During the postpartum period, you might have a special craving for sweets and wonder: can I eat chocolate while breastfeeding?

If you have just given birth, someone might have gifted you a box of chocolates or some other type of chocolate, or you feel a strong desire to eat them now, even if you have never had a sweet tooth before.

Does it have any effect on the baby?

You may have heard that chocolate contains something called theobromine, which can have stimulating effects. This is true, but for it to really have an effect on your baby, you would have to eat large amounts of chocolate or combine it with other stimulating food or drinks, such as coffee or other caffeinated beverages.

Should I eat less chocolate?

The recommendation is to moderate its consumption for health reasons, not because of breastfeeding, but according to the same recommendation that could be made to any person. So as far as possible, opt for chocolate with at least 80% of cocoa content. But if you have the overwhelming desire to eat another type of chocolate, enjoy it!

Do you have any more questions?

If you have any questions about other food or drinks, you can check if they are safe for breastfeeding and if they are compatible with our free breastfeeding app LactApp, which you can download on your iOs mobile here or for Android here. And if you want to talk to on of our team of experts, you can find them in the app’s Consultation Channel.