I know you aren't supposed to have caffeine while you're pregnant, but what is the actual medical reason??

Question

Luckily I am not a coffee drinker, but I love soda (which I used to drink diet until I found out that it is REALLY bad for the baby) and although some of the sodas I drink don't contain caffeine, the ones I like the most do-coca cola... Plus, the carbonation helps settle my stomach.. just about the only thing that does these days.

Answer 1

This is a great question, one that I had to ask too and while I was searching the internet I found the following helpful. I hope that this helps you too!


Is it dangerous to get more than a moderate amount of caffeine during pregnancy?
No one knows for sure. Some studies found that women who got 300 mg of caffeine or more a day had a higher risk of miscarriage. And according to the March of Dimes, high caffeine consumption may slightly increase the risk of preterm labor or low birth weight, which could make a difference for a baby who's already at risk for these problems.

Other research has shown that babies of women who got more than 500 mg a day had faster heart rates and breathing rates, and spent more time awake in the first few days after birth. Though the research isn't conclusive, it makes sense to cut back if you're downing more than three cups of java or more than 300 mg a day from all sources — sodas, tea, coffee, and chocolate — combined.

One thing's for sure: You'll feel better if you cut back on caffeine. It's a stimulant, so it increases your heart rate and metabolism and can cause insomnia, nervousness, and headaches. It contributes to heartburn by stimulating the secretion of stomach acid. It's a diuretic, so it makes you pee more often and become dehydrated more easily.

What's more, it has no nutritional value — in fact, it causes your bones to lose calcium. And all these effects are only likely to get worse as you approach your due date because your body breaks down caffeine more slowly as your pregnancy progresses, and that means a higher level of caffeine in your bloodstream (and in your baby's).

By the way, there's one more reason to cut back on coffee and tea during your pregnancy, whether it's caffeinated or not. These beverages contain compounds called phenols that make it harder for your body to absorb iron. This is particularly important because many pregnant women are already low on iron. If you drink any coffee or tea, have it between meals so it has less of an effect on your iron absorption.


Good Luck with whatever you choose.

Answer 2

Doctors vary considerably with their recommendations, because of course some doctors were practicing before the coffee thing ever came up. Almost all the recommendations for less coffee comes from a single study. In that study, it was also found that the same women who drank the most coffee also tended to smoke and consume more alcohol. In other words, it may not be the coffee, but associated other bad health habits. I think the studies are very clear that cigarette smoking is associated with preterm birth. There really haven't been any big trials studying coffee only since the Danish study to confirm its results.

When I was pregnant, I had a pot of coffee a day up until maybe the last month. No problems. Today, I would be more restrictive, and keep it to 2-3 cups a day, but I only drink 4 cups a day anyway, so it's not a big deal. However, if I had infertility problems or was going through IVF, I would eliminate the caffeine entirely.

Answer 3

There are some people who think that you should have NO caffeine. However, most doctors will say you should LIMIT caffeine tgo about 3 cups of coffee per day or less... The reason for limiting caffiene intake is due to the relationship between caffeine and low birth weight. I am not 100%, but it may also be linked to respiratory development as well... Coffee or tea is OK in moderation (particularly after the first trimester) according to my OB, but you should ask yours for thier opinion.

Answer 4

Over 300 mg of caffeine a day can lead to respiratory defects and/or slow respiratory development (a big deal, as the first and most important thing to consider when giving birth is whether or not the baby is going to be able to breathe on his own). It is also believed it may contribute to ADHD, but this hasn't been proven.

Still, 300mg a day is a pretty good bit. One serving of Coke is only 65mg.

Answer 5

Caffine (and a lot of other things) have the same effect on the baby as they do on you.

Caffine speeds up the baby's heartrate. It can also interfere with the baby's sleep cycles.

When I was pregnant in '03, they said one (1!!!) cup of coffee/tea/soda per day. The caffine headaches put me out of commission for 2 weeks!

Just after my daughter was born, they raised it to 6 6 oz servings a day. I kept it down to about 3 when I was pregnant with my son anyway.

Everything in moderation.

Answer 6

Caffiene in moderation is ok. Caffiene is a stimulant that can effect a young baby's nervous system. It's been linked to neurological problems, low birth weight babies and in high doses it can cause preterm labor. One soda here and there won't kill you or your baby though. I've had a mountain Dew(the worse offender for caffiene) and it hasn't effected me or my children. You will notice it later on though after you drink caffienated beverages, especially if you overindulge, that your baby will go on a crazy kicking spree and then wear itself out. That's not a good thing.

Answer 7

Drinking more then 300mg, I believe that is the number, can cause your child to develope ADD and/or hyperactivity. Not to mention other rare conditions related to ADD. Try not to have any at all but if you have a craving the equivilant to one soda is all you should have.

Answer 8

you can have some caffene, but try to keep it to 1-2 cups of coffe a day. excess caffene is linked to miscarrage.

Answer 9

here are some good sites with information regarding this topic!

but it sounds to me like there are conflicting reports either way.

Answer 10

I posted a link it explains it........ Check it out