but it is one of the measurements. And so for caffeine,
the half life for an adult is four point nine hours,
so whatever the initial dosage is four point nine hours later,
it is now half of what it was initially. For
(04:41):
a newborn, the half life of caffeine is ninety seven
point five hours, So if a newborn were to ingest caffeine,
which sometimes they need to. Sometimes caffeine is given in
high doses for infants that have breathing difficulties, it's ninety
seven point five hours until it's at its half life.
(05:02):
If you look at a three to five month old,
that half life is fourteen hours, and then if you
look at a six plus month old, that half life
is two point six hours. So that goes to show
that there is a wide variance in age and how
quickly the caffeine is metabolized. We also know that caffeine
(05:27):
peaks it's at its highest level in the blood one
to two hours after the ingestion, and then that caffeine
gets taken from the blood and as the blood is
being turned into breast milk, some trace amounts of the
caffeine gets transferred into the breast milk. Now, how much
(05:50):
of this caffeine actually gets to the baby, Well, it's
a very small amount. So whatever amount of caffeine the
parent ingests, the infant is going to take probably somewhere
around six to ten percent of that amount. So what
does this mean practically for you, the tired parent who's
(06:12):
trying to nurse your baby around the clock and would
also like to enjoy caffeine. Go ahead and enjoy your coffee,
your tea, your hot coco, because the amounts that you
take are probably much lower than what would have any
impact on the infant at all, any noticeable impact. So
(06:35):
the average recommendation we often hear is to keep caffeine
levels to about five hundred milligrams per day. So that's
anywhere between three hundred and seven hundred and fifty milligrams
of caffeine. Depending on how sensitive your baby might be
to the caffeine during pregnancy. Most sources suggest three hundred
(06:56):
milligrams a day of the upper limit, but some sources
have that upper limit at around one hundred and fifty
milligrams per day during pregnancy as a comparison, So if
you go through some of the most common sources of caffeine,
a Starbucks coffee, a short one, for instance, has two
(07:17):
hundred and fifty milligrams of coffee, a tall one has
three hundred and seventy five milligrams of coffee, and a
grande has five hundred milligrams of coffee. But a cappuccino
or a latte has about seventy milligrams of caffeine. A
brewed coffee at home is going to have about one
hundred and twenty to one hundred and eighty milligrams of coffee,
(07:39):
and then sodaes A twelve ounce soda, for instance, is
going to have anywhere between twenty and fifty five or
sixty milligrams of caffeine, and then tea is going to
be around that as well, so anywhere between thirty and
fifty milligrams of caffeine in about eight ounces of tea.
(07:59):
But you you can always look at the labels because
the caffeine is labeled there. So depending on what type
of coffee you like, that could be anywhere between three
and five cups of coffee if you're brewing it at home,
one big Starbucks coffee in a day gets you to
that value, and so you can definitely still enjoy your caffeine. Now,
(08:25):
what should you look out for? What are the signs
of too much caffeine in baby? Because all of these
data points are based on averages, and so each little
individual baby may have different reactions to caffeine. So the
signs and too much caffeine are irritability, poor sleep, fussiness
(08:45):
and jitteriness, and elevated heart rates as well. So if
you think, you know what, my caffeine levels might be
high enough that it is impacting my baby, or if
you have a baby who was born early or has
extra medical complications and you are noticing irritability and fussiness
(09:08):
and you can't discover any other root cause, it may
be important to switch out that caffeinated drink for a
non caffeinated drink and see if it makes an impact. Now,
it may take up to a week to have all
of the caffeine leave the baby's bloodstream, especially if they
(09:30):
were born early, and so it may take up to
that amount of time to notice a difference in their symptoms.
If they are experiencing any symptoms from caffeine. There are
some tips for managing caffeine intake if you are feeling
worried about it. Space your caffeine around feedings. So if
you feed your baby, then have your cup of coffee
(09:52):
and your baby doesn't need to eat for another one
to two hours, well, then the caffeine levels have peaked
both in your blood and in the breast milk. When
it has gone down in your blood, it also goes
down in the breast milk. The same as what we
talked about in alcohol in a previous episode. It doesn't
get stored in the breast milk. Once the levels come
(10:13):
down in your blood, it also comes down in your milk.
You can try to switch out lower caffeine options, and
you can just do searches online of how much caffeine
is in various items. You can look at menus of
your favorite coffee and tea places and they should have
(10:34):
the dosage on there, So try switching it out for
lower caffeine options and staying hydrated. So getting enough water
is always going to help with flushing out your system
and helping the levels in the caffeine reduce more quickly. Now,
let's talk about a couple of myths Before we wrap up,
(10:57):
if you look online, you will see a lot of
chatter about caffeine drying up your milk or decreasing your
milk supply, and there is no evidence to suggest that
caffeine has any impact on your milk supply at all.
In fact, this has been studied extensively and in studies
we see no difference in milk supply. The only caveat
(11:22):
to this is a baby who is experiencing symptoms from
having too much caffeine may not feed as well, and
so that baby may have lower weight gain because they
are not feeding well, but it's not because you don't
have enough milk. And again, like with alcohol, pumping and
(11:46):
dumping is not going to reduce the amount of caffeine
in your breast milk. Waiting the amount of time if
you have had a huge dose of caffeine in medication
or for some other reason, just waiting until that caffeine
level has peaked and then feeding or pumping is going
(12:08):
to be a better way to ensure that your baby
doesn't get too much caffeine. So with that, I would
love for you to share your own stories or questions
about caffeine intake. You can reach out to me on
my socials, on Instagram or on TikTok. So reach out
to me there and if you have any questions regarding
(12:30):
food substances, I'm here for it. So book an appointment
and I would love to help reassure you and give
you the guidance that makes you feel really good about
feeding your baby. Talk to you soon.
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