Busting The Office

Many of us have seen The Office episode where Pam and Jim Halpert welcome baby Cece into the world, after a whirlwind of failed tactics to stay out of the hospital. For my husband, the show was ruined when Pam and Jim started dating, I mean, the whole fun was watching the back and forth. For me, it was Season 3 when Pam says " I mean, it's better than listening to Michael play a conch shell..." where she pronounces conch with a "cha" sound on the end (I'm picky, what can I say).

In Season 6, Episode 16, Pam's Mom Helene returns to the hospital room with hot cups of coffee to which Pam says "I haven't had caffeine in nine months". Going back to saying I'm very picky, and seeing as how Cece was breastfed even after they brought her home, I couldn't help but wonder if there really are women out there who throw all the diet changes they made during pregnancy out the window... I mean, the baby is still relying on you for it's resources!

So, I did a little research (even though I knew I wasn't confusing anything). BabyCenter.com has a great breast milk interactions chart, where you can learn about different herbs and medicines to avoid. But it also goes over caffeine and alcohol consumption. My midwife informed me that drinking caffeine, in drinks such as coffee or sodas, was fine in moderation, as long as I drank a full glass of water before or after it. Everyone else suggests 300mg (a 16oz cup) is fine each day.

It's all about moderation, whether you're pregnant, a new mom, or even a man, it doesn't matter! Everyone should set limits on what they're drinking and eating for their own personal benefits, as well as the benefits of others. And it's a known fact that consuming caffeine while breastfeeding allows less than 1% of caffeine into your breast milk, and straight to little twinkle toes.

But, did you know, that babies can go through caffeine withdrawals during and after pregnancy? My midwife informed me it would be more dangerous to cut out coffee completely during my 16th week of pregnancy, for fear the baby would die from a withdrawal. I was used to drinking 3 or more cups of coffee a day, though. Over time, I trimmed back to a moderate soda or single mug each day.

It's better to allow yourself that 300mg limit everyday than to risk your baby being born with withdrawals, since caffeine addiction is known to be like a drug. Your doctor will most likely be straight forward with you too, and it doesn't hurt to ask now. But you most certainly wouldn't want to cut out caffeine completely, only to start right up again as soon as the baby's born (if you plan to breastfeed or pump).