How long after eating chocolate can I breastfeed?

Chocolate is a snack that is consumed frequently in daily life. This snack is relatively sweet and it is not advisable to eat too much of it. Eating too much can easily cause tooth decay. However, when a mother is breastfeeding, occasionally eating one or two chocolates will not affect breastfeeding. If you eat too much chocolate, it will affect the baby's normal development, so if you eat too much chocolate, you can choose to breastfeed after 6 hours to allow the chocolate to be fully metabolized.

It will generally be metabolized in about 6 hours. If you eat a lot, it is recommended to wait a little longer before breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding mothers can also eat chocolate, but it must be in moderation. Mothers should not eat too much chocolate because they have the responsibility of feeding their babies. Too much chocolate may affect the baby's normal development. The cocoa alkali contained in chocolate can seep into breast milk and accumulate in the baby's body. But theobromine is a bad thing for babies. It can damage the nervous system and heart, relax muscles, increase urination, and cause indigestion, unstable sleep, and constant crying.

The specific harm of eating a lot of chocolate during breastfeeding

1. The baby is too excited

Everyone knows that chocolate contains theobromine. If a mother eats a lot of chocolate, a large amount of theobromine will seep into breast milk and be absorbed by the baby. Theobromine affects the baby's nervous system, making the baby in an excited state for a long time, especially becoming restless at night when sleeping, always crying and shouting.

2. Affect the baby's physical development

If the baby absorbs a large amount of theobromine, it will damage the baby's nervous system and heart, and keep the baby's muscles in a relaxed state for a long time. It will also cause indigestion and cause serious harm to the baby's growth and development.

3. Affects Appetite

If mothers eat a lot of chocolate, especially before meals, it will cause indigestion and decreased appetite, and they will become malnourished. Moreover, if mothers have a decreased appetite and do not like to eat, it will have a greater impact on their breastfeeding babies.

4. Obesity

If mothers eat a lot of chocolate during breastfeeding, the high-calorie, high-sugar chocolate will be your best assistant in becoming fat.

5. High blood sugar

Chocolate has the highest sugar content among all foods. If a mother eats a lot of chocolate, she is likely to suffer from high blood sugar. If the mother is a diabetic, then chocolate is of course prohibited.

6. Getting angry

Chocolate is very high in calories, and mothers will easily get inflamed and constipated if they consume a lot of it.

7. Weaning

Chocolate can reduce milk production, which is a big problem for mothers who already have excessive milk secretion. Too much milk will only lead to milk stasis, and in severe cases, it will cause mastitis.

8. Headache

Chocolate contains tyramine, a reactive acid that can cause headaches. Because this substance causes the body to produce hormones that can constrict blood vessels, and the blood vessels continue to expand to resist this constriction, which produces headache symptoms.

Precautions for eating chocolate during breastfeeding

1. Do not eat chocolate before meals or on an empty stomach.

2. Mothers should rinse their mouths immediately after eating chocolate to prevent tooth decay.

3. Mothers can have a cup of black tea after eating a moderate amount of chocolate. The combination of the two can promote blood vessel dilation and treat anemia.

4. Mothers can drink a glass of milk after eating some chocolate to supplement calcium.