Caffine

[LadySekhmetDJ]

Boy I'm glad I'm not a coffee drinker! I can only imagine the "withdrawals"! My friend is also pregnant as well, and she has to have 3-5 coffee a day. She tried cutting back cold turkey and it gave her issues and she COULD not have the energy to go to work or whatever. So her doc gave her the okay to have the limit of 2. She has 1 in the morning, then 1 with 1/2 caffeine and 1/2 decaf in the afternoon/evening.

I'm a tea drinker. Luckily, prior I used to be a heavy Lipton tea drinker, however, I've converted to PG Tips (England imported). And I limit myself to one big mug a day (2 cups), which has 40 mg of caffeine per cup, so that's pretty low and way under the recommended limit.

I would love to try the other tea listed above!


Funny thing is: When my mom was pregnant with my brother (she didn't know for a couple months, and he was not planned), she drank coffee and smoked. After finding out she was indeed pregnant, she stopped smoking, but continued to drink coffee. My brother smokes and is a coffee drinker. He also likes booze.

I was a planned baby, and Mom quit smoking and stopped drinking coffee for a while prior I was conceived, and she just drank tea to "make up" for caffeine during pregnancy. Well, I hate coffee, I cannot stand smoking, and I hate booze. Go figure eh?

 

[xjesx]

I am enjoying it.

 

[2have4kids]

There was a very conclusive study that caffeine drinkers have twice the rate of miscarriage than women who don't drink caffeine.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121080402.htm
Every 2 cups of coffee = 5 soda beverages, then there's chocolate too. I know it also hurts your fertility too, I've struggled to get pregnant for the past 3 years. I drink decaf when I go to Starbucks with the girls and I'm sure decaf even has quite a decent amount of caffeine (who are we kidding). Similar to staying out of hot tubs and not having that glass of wine, I think it boils down to how badly to you want this baby and what are you willing to risk. It's a very personal choice.

 

[jenmcn1]

With my first baby, I gave it up completely. With my 2nd I started drinking it again at 18 weeks, now with my 3rd I'll start drinking it again around 18 weeks. However, for me personally caffiene really affects me, so I only drink 1 cup a day. I love coffee!!! Its such a comfort to me, so I don't want to give it up my whole pregnancy. I just try to avoid it in the first tri!

 

[jenmcn1]

There was a very conclusive study that caffeine drinkers have twice the rate of miscarriage than women who don't drink caffeine.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121080402.htm
Every 2 cups of coffee = 5 soda beverages, then there's chocolate too. I know it also hurts your fertility too, I've struggled to get pregnant for the past 3 years. I drink decaf when I go to Starbucks with the girls and I'm sure decaf even has quite a decent amount of caffeine (who are we kidding). Similar to staying out of hot tubs and not having that glass of wine, I think it boils down to how badly to you want this baby and what are you willing to risk. It's a very personal choice.

I think it boils down to, everyone reacts differently to caffiene. The recommended amount is 200mg of caffiene a day while pregnant. Instant coffee has under 100mg (its not the real stuff). Soda has about 65mg in 1 can. A regular medium GOOD cup of coffee has about 120-150mg. It also depends what type of coffee bean is used, how its processed etc and decaf coffee has the amount that a cup of tea would. Small amount. Real dark chocolate which is 80% cacoa, will have a good amoutn of caffiene in it. As opposed to milk chocolate which has very minimal amounts. There is research that shows a link to miscarriage, but this is with HUGE amounts of coffee. I say everything moderation. Its the same as other things in pregnancy which I used to cut out of my diet like goats cheese or feta, I eat all the time.

 

[Amalee]

I'm not a huge coffee drinker to begin with - I normally have a cup or two 4 days a week. I really wanted one this morning though, so I asked them to make it half reg, half decaf. I felt sort of silly ordering it like that, plus I know one cup is well under the recommended amount, but it made me feel better knowing it was low in caffeine.

 

[StephtheHiker]

My grandma when she had kids was told to not have sugar and milk in her coffee, that was the medical knowledge of the day. So she drank a lot of black coffee and no mc. I drink one cup below the recommended limit of caffeine. Don't ask a Seattlite to give up coffee! Decaf is rubbish

 

[2have4kids]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121080402.htm


I think it boils down to, everyone reacts differently to caffiene. The recommended amount is 200mg of caffiene a day while pregnant. Instant coffee has under 100mg (its not the real stuff). Soda has about 65mg in 1 can. A regular medium GOOD cup of coffee has about 120-150mg. It also depends what type of coffee bean is used, how its processed etc and decaf coffee has the amount that a cup of tea would. Small amount. Real dark chocolate which is 80% cacoa, will have a good amoutn of caffiene in it. As opposed to milk chocolate which has very minimal amounts. There is research that shows a link to miscarriage, but this is with HUGE amounts of coffee. I say everything moderation. Its the same as other things in pregnancy which I used to cut out of my diet like goats cheese or feta, I eat all the time.

Yes, it's about perspective and from someone who can't get pregnant (me), my perspective is that I wouldn't risk it-and that's what I chalk it up to just like alcohol, smoking and hot tubs. I don't want to argue with the facts presented in the study, I just wanted to inject some science to this conversation. I don't think 2 cups as the study states is a huge amount of coffee as you feel and I respect that we're all entitled to our opinions.
"Women who consumed 200 mg or more of caffeine per day (two or more cups of regular coffee or five 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda) had twice the miscarriage risk as women who consumed no caffeine, said Li."
I would assume the women in this study all have their own individual reactions to caffeine, it doesn't negate the effects of caffeine. In the end, we all need to do what we feel is right.

 

[Amalee]

I'm going to have to look for the study when I get home later, but I remember reading an interesting one a few months ago. It suggested that it's not exactly the caffeine that is bad, but that increasing caffeine intake is bad. Basically, the study said that fatigue is a very common issue in pregnancy, and some women were trying to cope with that by drinking more coffee. In those women, there were negative effects in the pregnancy. Other women who were regularly having 3-4 cups a day and continued having the same amount did not see negative effects, because there bodies were already accustomed to handling that amount of caffeine.

Just some food for thought. I'll see if I can find that article later if anyone is interested in reading it

 

[jenmcn1]

Yes definately all entitled to our opinion. Sorry I wasn't trying to argue, just wanted to come up with soom food for thought and what it means. Each country seems to diffr in the amounts of caffeine they recommend. That info is just according to Canada. That's all. And I'm sorry you haven't been able to get pregnant, I imagine it is very difficult, and I didn't mean to be insensitive to that.

 

[2have4kids]

Yes definately all entitled to our opinion. Sorry I wasn't trying to argue, just wanted to come up with soom food for thought and what it means. Each country seems to diffr in the amounts of caffeine they recommend. That info is just according to Canada. That's all. And I'm sorry you haven't been able to get pregnant, I imagine it is very difficult, and I didn't mean to be insensitive to that.

No worries, i didn't take any offense. The study was done by a US organisation: https://www.dor.kaiser.org/external/DORExternal/about/contact.aspx
And I agree with you that each country has their own studies. Oddly, my favourite website that generally sites uk NHS studies doesn't even have anything listed for caffeine: https://sites.google.com/site/miscarriageresearch/diet-and-miscarriage
It seems that in Britain it's more commonly accepted to have a beer while you're pregnant and in Japan, they eat sushi all the time so it really is about personal choice. I use statistics to base most of my decisions these days to allow us the best rate of success. I have very few methods left for getting pregnant right now, I can adopt, use frozen donor eggs or do a fresh cycle with an egg donor. Frozen eggs flown into canada only have a 20% chance of successful pregnancy, adoption is a 3 year wait (shoot me if I have to wait ANOTHER 3 years to have a baby) and $10,000/child (I want 4 kids). A fresh cycle with an egg donor lets me have an 80% success rate with a $7500 price tag and frozen blasts for future kids (50% success rate) and allows me to be a mom breast feeding, ms, and the whole 9 yards of pregnancy bliss I just have to do what I can to protect my baby once I'm finally gifted with pregnancy.

 

[JAJuly2013]

Hi Ladies,

Well back here again, yay!!

And the worries haven't changed at all!! What are you guys doing about caffine?

I drink a lot and will always reach for a hot drink over a cold one, last time I cut down loads in the first tri and drank caffine free tea.

But while TTC I tried to give up and cut down again, and had like withdrawal symptoms hahaha, I dunno what to do for the best this time??

I normally have my 1-2 cups of coffee most days. When I was pregnant with my son about 10 years ago I gave up caffiene right away. I just didn't feel the need to do that this time, not sure why. I mostly just drink water anyway throughout the day or sparkling water.

 

[4magpies]

I don't drink any caffeine at all, not even coco cola but only because it's linked with MC and I'm not risking it.

I drink decaf tea and that's it. Hot chocolate is my saviour.

 

[OnyxSnowfall]

I don't drink any caffeine at all, not even coco cola but only because it's linked with MC and I'm not risking it.

I drink decaf tea and that's it. Hot chocolate is my saviour.

Hot chocolate has caffeine in it...

 

[4magpies]

So does decaf tea and coffee just very low levels.

I only have the odd one.

Coco cola contains about 35mg a can in comparison hot chocolate contains about 3mg. Tiny amount in comparison to cola or coffee (which is even higher).

I do know what I'm on about.

High levels of caffeine are proven to increase risk of miscarrige.

 

[OnyxSnowfall]

So does decaf tea and coffee just very low levels.

I only have the odd one.

Coco cola contains about 35mg a can in comparison hot chocolate contains about 3mg. Tiny amount in comparison to cola or coffee (which is even higher).

I do know what I'm on about.

High levels of caffeine are proven to increase risk of miscarrige.

"I don't drink any caffeine at all"

As long as you're aware that it contains caffeine (however minimal... since, minimal does not equate into none). Just wasn't sure if you thought there wasn't any in it or not.

 

[4magpies]

No need to be a smart ass.

 

[OnyxSnowfall]

No need to be a smart ass.

Lol.

No need to take offense to someone trying to enlighten someone in case they were misguided?

 

[mrs.amillian]

So I have officially been caffeine free for 24 hrs I brought some, Green tea with mango and lycee (yum, sweet) and green tea with Jasmine.

I did have a decaf white mocha from Starbucks yesterday, but it would have been drastically less than what I normally drink, I do wonder sometimes if people, like me, with a high caffeine intake normally, to suddenly stop would be more harmful to the baby and their body than just carrying on, but not increasing?

I will be having some chocolate later though

 

[MrsGax]

With my first pregnancy and my second pregnancy, I did EVERYTHING right. Cut out caffeine COMPLETELY, avoided hot showers, ate perfectly healthy, lots of fruits and veggies, no lunch meat, I did not even hold my cat, and I was a freak about everything. I still lost my first around 5.5 weeks although I did not find out until 8+6, and lost my twins at 8+0 although I knew they were doing bad from the get go. I felt very very defeated and like I tried every single thing to keep them and none of it worked. This time, I drank 8-10 oz of coffee per day the whole first tri and now I have cut back significantly but that is cause it affects my stomach too much suddenly. But the baby is doing perfect this time. I just think that if it is meant to be, it will be. Although, I would not drink like 5 cups per day cause that is too much for even my body to handle. I still look up things to make sure they are pregnancy safe, but I did have a deli sandwich the other day and had the little worry in the back of my mind. But I watch my BFF that drinks a large coffee every single day, eats subway, has bleu cheese and anything unpasteurized, and her baby is almost here. I just think that this day and age, they scare pregnant women all the time. When my mom was pregnant with me, her dr told her it was okay to have a beer or glass of wine a couple days a week! And no mention of coffee or deli meats, or anything else crazy. I definitely respect peoples wishes to not drink caffeine especially if it makes them feel better. I have had losses and I wanted something to blame, but I know they were chromosomal, still did not make it any easier. If you decide to drink coffee or soda, just keep it under the limit that is recommended.