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Pregnancy

Coffee??

53 replies

Mummytono2 · 29/04/2014 07:43

Does anyone drink coffee while pregnant? I'm 14 weeks and still have one a day. Just looking for advice on what others do

OP posts:
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JuniperTisane · 29/04/2014 07:45

I

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Matildasmam22 · 29/04/2014 07:47

I can't remember the exact guidelines but one cups fine. I have two cups of milky tea. Someone more helpful who knows the proper mg should be up soon :)

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JuniperTisane · 29/04/2014 07:49

Oops.

I always allowed myself one lovely coffee a day and drank other drinks apart from that. Decaf green tea, Ginger tea, lots of sparkling water etc.

But still that caffeine filled one lovely cup of proper coffee somewhere in the day. And a couple of squares of dark chocolate to dunk in it. Mmmmmm....

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notamonkeysuncle · 29/04/2014 07:49

I also cant remember the guidelines but I do remember having to massively cut down my caffeine intake. I was a big tea and coke drinker. I cut down to two tea and one coke a day

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eurochick · 29/04/2014 07:56

The guidelines are on the NHS site.

I gave up caffeine (bar milk chocolate) for the first tri (previous miscarrier so wanted to do everything that might help) and since then have coke or a decaff a few times per week.

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Greenstone · 29/04/2014 08:19

Hi, I often drank one a day when pregnant last time, especially in 2nd trimester. I'm 13 weeks and I drink 2 cups of normal (strong Irish) tea a day. If I want to drink a coffee a day instead I'll be fine with that. Admitting to drinking any caffeine in pregnancy seems to have become as taboo as alcohol in the last few years but so far I'm a low risk pregnancy and feel really fine about my current intake.

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patienceisvirtuous · 29/04/2014 08:27

I'm really early (4+4) and I have been having one coffee or diet coke a day. I felt like a zombie the couple of days I tried to go cold turkey (and I usually only have say one coffee and one diet coke per day).

Congratulations on your BFP :)

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squizita · 29/04/2014 08:30

You are allowed 1 cup a day without it increasing the risk of MC. And a chocolate bar!

Here is a useful guide to 'tot up' your intake to keep it at the recommended 200mg or lower: www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/limit-caffeine-during-pregnancy.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=216

I stopped in the 1st trimester because my taste turned to tea (weird!) and I worked out I could have 2 teas a day or 1 coffee. It was winter! Grin

I have medical anxiety following recurrent MC, but thankfully being a bit obsessed with MW advice works both ways for me: I don't tend to go more extreme than they recommend or take old wives tales, it has to come from an experienced doc or MW.

I tried a normal coffee a few weeks ago (about week 15), it made me all hyper (body not used to caffeine I guess) so I have decaff now.

I'll probably want hyper back when baby/toddler has me run ragged so look forward to my Costas then! Grin

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LightTripper · 29/04/2014 08:30

I tried to stick to one a day! Early on I was very sick so usually had none, later I'd have a shop coffee with a single shot most days, but try not to have any caffeine other than that (probably did occasionally also have a weak tea before bed, though I drink my tea sooo weak that I don't suppose that made much difference!)

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BettyFriedansLoveChild · 29/04/2014 08:34

One a day here, occasionally two if I'm really flagging. No tea, coke or chocolate. Stressful full time job plus a toddler means that I wouldn't be able to get through the day without it.

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JuniperTisane · 29/04/2014 08:44

How funny Squizita! I went right off normal tea for at least the first half of my pregnancies. If I ever go off it again I know I will be pregnant.

WRT to coffee I decided it would be better to look forward to one very very good cup of excellent coffee and savour it than several mediocre instant ones each day.

There are many many shit things about pregnancy, I was determined to make regulating caffeine a very nice thing to counteract it.

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DorotheaHomeAlone · 29/04/2014 09:14

I have one proper coffee or 3 cups of tea each day and had no problems. I'm one of those that only drinks the first 2/3 of any cup though and forgets the rest! It's more the ritual and breaking up the work day for me. Did try caffeine free tea for a bit but then suddenly and dramatically couldn't stand it! I don't worry about chocolate and just have it when I fancy it. Am 27 weeks now.

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Martie1 · 29/04/2014 10:49

Hi all, I generally have 2 cups of tea a day and maybe a coffee but it's instant and I've only ever made it with half a spoonful. Somedays I've gone w/o any caffeine other days I could be slightly over the recommended allowance. I don't eat chocolate every day but am just remembering that I scoffed a twix and kinder bueno y'day, but only had one tea and a weak coffee.

I also try to drink decaf coffee if I can.

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squizita · 29/04/2014 10:49

Juniper the weird thing is I have the nick-name "Tweak" (the character from South Park who drinks far too much coffee for a small child) the rest of the time, and virtually keep Costas in business! Grin

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thebestnameshavegone · 29/04/2014 11:00

i'm not a massive fan of hot drinks and pre-pregnancy just had 1 cup of instant coffee in the morning to perk me up. I've carried this on throughout this pregnancy (now 26 wks) as I've had no sickness. I've cut out diet coke though, I used to drink it quite regularly but have switched to fizzy water instead.

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PenguinsLoveFishFingers · 29/04/2014 11:01

Yup, I drink as much as I fancy. In the first trimester it made me feel ill, but post about 14 weeks I happily have anywhere between 1-3 cups a day. Probably 1 most days, but I don't actively restrict myself.

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redandchecker · 29/04/2014 11:09

I was a green tea drinker before pregnancy. I can't wake up without caffeine I wake up with a headache Sad
But green tea gave me awful morning sickness so I switched to one cup of morning coffee, I drink it with a glass of water.

I think the estimated amount of caffeine in one INSTANT coffee is 100mg, so max two instant coffees a day according to guidelines.

Coffee from places such as starbucks, costa is a fair bit higher in caffeine

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FoodieMum3 · 29/04/2014 11:11

I feel so guilty whenever I read these threads Sad

I drink 2-3 cups of tea a day (actually, mostly 3) and every second day I replace one of those cups with an instant coffee.

I console myself with the fact that I don't smoke or drink alcohol. Sad

Am I drinking far too much caffeine?

Avoided coffee completely for the first 12 weeks.

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squizita · 29/04/2014 11:14

Red yes think that's true.

I guess it's the choice... 2 cups of yuk I am such a snob nescafe or one coffee-shop/filter coffee.

Or in my case, 2 cups of tea and about 10 of red-bush (caffeine free) and I still say 'ooh why do I need a wee again?' as if I don't know ha!

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PenguinsLoveFishFingers · 29/04/2014 11:18

FoodieMum - You can sit in the naughty corner with me. As I said, I've always gone off coffee totally in the first trimester. The evidence on coffee is pretty weak anyway. I've linked to this article already once today. As I said, it's pretty old now and I'm not sure if there have been more recent studies, but I am comfortable avoiding in the first trimester and drinking sensible amounts thereafter. I've had a big mug of filter this morning already and am contemplating a second.

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Monstamio · 29/04/2014 11:20

I'm not a big caffeine drinker, but I do enjoy a cup of tea. Last time I was pregnant I cut it out completely but found I was getting really bad headaches (guess I'm more addicted than I thought). Now I just have a normal one in the morning and decaf in the afternoon and that seems to work for me.

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FoodieMum3 · 29/04/2014 11:23

Thanks for that PenguinsLoveFishfingers. I'll remimd myself of that Danish study the next time I'm having a cuppa (which will be in a half an hour Blush ).

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Greenstone · 29/04/2014 11:31

Yes I'm a coffee addict normally but I go off it in first trimester too. It's still not really appealing to me yet (at 13+2) but I'd say it's only a matter of time (our filter machine makes such delicious coffee). I've just had my second cup of strong tea of the morning and by gum it was the business.

FoodieMum, I don't think you're drinking too much. I hate the way we describe ourselves as naughty or good during pregnancy! I know it's hard to escape, I totally do it too but argh argh the oppressiveness.

I am reading an interesting book at the moment which has been dealing (amongst other things) with humans' inability to process low risks. We overweight low risk activities because we are all or nothing kind of creatures. (I am paraphrasing SO badly - but the book makes for interesting reading if anyone's bothered.)

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Gen35 · 29/04/2014 11:33

First trimester I just had one or two lousy cups of instant. Second trimester, one shot of espresso and sometimes one instant coffee. With dd was so tired I was having 2 shots. I think the evidence is it's worse in the first trimester. Also drank lots of coffee while bf as dd was unaffected by it and couldn't function...

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PenguinsLoveFishFingers · 29/04/2014 11:46

Greenstone - I totally agree. My reference to the naughty step was meant to be slightly loaded and tongue in cheek (i.e. we are treated like toddlers). Tone is hard to convey in type Grin. I am very, very much with you. I hate the 'just in case' 'it's only nine months', 'would you forgive yourself' preaching that goes on. Fine, obviously to do whatever you like for yourself but I hate the way people often feel they have a right to lecture other fully mentally competent adult women.



Book looks interesting Smile

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