Caffeine and Pregnancy

The minute any woman finds out she is now pregnant, she immediately needs to start paying more care and attention to the foods she consumes and other lifestyle habits that could potentially harm her growing baby.

Pregnancy is a time to really look after yourself, not only to help the whole process go a lot smoother and help you feel your best as a growing mother, but also for your unborn baby's sake. One element of this equation that can be hard for some women is giving up their daily coffee habit.

But do you really need to do so? Can caffeine still be consumed while you are pregnant?

The big thing to realize when it comes to caffeine and pregnancy is that you can have some caffeine, as long as you don't overdo things. Just like anything else in life, moderation is key - even more so now that you're expecting.

Realize that caffeine will cross the placenta, however when taken in modest amounts, won't be harmful to the baby - modest amounts here being described as 300 mg or less.

If you are a woman who is already quite sensitive to caffeine to begin with, then you may want to error on the side of caution even more because the last thing you need while you're pregnant is to worry about feelings of jitteriness, or whatever other side effects you happen to notice from consuming caffeine.

It would be a good idea to take some time to familiarize yourself with the typical caffeine content in some of the beverages and foods you consume, so you can be absolutely sure you do not surpass that 300 mg intake each day.

Some typical values are:

Regular drip coffee (7 oz) - 115-175 mg

Espresso (1.5-2 oz) - 100 mg

Instant coffee (7 oz.) - 65-100 mg

Ice tea (12 oz) - 70 mg

Green Tea (6 oz) - 35 mg

Coke (12 oz) - 35 mg

Cool Nestea (12 oz) - 16.5 mg

Milk Chocolate (1 oz) - 1-15 mg

Dark Chocolate (1 oz) - 5-35 mg

Do keep in mind also that while you may not need to cut out coffee or tea due to their caffeine content, both of these do contain phenols, which are compounds that make it harder for your body to absorb dietary iron.

Since iron is an essential nutrient for pregnant women, this is something should definitely consider. If your diet is already somewhat low in iron content, you could be setting yourself up for problems if you continue to drink your usual coffee and tea each day.

So, keep these points in mind. If you can control your caffeine intake and eat a very well balanced diet, rich in iron sources, you are likely okay to continue to do. If you have any health concerns surrounding caffeine though, or your doctor recommends otherwise to you, it may be best to switch to decaf or remove the beverage completely for the time being.