Before pregnancy I chose to stop drinking caffeine. I didn’t drink a ton of it, but it was definitely something I felt some dependency with and I knew I didn’t want to drink it while pregnant. This is one of the best choices, for my system, that I could’ve done. I’ve continued to stay off it. Though I do drink raw cacao, which has Theobromine in it, it’s a heart-opener for me and doesn’t overstimulate me.
I’ve tried a few sips of caffeine recently and what I notice is it really puts me out of sync with Anaiya’s pacing. I feel impatient and want her to move faster than her little body wants to. I get more irritated by her requests. They feel more like demands that I don’t want to honor. Caffeine puts me up in a strong mental space, which is not where my daughter is hanging out. She’s run by her emotional system and that moves at a different pace then the fast sharp mind.
"I’ve tried a few sips of caffeine recently and what I notice is it really puts me out of sync with Anaiya’s pacing. I feel impatient and want her to move faster than her little body wants to."
So while yes I have more energy, it’s not the energy that serves her or our connection. I’m grateful to notice the contrast since caffeine was a daily default for me for many years. And then the other day we were heading out for a walk in the cold and I felt the urge for a decaf chai to heat us up. Anaiyana was happily sipping it as well. As we finished the drink, I noticed my system all of a sudden ramping up. This drink was no decaf!
So what to do with a 20 month caffeinated kid? So much energy moving through her, all the way until 11 that night. Feeling how wound up I was, this little body was like a rocket ship exploding. Grateful for chamomile tea and warm baths. And just letting her body move through it.
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