Can I drink coffee while I'm pregnant?

by Stacey
(Hastings, Nebraska)

QUESTION:

I'm pregnant with my first baby and I want to do what's right. Not drinking alcohol is the first change I made. And I have read that I shouldn't eat shell fish. That easy for me, because I don't like them anyway.

But what about coffee? Is it OK to drink coffee during pregnancy? Or should I cut it out completely?

BTW - I love coffee and hope it's OK to keep drinking it, even if I have to cut back.

I hope you have an answer for me!

Thanks.

Stacey

ANSWER:

Stacy, hi

Interesting question. I didn't know the answer off the top of my head, so I had to do some research on coffee and pregnancy.

And keep in mind, I'm not a doctor! This is just what I have found out.

It seems that caffeine in high doses can be harmful to your baby.

The caffeine you take into your own body can cross over into your baby through the placenta. So while you may get a minor jolt out of your double espresso, your baby's body and metabolism can get a major jolt. Not good.

Plenty of testing has been done in this area by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Their principal concern is that a lot of caffeine is suspected of contributing to an increased risk for miscarriage or preterm birth.

But they haven't said that expectant mothers shouldn't drink any coffee at all. Their guideline is that you keep your daily intake of caffeine to 200 milligrams or less. That equates to about one cup of coffee a day.

No, not one of those giant cups from Starbucks. A small coffee from your favorite coffee shop, or one mug of coffee at home.

That's what I have found out. So yes, you'll probably have to cut back on your coffee habit. Dial it down to one cup a day and you and your baby should be just fine.

Keep in mind, once you have had that one cup, you need to also say no to black tea and soft drinks or energy drinks that contain caffeine.

Your target is a maximum of 200mg of caffeine a day, whatever the source.