Question: Can alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and some foods affect breast milk?

Question: Can alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and some foods affect breast milk?

Answer: Taken in small quantities, none of these are likely to affect your breast milk. Consumed in copious quantities, however, they can reduce your milk supply, lower its quality and adversely influence your baby's health. 'If you are sensitive to certain substances, your baby may be sensitive to them too,' explains Carol Huotari, a lactation consultant for La Leche League International (www.lalecheleague.org, 800-LA LECHE).

First, the news on booze. When a lactating woman drinks alcohol, it can impair milk release and prevent her from breast-feeding with ease. Even worse, it can be passed straight on to the baby in the same concentration found in the mother's blood. Because babies are in a delicate stage of growth, exposure to alcohol has the potential to impair their brain development. Timing is all-important: It takes two to three hours for a 120-pound woman to eliminate one serving of alcohol from her body. Quantity is also key: While the occasional glass of wine may be fine, knocking back vodka shots could prove catastrophic.

Next, the scoop on cigarettes. Occasional smoking is usually safe if it's done far away from the baby and at least two hours before breast-feeding. But you should make every effort to wean yourself down to less than 10 cigarettes a day. Studies indicate that smoking more can reduce your milk supply and cause problems for your baby such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

Caffeine is the least of these evils, as downing up to five cups of coffee per day has no noticeable effect on breast milk or breast-feeding babies. More caffeine than this can make infants edgy — especially if they are highly sensitive to it. If you notice that your child fusses or stays awake after you drink caffeine, try avoiding coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate and see if that fixes the problem.

As far as different foods go, their effect varies from mother to mother and from child to child. Some lactating women who consume oatmeal or peanut butter find that this gives their babies gas. Also problematic are those foods that wreak havoc with an individual woman's body chemistry. 'Go easy on the foods that you yourself may be allergic to,' Huotari says. 'If your baby seems upset after you eat certain things, keep a food diary to see how your diet corresponds to your baby's fussy times.'

Re: Question: Can alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and some foods affect breast milk?

thanks Shamma! Very useful info!