Can I Drink Coffee While Breastfeeding?

Caffeine While Breastfeeding

You might be feeling a bit more tired than usual after a few late nights with a newborn. And coffee might just be the little pick-me-up you need to make it through the morning. But is it safe for the baby you’ll be feeding in an hour or two?

The answer is generally, yes! Enjoy the coffee! You deserve it. Most babies do just fine when mom enjoys 1 cup of coffee each day. More than 1 cup of coffee may affect some infants, with symptoms such as restlessness and irritability. According to the most current research (Jan 2024), caffeine levels in breastmilk peak about 1hr after enjoying your cup, and are completely undetectable in milk after 24hrs. Using data collected, they determined infants likely receive about 10% of the weight-adjusted maternal dose of caffeine.

Very young, and pre-term, babies process the caffeine much slower than term babies, and babies begin to metabolize the caffeine more effectively (similar to adult values) around 3-5mo of age.

To summarize the simple question, the simple answer is—yes! You can enjoy your coffee while breastfeeding your baby. If 1 cup of coffee just isn’t enough, you can try a 2nd cup of coffee, and adjust your intake according to baby’s demeanor. If they sleep well, are happy and content, and don’t show any other symptoms, enjoy that 2nd cup too =)