Caffeine?

ewenner

I'm wondering what everyone else's caffeine "status" is and what your doctors recommended. When I called my OB last week to make my first appt, the woman on the phone (not sure if she's a nurse or a receptionist) said NO caffeine. At all. This surprised me, based on everything I've read in books and online. And for those ladies who are eliminating it entirely, how do you manage the headaches? (Can you tell I'm a big coffee drinker?) TIA!

harmonicbabe26

The most common rec that I see is 200mg of caffeine is fine - and btw the restriction is related to slightly higher risk of mc in some women, not pregnancy in general. My doc said it was totally fine but even if they tried to tell me to quit completely I wouldn't.
I am a regular coffee drinker and can't function without it.
Before kids I was an auditor and lived on caffeine. I drank coffee, red bull etc. MH was always on my case about that so I cut back. Since my 1st pregancy I've been on one decen sized cup a day - otherwise I'm a zombie - and my almost 3yo is totally fine. Also drank coffee when I BF her. No issues.
Same routine this time.

Just get your cup a day and see how you function with that.

BeckyP005

First tri I couldn't handle my coffee but now I have a travel cup of some everyday on the way to work. My Dr is fine with that and told me to have some caffeine when a headache arises.

I'm not a pop drinker..unless it has rum in it..but have had some

marijaa333

I researched this to death before getting pregnant and found that the most conservative limit is 200mg, or two small cups of filter coffee (If you accept this as the limit, steer clear of Starbucks where a tall filter is 240mg; however, a single Americano is only 89mg).  

Most studies fail to find any increased risk from up to five cups. After eight cups, there seems to be conclusive evidence for increased risk of miscarriage, although my guess is that if you're drinking eight cups of coffee a day, you're also making other poor choices that could be affecting your and the baby's health.

So, if you want to stay extra safe, don't consume more than 200mg. 

I thought this would be difficult to do, because I used to drink a lot of coffee (and love it). Instead, I have completely lost my taste for coffee (and despite not having severe nausea, at least not yet at 7w5d).*

*no sooner than I hit enter did I get nauseous. *facepalm*  

Tsuga76

My midwife had the same advice as others - up to 200 mg per day is fine, which is 1-2 cups of coffee, depending on type and size.  I had already cut way back on caffeine while TTC, and was down to a cup or two of half-caff a day.  Once I got pregnant though, I lost interest. While I had few aversions, coffee did become one.  I tried to largely avoid any caffeine in my first tri, just to be extra safe, though I did have the occasional iced tea when I really needed a pick-me-up.  I'm now a little over 5 months, coffee tastes good again, and I'm back to a 1-2 cups half-caff or a big cup of tea a day routine.  I also love lattes - figure it's a good source of calcium

GingerMommy315

I went from about 6 cups of coffee every morning to zero.  It surprisingly wasn't that hard. Now I allow myself one iced coffee a week. I really look forward to it!

I had given up all artificial sugar about 4-5 months before I got pregnant, so soda hasn't been an issue.  But, my goodness... when I gave up Diet Coke, that was rough!  I thought I was past the cravings, but after my BFP those cravings came back with a vengeance! 

ksgsmu

My OB said no caffeine until 2nd tri... now I drink two cups of half/calf a day.  It certainly helps with constipation and energy!

MsMacual

I am a huge coffee drinker, too.  I happened to have a coffee aversion during my first tri with both of my pregnancies and I'm not a pop drinker so I didn't consume much caffiene until I was a little further along.  I usually brew the second biggest size brew out of 5 (not sure on the exact oz) from my Keurig and that seems to be enough to keep me going.  I drank a little more coffee each day after having my son and he didn't seem to be bothered by it (we breastfed until 27 mo).  I'll do the same  with this one- start with smaller amounts until I know he can tolerate it and then add a little more per day. 

harmonicbabe26

ksgsmu said:

My OB said no caffeine until 2nd tri... now I drink two cups of half/calf a day.  It certainly helps with constipation and energy!

Oh yeah! Forgot to mention this too! Coffee - regular, brewed, full caff, is what keeps me regular! I tried instant at one point for a few days and couldn't go! So, sorry kid, momma needs some coffee or my system shuts down that way!

NeonNoon

I'm having minimal caffeine by choice, not on doctor's advice (occasional decafs and small amounts of dark chocolate).  People metabolize caffeine differently.  I think I'm one of those slow metabolizers.

I was just a one-cup-a-day coffee drinker, and I started tapering down while TTC so it wasn't a big deal.  When I've gone cold turkey before, the headaches just lasted a day or two that I just put up with.

mattandlora

I *was* a huge coffee / soda drinker, up to 5 cups per day. I gradually started to decrease it when TTC so I didn't get the withdrawal headache. I keep it under 200mg per day now. I've been unable to tolerate coffee but have an occasional soda. Max = 20oz bottle per day plus whatever I get from chocolate.

If you still feel guilty about the 200mg thing, consider this: NICUs will take babies born as early as 23 weeks and most of them end up on IV caffeine to stimulate the respiratory center of the brain. Don't go overboard, but rest assured that you can probably stop worrying around 23 weeks. No, not 5 cups per day. But 1-2 per day is probably fine by that point. And I mean soda / regular coffee, not espresso and Red Bull.

2ndGeneration

 My midwife didn't say anything about it, but I cut caffiene completely during the first tri-between nasuea and a loss history, I just didnt want it.

 I also do not metabolize caffiene well during pregnancy and especially as I am getting older also. It messes up my sleep pattern. I do have the very occasional half-cup of coffee or soda now (36 weeks) but that is it. Yes, I DO miss my coffee LOL!

 I will go bak to caffiene after, it never has affected my breastfeeding babies.

NeonNoon

I'm looking forward to caffeine post-pregnancy too! @2ndGeneration.  I read that only 0.5-1% of the caffeine makes it to breast milk but also that some babies can be sensitive to it.  I really hope mine isn't.

ewenner

Thank you all for your input. It definitely sounds like the opinions and recommendations of docs are all over the place. I used to drink two cups of coffee a day, and for now I've cut it back to one. I'll be curious to see what the OB says when I see him next week.

Samuelismomma

I'm kinda rare I was told to drink at least 2 cups caffeine a day. I have a bp that bottoms out while pregnant so with DS and this LO I have to have it or almost on the floor. I usually drink light roast in am/ with kurig on highest water . Then one pop later.

tahitiandreamin

I'm totally up in the air about how much caffeine I want to have during the first tri this time.  I'm definitely not one of those super play-by-the-rules girls during pregnancy... I eat sandwich meat, my egg yolks might tend to the runny side, I will not totally give up caffeine, I might have an occasional small glass of wine, I refuse to live in a bubble for 9 months.

But after my CP last month I'm thinking of at least cutting back on how much tea (with caffeine) that I'm drinking, at least until I'm totally convinced this bean is sticking around..

It really comes down to what you are comfortable with doing.

mwerren

I had given up caffeine last December. However, the past two weeks I've been having terrible headaches and I am allergic to Tylenol (go figure) so I have had one can of soda about every other day the past two weeks to fix it. I was also told 200mg a day.

Bigboneded

I cut back while TTC, I drink it now if I am tired. I work nights, so if it is too late (after4am) I just power through so I can sleep when I get home. I have needed more lately. I expect next tri to get worse :-) but havent missed it much :-)