Is Your Cell Phone Hurting Your Milk Supply?

Hey new moms, if you are reading this on your cell phone in the middle of the night while nursing, here is a quick TL:DR - yes, your cell phone could be decreasing your milk supply.

There are current thoughts on prolonged exposure to the blue light your phone give off and how they can increase your sleep patterns and cortisol levels, both of which directly impact your body's ability to produce breastmilk.

When we say increased cortisol levels, that is a fancy way to say stress. Your body, even when you love what you are seeing on your phone - the memes, shows, timelines, and snaps - your body is slowly absorbing blue light and reacting to it with increased production of cortisol.

Increased cortisol is linked to challenging sleep patterns in adults. And the effects of cortisol in infants require more research, but early studies show that yes, your baby's body responds to the increased levels by making cortisol receivers in their gut with lasting effects, potentially making them more anxious, fussy, and agitated.

But it's hard to blame it all on the milk. A person's genetics can cause predisposed elevated levels of cortisol.

But what is still new, is how much we, as a society are on our screens. And especially for new moms, when holding a sleeping baby, there are very few things you can do with one hand. Between taking photos of your adorable babe, uploading those photos to Instagram, researching sites to understand all the newness of being a parent, and then connecting with other new moms so you don't feel alone - our normal lives put our eyes in front of a lot of screens!

So with all these screens with their blue lights humming along, if you have an opportunity to put your phone down while nursing your child, it could be one way to help your supply, and your stress levels, even if just for a little bit.