In a message dated 97-01-10 17:17:45 EST, you write:
<< I was under the impression that soft drinks have caffeine in them. Am I
mistaken? We never drink soft drinks, so very possible that I'm
misinformed. Please correct me if I "need it", since I routinely tell
moms of fussy babies, if I can't find another cause, that she should
think about limiting caffeine and chocolate intake (this is so much
easier than warning them about dairy, although *I* personally feel that
dairy usually the black hat, but find it extremely difficult to convince
moms of this....). I always pray that it really *was* too much caffeine
or chocolate or stuffed cabbage or......but it almost never is, is it?
Hope somebody answers me on this simple question, which I apologise for.
Judy Knopf >>
Judy,
There are soft drinks without caffeine. Most moms & babies can tolerate SOME
chocolate and SOME caffeine. In the states -- at least in this area, most
docs have told moms they can't have ANY caffeine or chocolate during their
pregnancy -- women are almost afraid to eat any more -- the docs have put the
fear of God into them that these things (along with alcohol, smoking, etc)
can permanently harm their babies. So then they look at bf as another list
of no - no's -- can't have this or that. I tell 'em, unless there is a
problem, to go ahead and eat anything they want to -- including a cup of
coffee or tea or a Diet Coke or a Hershey bar. This is the first one in 12
years that I've had that has had such a definite reaction to chocolate -- it
is also the first mom I've had that seems to crave it and wants it every day
(which is a red flag for a sensitivity). I suspect it is the chocolate, and
not the caffeine, but she is going to try putting the coffee back in her diet
(one cup, in the morning, on a weekend when her husband is home) and see what
happens. I think we probably need to look at quantities of something someone
eats/drinks and then have them cut it out & see if there is a specific
change. I also have them keep a diet/fussy diary (I dont' have another name
for it) if we are really trying to pinpoint something, but of course, that is
difficult since it is hard to know how long it takes for a substance to reach
the mom's milk. I suspect caffeine goes in pretty quickly, and I would ask
how soon after consumption the baby seems to be affected. We'll have to wait
and see, and meanwhile, be glad that one mom, anyway, has found a solution.
Jan Barger
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