Is It Safe To Eat Chocolate While Breastfeeding?

Image: Shutterstock

It just melts in your mouth and you ask for more. Chocolate is a universal favorite and simply irresistible. But breastfeeding brings in some additional responsibilities, and these responsibilities make you think about the baby’s safety before eating any food, with chocolate being no exception.

The question whether to eat chocolate or not could be coming back every time you relish a piece of it and sit for breastfeeding your baby. Read this MomJunction post to clarify all your doubts of eating chocolate when breastfeeding.

Components Of Chocolate

Chocolate hardly needs an introduction! It is typically a sweet, usually brown-flavored, food prepared from roasted and grounded Theobroma cacao seeds.

The main ingredients of chocolate are chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and added sugar.

It contains carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water, caffeine, cholesterol, and theobromine.

Can You Eat Chocolate While Breastfeeding?

Yes, you can eat chocolate when breastfeeding. But limit it to moderate amounts as it is high in fats and sugars and has little nutritive value. A breastfeeding mother needs to eat a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit. You may consume sugar and processed foods in small amounts as occasional ‘treats’. This will keep you healthy and energetic enough to take care of your baby.

If the nursing baby shows side effects such as the below, avoid chocolate.

Restlessness
Rashes (due to an allergy of dairy products)
Hyperactivity
Insomnia
Refusal to drink milk

If your baby shows any of these side effects, stop chocolate consumption temporarily and see if your baby recovers; else see a pediatrician.

[ Read : Home Remedies To Treat Gas Problems In Infants ]

Caffeine In Chocolate And Breastfeeding

Chocolate may affect a nursing baby for many reasons but caffeine in it is believed to be the primary one.

Less than 1% of caffeine that enters the mother’s bloodstream ends up in breast milk and would be at peak after an hour of consumption.

A baby’s system takes longer time to clear caffeine and high intake by the mother could make babies irritable.

Moreover, a breastfeeding mother may find caffeine affecting her let-down reflex or making nipple vasospasm worse, in case she has it (1).

[ Read : Caffeine While Breastfeeding ]

Desserts	Amount	Caffeine
Dark chocolate (70-85% cocoa solids)	1oz	23mg
Milk chocolate	1.55oz	9mg
Coffee ice cream or frozen yogurt	8oz	2mg
Hot cocoa	8oz	8-12mg
Chocolate chips, semisweet	4oz	53mg
Chocolate milk	8oz	5-8mg

Why High Caffeine Intake Irritates Breastfeeding Baby?

Half-life is the time required for the concentration of a substance in the body to become half. The half-life of caffeine is high in infants (2), and makes it difficult for them to fall asleep.

Theobromine In Chocolate And Breastfeeding

Theobromine is not a cause of worry for the nursing baby if the mother eats normal amounts of chocolate. A study has found that if a mother ate a 4-ounce chocolate bar every six hours and the baby is breastfed when the theobromine concentration in milk was at its peak, the baby could ingest about 10mg of theobromine a day (3).

[ Read : Tips To Handle A Fussy Baby ]

Is Dark Chocolate Or White Chocolate Good During Breastfeeding?

Small amounts of dark chocolate is better than white chocolate. Dark chocolate has lesser sugar than white chocolate and contains flavonoids, which is good for your heart (6). White chocolate is highly processed and contains high levels of sugar.

Should Chocolate-Mixed Foods Be Avoided When Breastfeeding?

Chocolate-mixed foods like chocolate cookies, chocolate ice creams, chocolate cakes, or chocolate almond milk can be taken occasionally. But remember that you need to take nutritious food to maintain your health as well as provide the essential nutrients to your baby.

A few babies may be intolerant to cow’s milk or show up egg allergies. In such cases you need to avoid dairy and egg products, including chocolate.

[ Read : Signs And Symptoms Of Egg Allergy In Babies ]

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much caffeine can I consume while breastfeeding?

Every baby’s caffeine tolerance is different, and so you should adjust your intake based on your baby’s acceptance. Watch your baby for signs of irritability or inability to fall asleep.