We don't know much about the effects of caffeine during pregnancy on you and your baby, so it's best to limit the amount you receive each day. If you're pregnant, the recommended caffeine intake is 200 milligrams per day, which is approximately 1 ½ cups of 8-ounce coffee or a 12-ounce cup of coffee. The short answer is yes, pregnant women can drink coffee. However, it's important to monitor caffeine consumption in general during pregnancy as it can affect both mother and baby in ways that are not yet fully understood.
If you're someone who enjoys the ritual of running daily caffeine and holding a warm cup in your hands, you may find it helpful to switch from coffee to tea as it contains less caffeine. Coffee can also cause you to poop more often, so if you're already running to the bathroom frequently, you might want to avoid coffee until your baby arrives. But did you know that caffeine is also present in many soft drinks, energy drinks, and chocolate- and coffee-flavored yogurt and ice cream (in smaller quantities)? When counting your day's caffeine, be sure to add all of its sources. In the past, pregnant women were advised to completely avoid coffee and other forms of caffeine, but experts now believe that low to moderate amounts are OK, as long as they take some precautions.
An 8-ounce cup of coffee will bring you closer to the 200 mg limit, while an 8-ounce cup of black tea has only 50 mg. This means that you can enjoy two cups of tea without exceeding the recommended amount. You may also find that even a small cup of coffee makes your heartburn worse or gives you tremors or nervousness. The amount of caffeine in a serving of coffee varies greatly depending on the type of grain, the way it is roasted, the way it is prepared and, of course, the size of the cup.
Tea tends to have less caffeine than brewed coffee (which tends to have more caffeine than coffee with milk or other specialty coffee beverages). To control your caffeine intake, it's helpful to read the labels and nutritional facts of your favorite coffee chain. Caffeine is found in many more things than just coffee, and the amount of caffeine varies widely between products and even between brands. It's important for pregnant women to be aware of all sources of caffeine, such as tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate and coffee ice cream.
To ensure that you don't exceed the recommended 200 mg limit per day, be sure to keep track of all sources of caffeine.
