Caffeine Withdrawl

CoffeeBeanFiend91

Anyone else suffering? I never got hyper or a pick me up from caffeine but I do have a preference for caffeinated coffee taste wise. I have been having killer headaches daily and I am starting to think it is withdrawl. Any mommas on here consume 3+ cups of coffee or other caffeinated drinks pre pregnancy? What did you cut down to?

PSUBecky23

Making a pregnant woman cut back on caffeine is truly the cruelest thing. We're exhausted and now we can't drink as much coffee as we drank pre-pregnancy? Mean!

I've been doing half-cafs so I can trick myself into thinking I'm drinking more coffee than I am.

mamajen10414

Before pregnancy I was drinking a ton of coffee, sometimes making a second pot in the afternoon just to make it to bedtime. Now, I drink one cup in the morning. I have noticed I've been having withdrawal headaches. When they get really bad I will have a little can of Coke, not sure how many ounces, in the afternoon and it seems to help. Last pregnancy I couldn't stand the taste of coffee so I'm thankful I can still have a cup in the morning. 

cassloumy

Oof, I'm sorry you're going through that @CoffeeBeanFiend91! Though it was before I became pregnant, a few years ago I cut caffein out of my diet completely. The withdraw was rough! The best reassurance I can offer you is that it will stop bothering you sooner rather than later!

One thing that helped a lot, even though it was harder to do than ever, was exercise. It was explained to me like this: since caffein fills in dopamine receptors in your brain produces more of them when you drink it. When you quit or cut back significantly you end up with a lot more receptors sitting around than your brain naturally is able to fill.  Exercising will increase the amount of feel-good chemicals in your brain, and thus should reduce your withdraw symptoms.

I hope this helps!

Tippy05

I've switched to decaf for the most part, but don't deny myself of regular coffee on days I really need it or when I have a headache.  I try to limit it to one cup of regular and any after that are decaf.  Like @PSUBecky23 said, you can also try half-caff.  

mommytimesfour

I drink one cup a day in the morning and it keeps me from getting a killer headache.

camichael84

I was addicted to caffeine pre-pregnancy. I was drinking more pop than coffee, though, so I quit caffeine completely. I get headaches occasionally, but I've been caffeine free for over a month so I haven't thought it was related. I could be wrong, though.

As for coffee, I've heard of doing like @PSUBecky23 mentioned and going half-caff. If mine had been a coffee addiction, that's probably the route I'd have gone.

lovelylauren86

CoffeeBeanFiend91

I'll try the half calf. When I was having coffee with MIL last weekend I had 4oz of coffee and a ton of half and half and just that little bit seemed so glorious.

TheTamedShrew

I still have a diet coke or a half caff now and then. Some days I go without completely and I can tell a difference. I actually feel like coffee makes me a little nauseated now so I haven't really had a problem staying away. I made sure to go ahead and wean myself off of it while we were TTC because I went cold turkey with DD and had horrible headaches for over a week.

sarahc1609

Yes! I LOVED my coffee before i got pregnant, we did IVF so I stopped drinking coffee as soon as the embryo was transferred (I was having 4 cups a day) I'm now 10 weeks and I STILL get killer headaches and with DS I never got morning sickness, queasiness or any symptoms really, and I have been throwing up for over a month now. I haven't vomited for 13 years so this was quite a shock, I assumed morning sickness (maybe it's a girl!) but my girlfriend whos a nurse in ER said it COULD be giving up caffeine. So I've started having 1 coffee in the morning and so far so good, (I actually HATE the smell of it now) but it does stop me from feeling sick and works better than panadol for a headache. 

mom2adoodle

I find it hilarious that your username is what it is and this post is what it is. HA! @CoffeeBeanFiend91 Sorry you're struggling though! 

Knottie1427415498

I used to drink 1-2 cups a day of coffee. Those free coffee refills at Starbucks so tempting.  
Now I drink 1 cup almost every day ..most days I don't get the headache. 
I do half calf some days as well. 

SLou24

The hardest thing for me has been keeping it from my coworkers! I used to have 2+ cups per day, and always at least one at work. Now, I have one cup of regular coffee when I get up in the morning, and then once or twice a week I'll get a decaf when at work. I don't feel like drinking decaf every day, but I don't want my coworkers to realize that my coffee intake has gone from constant to nonexistent. I just have to hide the side of the cup where they check off "decaf"  

CoffeeBeanFiend91

@mom2adoodle I'm serious about my coffee love

TNgoldengirl

It's a struggle every day! I was having 2-3 cups a day, and now I kind of have an aversion to coffee so it was easy to cut back, but I'm absolutely worthless on days I don't have any. I also just miss that part of my morning routine. We recently started juicing, so that's helped some too... when I have the energy to do it!

diagonalley

I don't drink coffee, but I do depend on soda to give me a caffeine boost at times.  I feel your pain!  For the most part I haven't been drinking any but there have been a few days where it was a necessity.  This is definitely much harder with a toddler in tow.

mrsevyrew

I was a 3 cup a day drinker before I got pregnant. I switched to half-calf for 2 days before completely cutting it out. Caffeine withdrawal is the worst. I had a headache for 3 days. But now I think I'm completely over my caffeine addiction. But some days all I want is a latte! Especially when I'm out running errands. Sigh. 

mellaina

Oh ya I went from about 2 pots of coffee a day to one cup in the morning. I found if drink my one cup in the morning and stay hydrated, that Normally does the trick.
  But if a bad headache sets in a few sips of coke and the caffeine will stop it. 
 

miam4

Yes. The struggle is real. But with DD I had the same problem and some days that I really needed some coffee I took a little bit. My Dr said it was ok, as long as I was not going all crazy about it lol
It is hard...

Mommato4blessings

I have a pepsi addiction...and I figured 2 cans a day was okay, this is what I have done for the last 3 pregnancies and as long as everything else I drink is water I have been good at keeping headaches away and can still function to take care of 3 girls 

estephenson13

@mrsevyrew oh what I would give for a latte! I was a 3-4 cup per day drinker and had to quit cold turkey. The smell and the taste make me run for the bathroom such a cruel cruel joke!

hjeanhill

I had a major caffeine addiction before i got pregnant ,like a whole pot of coffee in the morning and a few cans of soda in the afternoon. I cut it out completely about a month before pregnancy thankfully.  The withdrawal headaches were horrible at first, but i drank a lot of water and started having smoothies first thing in the morning and feel so much better now. 

jessvand

I was a 2-3 cups a day kind of girl prior to pregnancy - I now have weaned myself down to 1/2 a cup a day and I try to drink it slowly .... that was a game changer for me to just sip on it for several hours, this caused my headaches to be very minor, if at all.

Best of luck!

scifichick09

I feel you girl! I used to have 2 cups every morning, then I cut it down to 1 cup/day when we started TTC. I switched to decaf once I got the BFP, and had headaches for about a week. It was rough...and to make matters worse, now the decaf makes me sick!! I'm soo tired and all I want is my big ole mug of coffee....but alas...I cannot

I wish you much luck. All I can say is, power through it! The headaches will go away eventually, it just SUCKS for a while

lovelylauren86

LO has a cold and was up all night and I'm going to a gala tonight, caffeine is necessary 

CoffeeBeanFiend91

I couldn't take it anymore. I've started drinking iced coffee with extra cream. I mean there can't really be much caffeine in that right?

homebird

You can still drink caffeine, just keep your intake low. I forget what my OB told me last time, under 300mg or something? I had tea or coke or something almost every day.

Now I'm not allowed to have caffeine due to IC so *shrugs*. 

KarenBeth714

I love my coffee... at least 2 (large) cups a day before... and I like my coffee super strong. I started cutting back while ttc to just one cup ( tried to) then went to herbal tea after getting the bfp. That didn't last too long. I've been doing a light cup of coffee with a lot of milk like every other day. I get a decaf latte once in a while that kinda tricks my brain into thinking I'm getting my caffeine kick. I know a lot of people get coffee aversions while pregnant, but not me.. still smells so good!

AmMcc12

@homebird my OB said 200mg. 

I was was drinking a cup of half caff a day but now the thought of it makes me nauseous 

Alyeena

AmMcc12 said:

@homebird my OB said 200mg. 

I was was drinking a cup of half caff a day but now the thought of it makes me nauseous 

Yes it is 200mg max per day. You can find online the amount of caffeine in different beverages.

https://www.caffeineinformer.com/the-caffeine-database Is a good website, I cross-checked some of the values on it with official websites and it was always right.

I never ever liked coffee so I am fine. But I do drink tea like chai tea or green tea but not everyday. I drink it way less often now. I go for fresh juice instead, I make it myself Or smoothies but only with water, ice and fruit.

missshanab

I LOVED coffee. As soon as I got pregnant coffee started making me gag. It's one of the only aversions I've had! I can do an iced sweetened coffee now and again (i usually drink hot black) But yeah under 200 mg is fine. That's about 2-3 cups depending on the roast. But tea has it too. I love unsweeted tea, so I switched to that to not have a dessert in a cup from starbucks everyday  

izzetoot

Ive had about a half cup of coffee with equal parts milk everyday for about 3 weeks.  Last night I had a Dr Pepper with dinner and I was WIRED.  I couldn't go to sleep till 1 pm!! 

mrsman2018

I only drank one cup of coffee a day before I got pregnant and still drink one cup a day. I bought decaf and am going to try that next week. 

pizzaandwine

Wow, I'm surprised how many people have cut it out completely! That's some serious dedication. I used to have 2-3 cups a day...now I do 1.5 (sometimes 2). Homebrew, so not the caffeine level of Starbucks. My last pregnancy I was in France, and they don't even suggest cutting back on coffee. It's just not a thing there. 

bridgemanliz

Unfortunately, our peanut doesnt agree with my coffee. Talk about nauseous!! I am trying to swap over to hot or iced tea. It seems to be helping and the nausea isn't nearly as bad. Time will tell I guess. Good luck everyone!