Image Credit: Carta Coffee
Coffee during pregnancy? Are you out of your mind? Well, yeah this what I got to hear every time when I used to have my morning joe those days. While there are facts about coffee such as coffee helps women by reducing the risk of basal cell carcinoma, do you really have to abhor coffee? I had researched well and got to know it is ok not to give up your coffee. Wait, I said coffee is ok, but stop and read this article before you have a refill!
Once you know you are pregnant, you try to kick out each and every habit of yours which might be unhealthy and a threat to your fetus. And when you hear that coffee is dangerous for your baby and it causes a higher risk of miscarriage, you will feel to remove coffee from your routine.
I know you would do anything to keep your baby safe while I also appreciate kicking out coffee is nearly impossible. So what’s the solution? Well, there are enough researches carried out that suggests coffee is ok during pregnancy (in moderation, of course).
Let’s have a look at all the research carried out and this will be the last time you are reading an article regarding coffee and caffeine during pregnancy.
The Research On Caffeine And Pregnancy
You might have heard about chocolate and its benefits during pregnancy, but the results of the studies on coffee and pregnancy are opposite.
A study was conducted on 562 women who miscarried at 6-12 weeks (in the first trimester) by the New England Medical Journal. It concluded that more than 5 cups of coffee a day is risky for to-be-mamas as it increases the risk of spontaneous abortion in the first trimester.
Did they say more than 5 cups?! Well, don’t you think 5 cups is a lot of coffee? And yeah 5 cups a day is probably more than the most coffee drinkers consume across the globe.
One more promising study was conducted on 1000 pregnant women and the conclusion was something like this “women who consumed 200 mg or more of caffeine (in any form) per day had twice the miscarriage risk as women who consumed no caffeine.”
Let’s put 200mg caffeine into perspective. It is the amount of caffeine that is roughly found in a 12 oz brewed coffee or in 5 12-oz cans of soda.
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Caffeine is not the only culprit here, there are some other factors as well which are associated with miscarriage such as maternal age, alcohol consumption, smoking, vaping, hot tub baths, and too much exposure to magnetic field.
The previous study I mentioned here has made the famous NGO, March Of Dimes changed their recommendation of caffeine consumption during pregnancy to 200mg per day.
What You Have To Know As A Caring Mom?
Put all the studies and research done aside and let’s think for a moment, what a mom can do while being pregnant. What makes caffeine dangerous (of course when consumed in higher amount)
When you consume coffee, the caffeine present in it passes through the placenta and it can increase blood pressure and can cause sugar imbalance. Moreover, caffeine puts additional stress on the liver which is already processing to support the extra needs of hormones during pregnancy.
There are many other studies which suggest more than 300mg consumption per day can lead to pregnancy issues from miscarriage to lower birth weights. I would suggest staying on the safe shore. Do not go above 200 mg of caffeine at any cost! Or another good option if you could just stop consuming caffeine during the first trimester when there are the higher chances of miscarriage.
How Would You React At Caffeine?
Coffee is like other foods which need an approval from you and your doctor while pregnant. Caffeine does not work same for all. Some people like me would drink a coffee at night and would sleep like a baby. Some people would get jittery and anxious about having a little cup of coffee.
If you have ever got anxious consuming a little caffeine before you tried to conceive, then it would be better for you to refrain from the coffee. And if you feel great on having coffee before you were pregnant then a small cup with your meal would not be a threat.
Listen To What Your Body Has To Say
Some of you moms have to cut down the coffee intake, ultimately caffeine, while pregnant. The symptoms will tell you whether you need to cut down the intake or not. Shakiness, heart palpitations, blood sugar problems, high blood pressure etc are telling you to give up the coffee.
Studies are conducted on a group of people and not all people react the caffeine the same way. So, it is better to listen to your body and change your caffeine intake accordingly.
What Is My Suggestion To You?
In those days body needs more nutrition and high energy for the better body functioning. If you are a mama who does good with morning sickness then a bulletproof coffee is a better alternative to coffee as its keto formula helps you to control your blood sugar levels and will make your morning meal wholesome!
If you do not like to buttery taste and you know you may throw up easily just stick with your regular coffee. If you are not ok with making your own coffee in those days you can purchase some affordable coffee makers to make your pregnancy mornings easy. And yeah never had your coffee on an empty stomach.
I hope you have come to a conclusion and this article has cleared the fog hanging around. Have a happy pregnancy!
About The Author:
Toly is a coffee aficionado and a coffee maniac who embarked his professional journey as a barista in a coffee bar. She loves to share her learning experience throughout his life through blogging. Also, she is willing to write a book about her journey of life with coffee. She is currently working as a contributor at coffeemakered.com.
