My baby accidentally drank tea

[stressedmum22]

I'm quite an anxious mum in general so please be as kind as possible, as I do think I'm probably worrying for nothing here.

My little one (who recently turned 1yo) picked up a lukewarm cup of tea from where I'd stupidly left it on the living room floor. I had nipped to the kitchen for something and came back to her drinking it (well mostly pouring it all down herself 🙈). I can't remember how much was in it.

Is tea / caffeine harmful to babies??

I used to babysit for a family where the not quite a toddler sometimes had a bottle of weak milky tea! I wouldn't do that, though it's probably better than squash. Anyway, he's now a strapping healthy teenager, so I don't think there's any need to worry.

It was quite common to give a baby a bottle of tea in Britain at least until the 80s. Probably more recently than that.

I was given tea routinely as a baby, we all were. Milky tea but tea out of the teapot. I think it was a lazy way to warm the milk up slightly.

There isn't much caffeine in very dilute tea. So little its inconsequential.

Yep. I had my first DC in 89 and regularly gave him a bottle of tea. It was how I’d been brought up and didn’t see anything wrong in it. He’s fine and actually doesn’t even like tea now!

My mum used to give mine weak tea in bottles at that age 🙄

I’m on my 50s and as a small child regularly drank tea. It was very weak - mom used to say she’d just “shown it the pot” - and had sugar in. Everyone did it then as far as I know.

try not to worry. It’s fine

Absolutely fine, but if you're posting about this then I think you maybe need to look at getting help for your anxiety. I mean that kindly and gently.

Blimey. We were brought up on tea.

No where I grew up babies were given tea all the time. The older women gave their babies a shot of whiskey in the night feed to make them sleep.not UK.not recommended by the way. I once caught my DS eating cat food at that age.

Apparently, I drank a glass of brandy as a baby. I was unharmed but slept for a long time.

Honestly don't worry. I offered mine a very milky tea from that age but she didn't like it and still doesn't at age 4... she's still alive and well btw 🤣

My brother had tea in a beaker from the age of 1. He is the most odd person I've ever met. Nothing to do with the tea though

She's had at most a mouthful of antioxidants, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, copper, protein, a little fat, amino acids and the tiniest fraction of caffeine. All from a simple infusion of dried camellia sinensis leaves.

Your carpet and her clothes will be more at risk from that tea than she would ever be.

She will be absolutely fine.

I was told to give my prem dd milky tea. She's 12 and still loves a cuppa.

When I was a kid, babies were given tea in bottles. It was a common sight!

viewed as scummy parenting by my mother but it happened a lot

don’t give this a second thought!

I downed a gin and orange when I was a toddler, drank the whole thing before I realised it wasn’t squash. 🤭

My 2 yo drank a glass of pimms…don’t worry about tea!!!

My DM told me that our GP told her to give me Guinness as a tonic as a baby. Don't know if she ever did though. But pretty sure she gave me tea from an early age.

I found her diary a few years ago and that said when she started weaning me. At just over 2 months. Some things are very different now, but a weak lukewarm milky tea is pretty harmless.

Be more worried about the fact you left tea out for a baby to get...

My granddaughter was given caffeine as medication, in hospital at two days old after being admitted to PICU with breathing problems.
She’s a healthy six year old now.
Your baby will be fine.

My baby crawled over and ate the wet cat food (on more than one occasion). She's a teenager now and is absolutely fine (apart from a miaow)

Don't worry, OP. My children had a cup of milky tea with their breakfast from about six months...

I'm in my 50s and from an Irish background (but born & brought up in London). When I was a kid, Irish parents would put tea in the babies bottles. OK it's frowned on now but they didn't come to any harm. Even dogs would get a bowl of milky tea. The dog we had as a kid used to love a drop. We'd make a pot, give everyone a cup, then put some in the dogs bowl.

I used to give my kid tea at that age, no sugar of course. Don’t worry

Yes, Mum said babies given cold tea in bottles was a 'Thing' in the East End of London where she taught years ago.

@stressedmum22

better to ask, than to worry yourself silly!

ignore the hard of thinking who I sit on berating you about leaving tea where DD can get it🙄🙄

However, I do agree with someone else who said it would be a good idea to get some help for your anxiety because kids are anxiety inducing to the max & if you don't get some help you're going to end up in a right state.

another thing that might help, if you haven't done it already, is doing a Paediatric First Aid course.

The St Johns one isn't bad and parents doing it always get lots of kudos!!