Fizzy Drinks....

[ChaCha]

I have been drinking both Coke/Dr.Pepper for a good part of my pregnancy (hardly drink tea or coffee, v.rare) maybe about 2 glasses or so a day sometimes more. DH reckons this is why baby is so active and tries to encourage me to cut down. Is it really that bad?
Did anyone or is anyone else having fizzy drinks throughout pregnancy?
Anyone had lots and baby was fine?

Please note that i am no longer working and have plenty of time on my hands, be prepared for questions

[Toothache]

ChaCha - It's not fizzy drinks as such,,,,, its the caffeine in Coke!

[compo]

I think you are supposed to get down on caffeine but nit sure if that is just in the early months

[ChaCha]

Which is worse? Cup of tea/coffee or glass of coke?
Will it cause damage

[Papillon]

Empty calories and bound to give you ´wind´. Better to get your water intake elsewhere... either plain water or fruit juice with no added sugars.

[Toothache]

Depends which one has the most caffeine in. Don't worry!!! It's only effects early pg.... it can increase the chance of miscarrying.

[Papillon]

If you drink tea drink Rooibos.. or red bush tea... no caffeine.

I would say coke worse cos of all the sugar and etc ingredients.

I tried a coffee last pregnancy and it drove me mental for a couple of hours.

[ChaCha]

Oh my gosh...
Will make a conscientious effort to try that tea!! Funny thing is, never really drank fizzy drinks before pregnancy, only ever drank High Juice. Fizzy drink was kind of like a treat...
I do hope i'm not causing this baby any harm..feeling v.guilty
almost 24 wks.

[vickiyumyum]

like you chacha i don't drink tea or coffee, but regularly throughout both my pregnancies drank pepsi or dr pepper (at one point probably about 2 litres a day!)and i have to say just based on my personal experiences both my children were born fine with no problems.

they do advise you to cut down on caffeine in pregnancy, but if you equate that to drinking tea or coffee tehy say about 2-3 cups per day so 2 galsses of coke/dr pepper i'm sure will be fine. i'm sure from what i've read, it is the same as toothache says it can increase the chance of miscarriage in early pregnancy.

[jessicaandbumpsmummy]

never done me any harm!!!

Dont touch tea or coffee, and religiously drink diet coke! Love the stuff!

Almost 29 weeks with number 2 and never heard of not being allowed fizzy drinks in pregnancy!

[Toothache]

JABM - It's nothing to do with fizzy drinks though. In early pregnancy you are told to cut down on caffeine. Coke is well documented to have a high caffeine content (it gives me the shakes!). Thats all..... nothing to do with the "fizz".

[ChaCha]

Thanks ladies. The bottle of Dr.Pepper sat in front of me at the moment is getting some serious 'evils'....

[PeachyClair]

We used to recommend FLAt coke to people with Hyperemesis (pregnancy sickness so bad they risked dehydration).

[Tommy]

I drank a lot of lucozade in my first pregnancy. Do you like that? Or Caffeine free coke?

[albert]

I don't drink coffee and couldn't face tea when I was pregnant but drank loads of diet coke because I found it was the only thing that stopped me from getting headaches and feeling sick. DS was absolutely fine. I would say enjoy it, it doesn't sound like you're drinking much of it anyway.

[PeachyClair]

I lived for three months off lucozade, coke and a medical drip. The coke intake was never raised as an issue by the Medics. I did cut it out for first few months as ordered by the 'What to expect' books (first PG, didnt bother for toher two ).

I suppose caffeine might be making babs more active, but I presume you won't be feeding him Coffee when he is born? It should wear off surely?

[ChaCha]

Albert I like you

I tried lucozade in the first trimester but as i was really sick it just wouldn't stay down and have hence gone totally off it. Water is synonomous with being sick so that doesn't work either. What about other fizzy drinks like lemonade etc.. another weird thing is that if i don't have coke or dr.pepper, i have to have ice with the drink!!!! Weird.

[PeachyClair]

Have you visited this site-

sickness advice ? You'll see that they say drink WHATEVER YOU WANT IF IT STAYS DOWN (I'd poss go easy on the vodka though!)

[RedZuleika]

The thing about flat coke for hyperemesis sounds a bit like some advice I was given in Africa regarding diarrhoea / vomiting: flat coke with a spoonful of salt in it is good for rehydration if you don't have any of those oral rehydration salts with you. Tastes bloody disgusting though.

The other advantage of Coke / Pepsi is that they're good for reflux, if you don't have any Gaviscon to hand. It seems to cut through the stomach acid. My old granny used to swear by it.

Might be worth bearing this in mind though, particularly as one needs extra calcium during pregnancy:

Sunday Times article

[ChaCha]

I've just read the article, very, very interesting but frightening really. I am going to Tescos later to stock up on juice and lots of ice..can anyone suggest a healthy alternative to the fizzy drinks then?

[Janbo25]

cranberry juice is always good

[Kayleigh]

drink sparkling water mixed with fruit juice

[ChaCha]

Cranberry juice is now on the list..as for the sparkling water and fruit juice..what fruit juices do you recommend and is it half a glass of each?

[Kayleigh]

mix sparkling water with whatever juice you like the taste of. I like orange juice like this. I would do 3/4 water and 1/4 juice - but again it's all down to preference.

[matthewsmummy]

i don't think the fizzy drinks will do any harm to the baby, but if you suffer from headaches then they won't do u any favours espeically coke.

i heard the other day that the reason babies are bigger nowadays than they used to be is because of all the sugar that is now in food. there is even lots of sugar in foods that you think would have none. so drinking lots of fizzy sugary drinks could lead to a big baby for you.

i agree with the cranberry juice it is very good for you and is surposed to help keep ur urinary tract healthy and reduce water infections. any fruit juices are good and must be better for you and baby i would think.

[bigdonna]

hi cha cha i drank coke all the way through my two pregnancies as i could not drink tea or coffee and most foods made me puke coke seemed to settle my tummy.giving me the sugar i needed for energy.i lived on pasta,chips,rice and i still only gained 2lbs.pity i gained weight once i gave birth.Both my children were very healthy and still are.