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Original poster

I have just thrown away my cup of coffee....

31 replies

belgo · 21/01/2008 07:07

I have had two early miscarriages in the past six months, and we are now trying to concieve again. I love coffee - I don't drink a huge amount -- probably two or three cups a day - but now I will be abstaining altogether having just read this article here

It makes me very upset to think that my coffee drinking could have contributed to my miscarriages

OP posts:
laura032004 · 21/01/2008 07:14

I can't really think what do say, but don't dwell on it too much. You can only do your best with the information you have at the time.

Original poster
belgo · 21/01/2008 07:19

it's so frustrating, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I exercise and eat reasonably healthily, I take pregnancy vitamins, and still my miscarriages could have been my fault.

OP posts:
NatalieJane · 21/01/2008 07:26

Belgo, I think whilst the report seems quite damaging, this is just one study. It was one study that caused all the hoohah about the MMR.

If it drives you stop drinking coffee that is good, but don't feel guilty about something that firstly hasn't been proved, secondly, you weren't to know about anyway, and thirdly that I am sure even if it is found to be true, you having a cup of coffee didn't completely cause the mc's.

I don't drink coffee and I still had a mc.

Did have to have a little chuckle at the British Coffee Association though... since when has coffee been British?

Flllightattendant · 21/01/2008 07:27

Dear Belgo, I really doubt it was that which caused you to lose your babies. Did you drink coffee when you had your other children? They are fine, non? It is a tiny percentage difference in the risk, according to that article. Please don't bet yourself about it.

Original poster
belgo · 21/01/2008 07:28

thanks Laura and Natalie Jane.

It's still a shock to read.

OP posts:
Flllightattendant · 21/01/2008 07:30

...I think it's very usual to try tpo find a reason to blame oneself after losing a pregnancy...you want to find a way to control the risk, as the pain of it occurring again would be too great.

I think you have removed every risk now.
Wishing you the joy of conceiving a sticky baby this time, sweetheart

Original poster
belgo · 21/01/2008 07:36

thanks FA - I will also be cutting out coca cola - (not that I drink many anyway) but no way can I cut out chocolate.

If this study does prove taht caffiene is a risk, then I'm glad I've found out about it.

OP posts:
Original poster
belgo · 21/01/2008 07:37

I did drink coffee during my first two (successful) pregnancies - I never went off the tast of instant coffee - in fact it helped with morning sickness

OP posts:
lulumama · 21/01/2008 07:37

it is a million times more likely that you miscarried due to the pregnancy not being viable, and it is nothing to do with anything you did.

i abhor articles like this, making women who have miscarried feel guilty and to blame, when it is simply not their fault

please do not blame yourself x

Original poster
belgo · 21/01/2008 07:44

you're right lulumama. My GP asked me if I drank a lot of coffee, and she didn't seem to think that I drank too much.

OP posts:
juuule · 21/01/2008 07:51

I considered giving up my job after reading an article that suggested sitting in front of a computer screen for long hours could contribute to m/c. I didn't give up and my next pg was fine.

bero · 21/01/2008 08:07

With both my successful pgs I was drinking tea and (on and off) coffee. I made sure I kept to or a little under the 300mg limit. 2 or 3 cups a day isn't a huge amount. Belgo, I really really doubt coffee had anything to do with your mcs. I'm sorry you've had this upset, though.

meglet · 21/01/2008 10:57

I'm going to try and cut out tea, but maybe just have one a day at the most. I crave coca-cola when pregnant so I'm not sure what to do, have gone off dark chocolate this time round so at least I haven't got to worry about that.

agree with nataliejane that it is just one study so far. No real reason to panic.

chuggabopps · 21/01/2008 11:31

Help! Just discovered at the week end that am preg. Usually drink 5 or 6 coffees during the day. Have refused so far this morning and stuck to water but think may have to have at least one today otherwise they will twig and certainly not ready to tell them yet.
Any suggestions?

SaMumInUK · 21/01/2008 11:38

Hi chuggabopps and the rest of you, Im as you can see from SA and would like to recommend Redbush Tea. It has no caffeen in it and has got loads of Antioxadants. Not sure about all the spelling. In SA the tea is also given to babies when they are weaning. It is also quite good to put in the bath when bathing a baby with axcema. If you would like to read more about this you can google it to find out all the benefits, there are quite a lot.
Hope this helps!

OracleInaCoracle · 21/01/2008 11:42

I hate these types of articles. belgo, I only drink de-caff tea and coffee. have certainly never drunk coffee while pg (went totally off it) and i still mc'd. there is a tiny, tenous link, shown by 1 study. your mc's are NOT your fault. there is NOTHING that you could have done to change that path. it is really bad luck. please don't blame yourself!

Peachy · 21/01/2008 11:47

I have to say i continued with my cup whilst reaidng it

I am 30 weeks though now.

Certainly it's nto your fault Belgo- I can empathise with you though. when expecting ds3 I ate cans of tuna every day; really craved it. Since then tuna has become restricted under food guideleines and guess what- ds3 has developed asd, which is theorised to be possibly linked to over indulgence in mercury 9as in oily fish)

Seeems a good idea to give up whilst TTC, but please don't feel bad. we can only do our best. It could be apples next week- how can we know?

Peachy · 21/01/2008 11:49

Chugga- buy soke nice decaff and claim its your new year resolution, they may still guess but you might find nobody notices.

Peachy · 21/01/2008 11:51

And remember that dark choc has antioxidants and iron, which in some way balances out the caffeine (well for me as anaemic). I find a small G&B curbs the cravings but isn't a huge amount either- you can get quite piddly little ones if you look.

theUrbanDryad · 21/01/2008 11:55

i have to say - i agree with everything lulumama said. there'll probably be another article along in the next few years saying caffiene can help you to keep a pregnancy!

don't blame yourself mate, although i know it is easier said than done. xx

Original poster
belgo · 21/01/2008 12:04

so much sense spoken on this thread - reading it has calmed me down a little, so thank you!

OP posts:
Blu · 21/01/2008 12:05

I would have thought that to be conclusive the study would have required every other aspect of the women's diets and lives to be the same. Who knows - perhaps amongst those who drink coffee there is also increased alcohol consumption, more stress, more something else, and less tea drinking. Maybe the coffee drinkers were the onse whjose hormones DIDN'T put them off coffee and so there was a difference in the pg. (I'm just offering ways in which studies need to be very very rigorous in order to be conclusive...don't panic if you haven't gone off coffee! I drank coffee throughout pg).

Most people try to eat and drink as healthily as possible in pg, so naturally cut back on high caffeine drinks throughout the day, don't they? I can see no harm in cutting down or stopping coffee - but wouldn't panic about this if you can help it!

Original poster
belgo · 21/01/2008 12:16

good point Blu. I am now looking at it a bit more objectively.

I'm still giving up coffee though.

OP posts:
Peachy · 21/01/2008 12:41

I think Blu has a good point too- mum said to me this morning that she wondered if it related to her experiences (4 stillbirths at 28 wweeks, then 1 termination for severe rubella damage) before I was born as she never gave up caffeine and pratically lives on the stuff- I will point out to her what bu says about the fact she never got MS / went off coffee at all might have said more about the prognosis.

But if I were you i would probably do the same and give it up- I never ahd a choice anyway LOL, oculdnt even amnage water!

Blu · 21/01/2008 12:49

If i was in early pg now, i probably would cut down...I think i did anyway.

But as a coffee addict (but only first thing in the morning) I 'feel' as if my need for coffee is strongly related to other aspects of my lifestyle - late to bed, make full use of my alcohol points, live my life very busy and speedily, hate herbal tea, not always managing my 5 a day, etc etc.