If you gave up coffee/caffeine during your pregnancy...

[picksthemusic]

How do you plan on reintroducing it? My friend said her OB suggested doing half-caff or similar a few weeks prior to having the baby so the baby could get used to the taste and sensation of caffeine, so when she breastfed the baby would already know what it was like.

I really would rather not have coffee until after baby is born, but if I'm planning to EBF, I don't want a caffeinated baby, either. LOL I know I can just keep off the coffee, but I really miss it and want to enjoy it again once the pregnancy is over.

Thoughts/suggestions?

I will be asking my OB this Thursday, but wanted other opinions, too.

[demandypants]

i gave it up but only because my heartburn is so terrible that drinking more than a little hurts. But with my last, I drank coffee through the second two trimesters and all through BFing (only in the mornings, never through the day). Also I wasn't drinking large amounts. just a cup or two.

[cookies]

I cut out caffeine a lot when I was pregnant and drank a little bit when I was nursing. When I did drink it, I would try to do it immediately after pumping or breastfeeding.

[Bonita]

My plan is just to stay off of it, so I have no reintroduction plan. I think a friend of mine did what you mentioned though with the half-caff thing.

[imimahoney]

I don't really drink it when I'm pregnant not because of caffeine worries but because of coffee aversions. Same thing happned with my first pregnancy.

Once the baby comes I assume the aversion will go away like it did last time and I'll just start drinking coffee again. Very little caffeine is actually transfered through bm if you are just drinking one cup a day so I really wouldn't worry about it messing with the baby.

[Deleted]

I quit a couple weeks before I found out I was pregnant because I had a stomach bug.

I only drink soda and tea, no coffee so I don't suppose I really plan to reintroduce it. Not to the same degree I drank soda anyway.

I think I sleep better without it anyway.

[anna7602]

I gave up coffee while TTC and then couldn't really stomach it during first tri. One day late in 2nd tri or maybe already even in 3rd tri, I just really wanted coffee again. I have since been having a few cups of it per week heavily diluted with soy milk. 

My goal is to just not go back to the point where I get a headache if I DON'T drink coffee. I figure half a cup here or there won't get me addicted again. 

[undecidedowl]

I gave up drinking caffeine with my first pregnancy and never did go back. I really don't miss it anymore. On the rare occasion I did drink it while BFing I treated it like alchohol and tried to have it right after nursing and in small quantities. But, I had a bad sleeper and was being overly cautious!

[ringstrue]

I wouldn't recommend going back to caffeine routinely with a newborn. You need to sleep when the baby sleep and if you can't cuz you are caffeinated you could really harm your sleep situation as the days go on.

[flamingeaux]

I hadn't thought about that. I now have to rethink my labor motivation plan, which was previously DH saying "come on honey, push out the kid and you can have a Dr. Pepper."

[MamaMaui24]

This may not help, but I quit it all first tri, decaf second tri and now in third tri I'm doing decaf with an occasional splash of caff (half caff?)

I can't remember what I did last time nursing. Probably stick to mostly decaf and some half caff.

[sillygoosegirl]

I didn't give up caffeine (though did switch from 2 cups of coffee to one cup of either tea or decaf). I don't think caffeine sounds like such a good idea with a new born to me. I can't sleep if I have caffeine after about 10am, so if I'm going to need to be napping to make up for being up all hours of the night, I don't think I'll be able to have caffeine at all for a while...



I miss my coffee a lot...

[starlily]

I've had two cups of coffee every morning through pregnancy and having a newborn. As long as I stick to consuming caffeine at breakfast (when I always have usually had it anyways), it hasn't affected my ability to nap or sleep.

I'm combo feeding, but I haven't noticed it having an effect on DD either.

[ringstrue]

You are probably fine with caffeine, ironically, right after the birth and before your milk comes in. So those first few days. I'd still limit it a lot for your own sake, especially if you mis a real nights sleep during labor and need to nap, but you won't be (potentially) giving the baby any caffeine until it's drinking your milk.

[zarapipe]

I did not limit during pregnancy, about 1 to 2 cups a day.

With dd I did limit when she was bfing bc I think she was affected by it. I will probably do the same this time and see how the new baby handles cafine.