Can You Drink Matcha During Pregnancy or Postpartum While Breast-Feeding?
Hey, June here, Co-Founder of Junbi and Head of Marketing! My husband, Dan, is another Co-Founder and Head of Operations and we have 2 sets of twins under 3. Our Littles were born just 8 months ago and our hearts are so full of love.
As beautiful as life is right now, we are sleep deprived! Energy is a valuable resource while raising 2 2-year-olds, 2 6-month-olds, and 4 dogs with both of us working. After consulting with my physicians and my father who is an ob/gyn, throughout both my pregnancies and postpartum, I chose matcha as my source of clean energy.
Matcha can be safely consumed during the postpartum stage and while breast-feeding as long as you are paying close attention to your daily caffeine intake and you have consulted with your doctor or other healthcare professional. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Caffeine passes from the mother to infant in small amounts through breast milk, but usually does not adversely affect the infant when the mother consumes low to moderate amounts” (about 300 milligrams or less per day, which is about 3 cups of coffee). Similarly during pregnancy, it is safe to consume 200 mg or less of caffeine per day, which means you can enjoy any of our layered drinks in-store which come in at around 120 mg of caffeine per drink. Postpartum, feel free to enjoy our Straight Up Matcha, which is 210 mg of caffeine. If you’re making matcha at home, 1 teaspoon of our matcha contains 70mg of caffeine so you can fuel good with Junbi!
Caffeine levels in matcha are much lower than the levels found in coffee. Plus, matcha contains many healthy compounds—antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals—that can support your mind and nourish your body post-pregnancy. L-theanine, an incredible amino acid found in matcha, definitely gives me that much-needed calm alertness and sustained energy boost while reducing my stress and improving my mental clarity. You also won’t experience the jitters and crash of other caffeinated beverages due to the L-theanine slowly releasing caffeine into your system over time. This makes matcha an ideal caffeine-source during pregnancy and postpartum because it’s better for you and your baby.
In my experience, drinking matcha during each pregnancy and while breast-feeding has helped me stay focused and feel relaxed (as much as possible). I was drinking matcha long before I got pregnant, but I didn’t understand the value of clean energy until I became a mother. My goal is to always be the best mother I can be to our children and that starts with taking care of myself. Our matcha is an all-natural source of energy that I drink as an act of kindness to myself everyday.
Junbi Matcha Latte (Dan makes this for me every morning):
1tsp Junbi matcha (Reiwa or Daily Ceremonial) whisked with 1oz water and layered on top of 6oz of milk with ice
Cheers to all our fellow Matcha Mamas and Papas out there!