Marie, I like to have a coffee in the morning when I wake up. It really helps my bowel movements, but since I became pregnant, I feel guilty drinking coffee. Is this serious? Luce
Luce, don’t worry about drinking one cup of coffee per day in the morning. Health directives state that a pregnant woman should not consume more than 2-3 portions of caffeine per day, depending on the portion size of course! 😊 You can consume caffeine in other things than coffee, for example, chocolate, soft drinks, etc. Take a look at the caffeine calculator below to see the different possible sources of caffeine.
According to public health officials and studies about caffeine consumption during pregnancy, we learn that:
- Consuming caffeine can cause congenital disabilities;
- There are no firm conclusions about the possible impacts of caffeine use on the baby’s birth weight or the pregnancy outcome;
- It’s preferable for pregnant women to prevent potential risks by limiting their coffee consumption to 2-3 cups a day, which is equivalent to 300 mg of caffeine. You should also drink your coffee at least 2 hours before or after your meals to avoid harming your iron absorption.
Don’t forget that energy drinks are not advised for pregnant women.
I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well, Luce, and don’t worry; you are quite reasonable! Eat from all food groups, remain active and get lots of rest.
Talk soon,
Marie
The Baby Expert
Caffeine Calculator
Experts recommend that pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption to 300 mg per day.
|
Drink |
mg |
| Regular coffee, 240 ml (8 oz) | 95-200 |
| Decaffeinated coffee, 240 ml (8 oz) | 2-12 |
| Instant coffee, 240 ml (8 oz) | 27-173 |
| Instant decaffeinated coffee, 240 ml (8 oz) | 2-12 |
| Espresso, 30 ml (1 oz) | 47-75 |
| Latte or cappuccino, 480 ml (16 oz) | 63-175 |
| Black tea, 240 ml (8 oz) | 14-70 |
| Decaffeinated black tea, 240 ml (8 oz) | 0-12 |
| Green tea, 180 ml (6 oz) | 24-45 |
| Chai tea latte, 480 ml (16 oz) | 100 |
| Iced tea, 355 ml (12 oz) | 5-50 (based on brand) |
| Root beer, 355 ml (12 oz) | 23 |
| Lemon-lime soft drink (like Sprite and 7-Up) | 0 |
| Cola, 355 ml (12 oz) | 35 |
| Diet cola, 355 ml (12 oz) | 47 |
| Chocolate bar | 9 |
| Dark chocolate bar | 31 |
| Coffee ice cream | 50-84 (based on brand) |
