Caffeine while pregnant

Caffeine while pregnant

Is It Safe to Consume Caffeine when Pregnant?

Author: Sandra Wilson

There seems to be a general consensus among medical experts that too much caffeine intake during pregnancy could be harmful to a fetus. What remains undecided is just how much caffeine is too much. While most experts would be pleased if pregnant women cut caffeine out of their diets altogether, they would also agree that it may not be necessary to stop it completely. So, is caffeine safe during pregnancy? Or is it best to just stop consuming it completely?

Recent studies have shown that mothers whose caffeine intake exceeds 200 mg daily nearly double their risk of miscarriage compared to those who didn't consume any. However, not all studies are conclusive on this matter, so the exact amount of caffeine that is safe remains up for debate. However, most experts would agree that 200 mg or less is probably a safe amount.

The risk of miscarriage is not the only danger tied to caffeine intake during pregnancy. Some studies have shown that women who consume large amounts of caffeine also doubled their risk of stillbirth. Though there have been studies showing a link between lower birth weight and caffeine consumption, the research in that area is still inconclusive. In addition, it seems that mothers who consume more than 500 mg of caffeine daily while pregnant have faster heart and breathing rates, and have more trouble sleeping after delivery.

The possible dangers to your baby aside, you may wish to consider cutting back or eliminating caffeine simply because you may feel a lot better if you do. Caffeine is a stimulant, so it makes your heart beat faster, may raise your blood pressure, could make you jittery and cause insomnia. Caffeine intake can also contribute to heartburn, which is a problem for many pregnant women to begin with.

While you may realize that there are many advantages to cutting your caffeine intake during your pregnancy, you will also need to become aware of all the places where caffeine can be found. Coffee is the obvious source of caffeine, but black tea, energy drinks, soft drinks, chocolate and coffee ice cream all contains enough caffeine to be significant. In addition, many herbal and over-the-counter remedies contain caffeine as well. Now, more than ever, it's important to read labels carefully.

Once you have identified the sources of your caffeine intake it's time to figure out how to cut back. Some pregnant women find that their morning sickness makes them averse to a lot of caffeinated beverages, making quitting very easy. Others find it simple to switch to decaffeinated versions of their favorite drinks. Decaffeinated drinks sometimes still contain caffeine, just much less.

To answer the question, is caffeine safe during pregnancy, there is no black and white answer. No one will dispute that no caffeine is a good thing, but the consensus seems to be that a small amount, up to and less than 200 mg daily is quite safe. Fortunately, quitting caffeine, while somewhat uncomfortable, is still much easier than other, more dangerous habits like smoking and drinking.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pregnancy-articles/is-it-safe-to-consume-caffeine-when-pregnant-1186248.html

About the Author

You can find helpful information about caffeine intake and everything you need to know about is caffeine safe during pregnancy at Aha! Baby.

Read more here on losing the baby weight fast and healthy after delivery
An interesting read

Caffeine And Pregnancy: How Much Is Too Much

Author: Summer Madison

Our mothers and grandmothers will probably tell us that they drank the same amount of caffeine pregnant as they did when they were not pregnant and their children turned out fine. However a lot more research has been done since their time and studies are showing that too much caffeine can cause some complications such as preterm labor and/or low birth weight.

So how much caffeine is too much caffeine? Doctors are telling their patients that a moderate amount of caffeine will not harm their babies. Even though caffeine does cross the placenta, anything less than 300 milligrams a day (an 8 ounce cup of strong coffee) will not do any harm. Anything over 300 milligrams puts your baby at risk and studies have also shown that women who drink more than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day during their first trimester have a slightly higher risk of a miscarriage.

Studies have also shown that women who had over 500 milligrams of caffeine a day had babies who had faster heart rates and faster breathing rates. These babies also spent more time awake in their first few days of life rather than peacefully sleeping after their long journey.

There are a number of other reasons why we women might want to cut back on the amount of caffeine we drink during pregnancy. For starters, it has no nutritional value. If there is ever a time for us to be aware of our nutritional needs it is when we are pregnant. Second, caffeine is a stimulant which will increase your heart rate and can cause insomnia and headaches which can put some stress on your growing little one. Third, caffeine can cause heartburn. If you have been pregnant before you know that heartburn can be a burden to begin with, and caffeine just makes it worse. Lastly it is a diuretic which means it can cause you to lose fluids which can put you at a risk of becoming dehydrated.

While it is not necessary for you to give up all caffeine through out the duration of your pregnancy, you should learn how to drink it in moderation or don't drink it at all. If you can not handle having only one cup of coffee a day, then you might be better off drinking no coffee at all. Stick with caffeine free sodas and even decaf coffee. Remember though that decaf coffee still contains small traces of caffeine so make sure you take that into consideration. I am going to help you get pregnant right now. Pregnancy Miracle has helped thousands of women who need help Caffeine And Pregnancy.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pregnancy-articles/caffeine-and-pregnancy-how-much-is-too-much-1732553.html

About the Author

Summer Madison has had several pregnancies resulting in 5 beautiful children. She started studying about getting pregnant when she had her own trouble having a baby. Summer is the proud mom of 2 girls and 3 boys. http://helpmegetpregnantnow.net