Calling all coffee addicts! The caffine debate.

[mzundastood]

As it has been in the news lately this has caused much discussion with my friends, and I said to them I would ask all the MNS (have been praising you all and how great this site is).
I am 5 wks PG and getting all the info on what I should and shouldn't be doing in PG, advice has changed alot since I had my DS 17 years ago. It feels like my first PG it was so long ago. I am a self confessed coffee addict and have cut down the amount I drink since finding out I am PG last week. I heard drinking to much caffine can cause MC, intend to switch to decaff.
Was interested in how many of you are still drinking coffee and more than 2 cups a day?

Well not coffee for me but I am obsessed with Coca cola and have cut back but not stopped due to caffiene. I drink a lot of soft drinks

And if I want the occasional cup of coffee or Starbucks frappachino I am going to have one

I try to stick to guidelines but if you go over one day.... Meh shrug

I have one day not had anything because I felt I needed a red bull.

All in moderation is my mantra

No more coffee at all here. Had switched to decaff before I'd conceived but now don't even have the desire to drink that anymore either. And this is coming from some one who was once seriously addicted to the stuff.

I limited myself to two cups a day during both pregnancies.

According to a 2011 study, 'Caffeine consumption during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of congenital malformations, miscarriage or growth retardation even when consumed in moderate to high amounts.' And the data supporting the opposite is ambiguous (as so many things).

Metabolism slows down, though, but then you won't feel like coffee or coke, so only drink one when you feel like one.

And at any rate, a Starbucks (yucky) coffee is 50mg of caffeine (according to BBC news). You can drink four of them and still be 'alright' according to the guidelines.

Personally, I do not like guidelines because they are designed for one size fits all purposes and mostly based on inconclusive empirical (so interpreted) data.

Look at the peanut thing! It is always best to trust yourself and your own body.

I'm on a caffeine free diet anyway, so only occasionally have Dr P or decaf and my chocolate consumption has significantly dropped as LO seems to only like fruit.
This site has a pretty good guide to amounts recommended.
Also worth mentioning cold remidies and analgesia, etc here as they often have caffeine. Usually anything called "plus" in pill form (paracetamol plus) etc, has caffeine...and usually in a fairly high/higly digestable dose.
If you do want to switch to decaf (it still has caffeine, just a lot less) then I've found the cafe direct coffees nicest (to buy, Pelican Rouge coffee served in John Lewis is the nicest, but retail only). Yorkshire Tea's decaf tastes less like seaweed than the others IMHO.
For carbonated drink drinkers, most decaf varieties are also the 'sugar free' or 'diet' range also, which have higler levels of aspartame and other things in them, so that's just a risk assessment decider for you. Caffeine, or other potential nasties...

Oh, also, if you're finding yourself getting a lot of headaches, cut back on the caffeine...it will help!
and I meant Pelican Rouge was commercial catering only...

I don't drink coffee but I drink bucket loads of tea. In early pg I was quite careful to limit it to 2 vats mugs per day but as the weeks have marched on I've become a little lax and had 3 or 4 or 9

No decaff tea is palatable, at all. And I've tried 'em all.

I drink milky tea, went off it in the first 16 or so weeks. Now stick to 3 cups a day max with some chocolate on top.

I really wouldnt worry about it as long as you arent constantly tipping back expressos or drinking lots of strong coffee. When preg with dd the guidance was 6 cups of tea a day so I consumed caffeine as normal. I cant see any overwhelming evidence to suggest the experience of many generations is wrong so I have ignored the new advice. Some people smoke, get drunk, take drugs I refuse to stress about a cuppa. That said I always drink decaf coffee because I prefer it.

I'd just keep your fingers crossed that you still fancy coffee in a couple of weeks time!

I was a total coffee addict, but funnily enough went right off it when I became pregnant. Am only just managing a decaf vanilla coffee now at 24 weeks. I did drink quite a lot of tea though, at the recommendation of my doctor who said it helps with morning sickness.

I'm 29 weeks with my third, and need a big mug of coffee with 2 spoons in every morning to get myself going and get the kids out to school. Usually have another couple of cups of tea in the day. I'm not worried at all, hate all this don't eat this or drink that paranoia. I am sensible, eat well, have the occasional glass of wine too and even had blue cheese salad when out with my friends on Friday. So shoot me

PMSL hope nobody shoots you for eating blue cheese! No morning sickness yet (long may it continue) so maybe in a few weeks won't be able to face the 2 morning cups of coffee to kick start me! Biggest problem just now is tiredness, I am shattered all the time and haven't even done that much. This is surely not all due to being PG is it? Look like the living dead and just want to crawl into bed every time I see it yum so cosy, comfy. Think I am drinking more coffee to try and perk me up and keep me going. I may also be shot for admitting that!