If you cut out caffeine...

laurenbncha# · April 2011

What was your reasoning?

I suppose I get cutting it out in 1st Tri. I get limiting your intake to under 200 mg/ day (what my doctor suggested).

Why did you decide to remove it completely?

ijack · April 2011

I didn't cut it out, but I drink very little of it anyway - I'm really sensitive to caffeine and since I already sleep like crap I don't need anything to make it worse. Before getting pg I probably had 2-3 1/2c of coffee a week - now I probably have 1-2 1/4c of coffee.

vstevens · April 2011

I'm really interested in people's responses to this. I cut it out entirely in first tri after doing my own research on the nature of the associated miscarriage risk, but at 13w3d I went right back to 1-2 cups of coffee per day. Now I get side-eyed like nobodys business at the coffee shop/on my way to the office when I'm walking with the cup in my hand! Maybe there's something I'm missing here?

Magoo12 · April 2011

I had 2 previous losses before this pregnancy. My doctor told me to cut it out completely in the 1st tri this time around just to be one the safe side. I just have continued not to drink it out of habit.

Also, I was never a coffee/tea drinker anyway, just an occasional soda here or there. So it really isn't that big of a difference to me either way.

twohniyt · April 2011

Its a personal decision that everyone has to make. I wasn't a big caffeine drinker to begin with, except for coffee. Too much of it has always given me the shakes. Since I'm not big on caffeine it was easy for me to cut it out. Every once in a while I'll have a sip of coffee or crave a coke (something I never wanted before getting pregnant). My doctor did say a cup or 2 a day was fine though if I wanted to. I just don't.

Sara*n*Ryan · April 2011

I cut it out completely during first tri and really into second tri. I'd say it was around 17 or 18 weeks that I started adding it back occasionally. If I'm out and about, I'll grab a coffee or I'll have a soda here and there. Still not often, though.

JenJune3 · April 2011

I cut it out completely in the 1st tri because that's what I've always heard you should do. But around 15 weeks I started having a small amount, we have free fountain drinks at work, so I drink 1- 12oz cup a day of Dr Pepper with ice, so really I probably have about 6-8 oz of Dr Pepper. It just tastes so good and I am so tired!

StefandTodd · April 2011

I still drink it sometimes, and even had some in the first tri. I turned 14 weeks on my 30th bday, and I figured if the dirtiest my "dirty 30" was gonna get was to have a latte, I was gonna enjoy it!

Recently, I've really enjoyed a cup on the weekends, and I realized that last week, I had a cup Saturday and Sunday, then really wanted one Monday, and on Tuesday morning, I felt like I darn near needed it. It was making me feel just ever-so-slightly jittery and definitely more alert/awake (which is good for me, generally!), but then I remembered what they say in Bradley classes about any substance/drug/medication...if you weigh 140 lb and feel the affect of said subtance/drug/medication, it would make sense your baby (weighing 7 lb) would feel 20 times that affect. Put in those terms, I felt like if there's a chance my 160 lb self is feeling slightly jittery from coffee means that my 1 lb baby is feeling 160x the effect of said jitters, it's probably better to limit it more. So, I would really like to try to have (at most) one cup one to two days per week. Just b/c I'm paranoid that it could have an affect on sleep patterns and behavior and all to subject a fetus to that much caffeine. Probably doesn't make a lot of sense for a lot of people (especially b/c it's totally safe, according to doctors!), but it's MY personal reason for limiting it a bit. And I absolutely, positively do NOT judge someone who has the recommended amount on a daily basis.

Matt Dvorak · April 2011

I don't like coffee, I always try to limit pop (once went a full year without it just to be more healthy), and I drink tea more for the warm up affects than the caffeine - and it's not that cold anymore. I still eat chocolate :-)

jess!ca · April 2011

I went back off of caffine when I got my BFP (I was decaffinated for about 5 years until about a year ago) but every once in a while I grab a small latte or something. I just try to stay away because I already have enough trouble sleeping.

kim.watki · April 2011

I don't drink sodas at all, pregnant or not. Just not worth all that sugar or all that fake sugar to me.

I do love coffee, and I completely cut it out in the first trimester. I am still severely limiting it, mostly because I do love it so much. It's easier for me to say "no" to coffee than it is to limit myself to one cup/day. I enjoy the occasional espresso drink (much less caffeine than a cup of drip coffee) but I am not going to get back to the daily routine until I need it post-delivery. One of the best benefits of cutting the caffeine I've had so far is much better sleep habits -- probably partly because as a pregnant lady, I feel like I can give myself a break and go to sleep when I'm tired, whereas normally I'm a busy bee all the time.

laurenbncha# · April 2011

StefandTodd:

Recently, I've really enjoyed a cup on the weekends, and I realized that last week, I had a cup Saturday and Sunday, then really wanted one Monday, and on Tuesday morning, I felt like I darn near needed it. It was making me feel just ever-so-slightly jittery and definitely more alert/awake (which is good for me, generally!), but then I remembered what they say in Bradley classes about any substance/drug/medication...if you weigh 140 lb and feel the affect of said subtance/drug/medication, it would make sense your baby (weighing 7 lb) would feel 20 times that affect. Put in those terms, I felt like if there's a chance my 160 lb self is feeling slightly jittery from coffee means that my 1 lb baby is feeling 160x the effect of said jitters, it's probably better to limit it more. So, I would really like to try to have (at most) one cup one to two days per week. Just b/c I'm paranoid that it could have an affect on sleep patterns and behavior and all to subject a fetus to that much caffeine. Probably doesn't make a lot of sense for a lot of people (especially b/c it's totally safe, according to doctors!), but it's MY personal reason for limiting it a bit. And I absolutely, positively do NOT judge someone who has the recommended amount on a daily basis.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing!

kjuryfl · April 2011

I started cutting it out when TTC, then cut it out completely when I got my BFP. I went cold turkey for the first trimester and only now have a random diet coke or iced tea at dinner. I try to limit my consumption to 1-2 caffeinated drinks per week max.

alubins · April 2011

Same boat as pp's. I was a coffee-fiend (to put it mildly)! I drank anywhere from 3-4 cups a day. Once DH and I decided to try for a baby, I cut drinking coffee cold turkey mid last year. The first 4 days were wrecked with constant headaches, and I spent a week with an insatiable thirst for water. Can we say I was dehydrated much? I stayed away from caffeine all through my 1st tri (never was a pop drinker, mainly coffee and tea), but now I indulge in an occasional cup of coffee (maybe once every 2wks?) and tea at least once/week. It's funny though- earlier in the week, I had a craving for coffee. Now, I'm of the mindset, if you crave something, have a bit, so I don't know if it was the taste or what that I wanted but I left work to get a small half decaf/half regular coffee. I hadn't had any caffeine in at least 3wks, and boy did it hit the spot! And, let me tell you, that jolt did a number on my LO! I've never felt him move so much...it was crazy!

LJR 84 · April 2011

I never cut it out- I wouldn't have survived.

With my first I cut it out completely in the 1st tri. I've always heard too much caffeine can be associated with m/c...which I think is the reason some people cut it out.

kermiefrg · April 2011

I cut it out for the most part years ago to prevent more migraines. It was hard at first, but it was worth it. I still have some maybe every week or two and I'm fine with that. The good part about cutting it is that if you really need the pick-me-up, half a cup will make a huge difference. So that's really nice for the days hen I'm dragging bad.

Kuleama · April 2011

I cut it out completely when I thought we were going to start IVF last summer. It ended up being pushed back to December, but I stuck with the no caffeine. The reason I did was because we were spending over $30,000 to conceive and I didn't want anything to mess it up that could have been easily preventable.

Now I just have to decide if I'm going to go back after BF!!

crystal959 · April 2011

ijack:
I didn't cut it out, but I drink very little of it anyway - I'm really sensitive to caffeine and since I already sleep like crap I don't need anything to make it worse. Before getting pg I probably had 2-3 1/2c of coffee a week - now I probably have 1-2 1/4c of coffee.

This. Caffeine makes me super twitchy. I don't like coffee, but I do drink an occasional Pepsi.

Duffgurl · April 2011

As soon as we found out we are expecting I cut it out completely and honestly I don?t miss it. Although if I smell a hot cup of joe with Vanilla cream man it?s tempting but a no no for me. I will stick with Water and Apple juice lol Smile

TanyaKM · April 2011

My reasoning is: I don't need it, so why drink it? I don't really miss it at all, so it is not a big deal for me.

poppy33 · April 2011

We had a previous loss so that's the main reason. Although I know I still get some from other sources (chocolate, etc).

I've cut out caffeine before for dietary reasons and it's always gone pretty smooth so it wasn't too big of a deal for me. I still drink some decaf coffee from time to time.

Although, I really want a fountain Coke and will probably indulge soon. I was set to order one recently but all they had was Pepsi. I felt it was a sign Stick out tongue

MillerTime13 · April 2011

kjuryfl:
I started cutting it out when TTC, then cut it out completely when I got my BFP. I went cold turkey for the first trimester and only now have a random diet coke or iced tea at dinner. I try to limit my consumption to 1-2 caffeinated drinks per week max.

This exactly for me, though I didn't limit it while TTC.

ETA: As far as reasoning, I just realized it's not something I NEED. Though some days when I am ready to fall asleep on my desk I do choose to drink one of my weekly half cafs!

BonitaKaz · April 2011

I have pretty much cut out all sodas (never drank coffee). I literally drank 4-5 sodas a day before getting pregnant, and limited it to one a day afterwards.
I have always been prone to UTIs, but had one most of 1st tri. I don't usually have any symptoms of them until they turn into a bladder or kidney infection.
I maybe drink 1 a week now, as the doctor told me that sugary drinks can provide the sugar needed for a UTI to thrive. Since I cut them out, I haven't had another UTI.

*Juma* · April 2011

I stopped drinking my usual 1 cup of coffee/day when we knew we were going to do IVF and didn't have any throughout 1st tri. Around 14/15 weeks, I had really bad headaches and my OB recommended drinking a cup of coffee to see if it helped. Now, I drink 1-2 cups of half-caf most days and the occasional iced tea. I don't really like soda, so I'm not getting any additional caffeine there.

My reason for cutting it out in 1st tri was due to organ development - sort of the same reason why it's ok to color your hair after 1st tri but not the best decision during 1st tri. JMO.

snoopy3319 · April 2011

I've always fought migraines and severe IBS. One of the major causes is caffeine and your different food intake. I rarely drink soda, but when I do, i try to only have one glass, usually a small one. I do drink hot cocoa or tea for the warmth, and I'll eat chocolate. It's worked out well, because now when I have a migraine, I have to use the Tylenol/caffeine trick, and thankfully it's been working pretty well. I still need to sleep or rest my brain, but I didn't think i could ever do without my migraine meds.

fancefpp · April 2011

I cut it out mostly because it's not something i felt i needed to have. I weened myself off of it before we starting TTC and didn't want to start up again once i was in the 2nd tri because I had gone so long without it. I do miss it, but i can hold out for a few more months. I know it's completely crazy, but a part of me keeps hearing in my head that caffeine is a drug and it's addictive. I know drinking one or two cups a day isn't addictive or harmful, but i just figured I could cut it out for 40 weeks and be ok.

September2007 · April 2011

I cut it out completely because I didn't miss it. We had been TTC for a little over 2 years, and after going through all our IF treatments, it wasn't something I needed. I stopped drinking caffeine last spring, before our first IUI, and haven't looked back since.

I have had a 1/2 can of coke when the headaches set in, but it's been maybe 3-4 times this entire pregnancy. I can't remember the last I had it... I do drink decaf iced tea or decaf iced coffee from time-to-time, too.

CandyIsGood · April 2011

I cut it out completely in the first tri (I think so at least...maybe I slipped once or twice).

In the early second tri, I had absolute monster headaches, and the only thing that helped at all was a can of coke. That led to being a little more casual about caffeine in general. Now, I would say I have in the neighborhood of 100 mg a day. Some days, that's via half a cup of coffee, some days a decaf latte plus a coke. I never have what I did before -- 1-2 cups of coffee plus a diet coke in the afternoon -- but I almost always have some.

Jamers822 · April 2011

I decided to cut out caffeine when we started TTC I was getting a lot of headaches and once I stopped drinking caffeine they almost all went away. I just realized I don't need to be drinking the soda or coffee. I haven't had any caffeine in about a year. I do miss have a diet coke when we are out at restaurants, water gets boring after awhile. But its not as hard to avoid as I thought it would be. I am not sure if I will go back once I stop bf. I don't know if I could handle just drinking caffeine occasionally.

abell77 · April 2011

the first time around I cut it out completely due to paranoia, the whole "if the baby was born with anything wrong I would always wonder..." thing. Well, I cut it out completely except for chocolate

this time around I cut it out in the first tri, and now in the mornings I pour myself 1/3 cup of coffee, and the rest milk. It's actually tastier than I expected and because I cut it out completely last time, I feel rebellious now for having my morning coffee. I still don't drink caffeinated teas or sodas.

TheLastCall · April 2011

I went from drinking coffee in the morning and then an energy drink in the afternoon before I was pregnant. I knew that the amount of caffeine I was consuming was not healthy for me and stopped immediately once I found out there was a person inside of me because I knew it wasn't good for her. My doctor is OK with the amount of caffeine that yours is, but I've already broken the habit and don't even miss it anymore.

stylechild622 · April 2011

i probably have 3 cups of soda during the week. i used to drink it everyday, but now its just a treat for me.

SoxFan777 · April 2011

kjuryfl:
I started cutting it out when TTC, then cut it out completely when I got my BFP. I went cold turkey for the first trimester and only now have a random diet coke or iced tea at dinner. I try to limit my consumption to 1-2 caffeinated drinks per week max.

This EXACTLY... I still love an occasional freshly brewed iced tea.... But nothing more than that...

WashingtonQueen · April 2011

I am not a normal coffee drinker and I do not drink soda. However, for the past month, I have started to drink one cup of instant coffee every morning. I had found that I was lacking in energy and didnt have enough to do anything with the kids or the house. After adding the one cup every morning, I get just enough of a jolt to do a few more things around the house and with the kids.

I dont think that you have to completely cut out caffeine while pregnant as long as it is just a little bit that you are drinking.

lp46215 · April 2011

I decided to completely cut it out, because I had alot of kidney problems when I was younger. My doctors then told me I would never be able to drink it again, but I haven't had any problems drinking caffeine in my adult life. Since I'm pregnant now, I just didn't want to take any chances at all, so I haven't had any caffeine since we conceived.

I'm really interested to hear everyone talking about how their doctors wanted them to cut caffeine only in the first trimester. There is a girl at work who's doctor let her drink caffeine in the first trimester, but she had to stop drinking it in her third.

I think ultimately every pregnancy is different and if you're not sure whether it's safe for you, just ask your doctor.

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