In case you didn’t know, I am a coffee addict.
I’m 7 weeks pregnant, and ever since I got the BFP, I’ve been trying to avoid coffee. But I just cannot take it anymore! I’m slim build, 5’6. [name_m]How[/name_m] much caffeine is okay to have a day while I am pregnant? Thanks in advance. : )
They say up to 200mg of caffeine per day is okay. That would be one cup of coffee per day, or two of instant coffee. Apparently more than 200mg per day raises the rate of miscarriage and of having a baby of low birth weight. Moderate caffeine levels are not supposed to have a negative effect on the baby. (Source: Conception Health and Nutrition Support - American Pregnancy Association)
ETA: Another organization says up to 300mg or 1-2 cups a day is okay. (CBD and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - CBD Clinicals) I’ll probably go with one only whenever I get pregnant, but then I like my coffee pretty strong. 
I was drinking 2 medium sized cups of coffee. My doctor said that was totally ok, up to 3 cups of coffee is fine. However, I was told to completly stop drinking green tea. I’m not sure if its still speculation, or proven, but green tea may cause miscarriages. I have never heard of coffee being linked to miscarriages. If it worries you just drink a cup a day, there is no harm in just a cup.
No more than seven cups is what they say in Europe ;).
My doctor told me that unless I was drinking an inhuman amount of coffee (like upwards of 10 cups) that it’s fine to space out several cups over the day. He said there was not any real solid proof that it did anything really. So he advised me to drink less in the first trimester but that after those first 3 months, to just space things out over the day.
I drank about the amount of a 44 oz coke every day and my doctor said I had one of the healthiest pregnancies he’s been a part of. She went full term, she was 8 pounds and she was very healthy. No problems with the pregnancy or delivery. She’s ahead of her developmental milestone too (more where a 4 month old should be than a 3) so it obviously didn’t anything to me.
I haven’t read it, just heard good things about it, but check out Expecting Better by [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Oster. It is all about this kind of question.
http://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wrong/dp/1594204756
My OB said two cups a day was fine, I drank one cup max in the first trimester and 1-2 after. I drank half-caff sometimes so I felt like I was drinking more coffee than I really was, mind games make a difference.
Pre-pregnancy me used to drink 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day (oh the life of a teacher), but once I found out I was pregnant I limited it to 1-2 cups a day. My doctor told me that three or four cups a day was fine, but recommended they not be in close succession of each other. I just went to 1-2 cups partially because I am taking a year off from teaching and partially because I just feel healthier when I’m not consuming so much caffeine.
With all of these pregnancy no-nos the risks aren’t incredibly high. 3 cups of coffee a day, a glass of wine each evening, sushi every [name_f]Wednesday[/name_f] & lunch meats & such are probably not going to hurt the baby, but if the pregnant lady indulging in all of these things ended up having a miscarriage she might spend the rest of her life feeling guilty over the Starbucks & the spicy tuna rolls. Personally, I drank a few cups of coffee most days while I was pregnant. I was young, healthy, fit, ect and it didn’t do anything bad to me or my daughter. I was told that 1 cup a day was OK. I think you should ask your doctor for more info & gauge how seriously they seem to feel about caffeine intake.
I always heard one cup a day. Can you switch to decaffeinated coffee?
I am in the US - I remember that one of my friends who recently had a baby was told one (Starbucks sized) coffee a day.
In the US, 200mg is generally the cut off. And you have to remember that most sodas, teas and some foods also have caffeine.
I tend to crave coffee while pregnant (which is crazy) so I’ve switched to decaf coffee and teas.
I’ve also heard that caffeine can increase breast pain. And since mine is extensive, I like to stay under 100mg or less caffeine intake, and I’ve added a Vitamin E capsule. but nothing is helping.
I’ve also read that if you want to be super careful, you should make sure that any decaf coffee you’re drinking is ‘water method’ decaf. Otherwise they decaffeinate the coffee using chemicals that are also, like caffeine, associated with slight risks of miscarriage.
I agree, people worry overmuch… sushi and the like is probably fine, just don’t buy it at a gas station or some sketchy place - go ahead and have your Starbucks, if you’re craving it. For me, the craving for caffeine pretty much disappeared on its own, along with any craving for alcohol (okay maybe I miss the odd glass of wine, or a beer on a hot day). [name_m]Just[/name_m] be smart - Have your coffee in the morning, don’t go more than 2 Venti size drinks, and don’t have any caffeine in the afternoons at all if you can help it, since sleep during pregnancy is already so restless.
As a student midwife we advise no more than one to two cups of tea/coffee/cola a day. However, it is just advise and unless you are drinking a lot of caffeine the evidence suggests there is minimal to no effect on the developing fetus. If you are consuming lots, lots being ten or so cups a day, your baby may suffer withdrawal after birth so it would be wise to cut down if that’s the case.
Thanks everyone. I think I’m going to do 1-2 cups a day. You can’t really go wrong with that. : )
Watch out for caffine in sodas too. I had one cup in the morning then switched to Rooibus naturally caffine free red bush tea. Interestingly I kept this system with my perfect sleeping baby #2 having been driven to the arms of sweet, hot tea by my wakeful eldest child. I’ll never know if it was the caffine or just their different personalities.
I have just been to a consultation with a health expert and when I said I had three cups of coffee a day she frowned. I gather that nil amount of coffee is best for optimal liver function (anytime of life).
as someone touched on, caffeine can cause health problems in general, including breast cysts
probably best to do as little as possible since its not worth even a 1% of hurting your baby
and this is a good chance to break your addiction
Im heavily pregnant and I have anywhere between 2-4 cups of tea a day. I am not a coffee drinker and idont really drink soda either. But i have a diet coke if i want one. FYI my doctor freind came round and i found myself justifying my extra cup of tea…she laughed and me and told me to drink as much tea as i wanted! But seriously she said you would have to drink a lot of caffeine to do any harm…same as everything else…just use moderation