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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

freaking out as thought my coffee was decaf and it wasn't!

34 replies

coastalchick · 20/01/2018 08:46

I am feeling SO stupid and panicky right now. I am 39 and 4 months, no kids, had a MMC at 9.5 weeks end August and will be 5 weeks with a new pregnancy tomorrow (hopefully!).

I buy a particular brand of coffee and their decaf is in a blue container. I have been chugging down (fridays and weekends 5-6 cups a day sometimes) what I thought was decaf but OH has just noticed it isn't decaf and that I must've picked up the wrong one!!!!!

I am clearly stopping now but am terrified I may have caused this one to miscarry. I can't face another miscarriage, and not at my age. As it is, my EDD with this pregnancy is 3 days after my 40th birthday.

Has anyone else drunk lots of caffeine early on and been ok?

I am so annoyed with myself right now.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bakingcupcakes · 20/01/2018 08:48

I didn't bother reducing my caffeine intake and DS was fine. I didn't realise I was meant too. I think you'll be fine.

Sheeeesh · 20/01/2018 08:48

Don't worry. I drank two caffeinated coffees ever day of all my pregnnancies. As the advice of the time was that was fine.

It will be fine

CaptainBrickbeard · 20/01/2018 08:50

I drank a lot of coffee in the first trimester of my first pregnancy - I didn’t know I was pregnant and I did all sorts like go out for cocktails, go on holiday to France where I drank wine, ate all sorts of cheese, rare steak etc. And lots of strong black filter coffee and espresso. No problems at all.

My second pregnancy I went off coffee and started retching if I smelled it - even if I thought about it!

Try not to worry

knottybeams · 20/01/2018 08:50

Yes. Did exactly the same and was still having a filter coffee and diet coke at work. He's on my lap right now, just fed and giving me a big milk drunk grin.

waterlily200 · 20/01/2018 08:51

You are allowed some caffeine, and the amount consumed is so minimal don't worry. The stress of worrying will be worse for you and baby.

Just fill up on good foods and liquids and try to relax.

Good luck and congratulations.

Moltenpink · 20/01/2018 08:52

Hey Coastal. A good book to read is Expecting Better, there’s quite a bit about how minimal the effects of drinking coffee are. I wouldn’t worry but I know it’s hard not too. Congratulations on the pregnancy.

Original poster

coastalchick · 20/01/2018 08:52

Thank you ladies! Am thinking because it's not miscarried (yet) and now I've realised I'm going to stop (I only drink coffee for the taste anyway, not the caffeine), it should be ok. Well, I'm hoping, but obviously a massive part of me is freaking out. Because this is something I CAN control, as opposed to everything else it could miscarry from.

OP posts:

Intelinside · 20/01/2018 08:52

I just read up on it and apparently there have been conflicting studies so the advice is to reduce intake to err on the side of caution. That would make me feel better in your situation as it isn't saying that there is concrete evidence it's damaging but hey, it might, so just reduce. If you haven't and are past the 12 week mark and are stopping now, it's so unlikely to be an issue try and not give it another thought

Intelinside · 20/01/2018 08:53

Isn't concrete evidence*

Original poster

coastalchick · 20/01/2018 08:54

sadly I'm only 5 weeks tomorrow and my last one ended in MMC at 9.5 weeks which is why I'm freaking out more than I might be if it was past 12 weeks.

OP posts:

Smarshian · 20/01/2018 08:55

I really wouldn't worry about it. Caffeine intake should be reduced to stop low birth weight risks. It will not make you miscarry. I'm sorry that you've had problems in the past and it is advisable to cut down on caffeine so do that moving forward but don't beat yourself up about what's already happened x

OutComeTheWolves · 20/01/2018 08:56

I second reading expecting better - it really helped me to put things like this into perspective.

I might be wrong so please don't take this as a fact, but I think I read somewhere that you'd have to consume about 10lbs of caffeine in a sitting before it would start to be dangerous.

Thishatisnotmine · 20/01/2018 08:58

With dd2 my morning sickness was eased by ice cold cans of Starbucks espresso (the ones with the high caffiene warnings on the lable) which I grabbed from a supermarket and sipped on the way to work . Two or three coffees (or the equivalent caffiene) is ok according to the NHS and other research shows the caffiene safe to consume is far higher. I think this is one of those rare instances where googling would put your mind at rest!

Daisydaisygivemeyouranswer · 20/01/2018 09:01

I didn’t reduce caffeine at all.
In the later months I probably had more to cope with the pregnancy insommnia.
Please try not to worry
It’s very unfortunate that some people miscarry for no good reason and then sometimes others who do quite reckless things like drink alcohol or smoke deliver healthy babies.
I’m sure your coffe was won’t make any difference.
If it makes you feel better just have decaf from now

sirlee66 · 20/01/2018 09:02

Aw Hun! Don't panic!!! At 5 weeks, he's feeding off his own little yolk sac anyway and so I'm sure any excess caffine hasn't even touched him!

Think about all those women who drink and take drugs and generally abuse their bodies in pregnancy and it all turns out fine! A little coffee this early really is nothing to worry about, Hun. Plus you've switched now so even less to worry!!!

You're doing everything perfectly. Chill. Relax and try to enjoy this time xx

pastabest · 20/01/2018 09:03

I third getting a copy of Expecting Better by Emily Oster.

But in the meantime don't worry about the caffeine. I think the concerns are more about low birthweight than miscarriage.

Let's face it you could probably do a study on most household items and somehow conclude that they 'may' increase the risk of miscarriage.

JediStoleMyBike · 20/01/2018 09:03

If it helps, I was chugging the same amount of coffee per day (sometimes more) while chasing around my 8 month old and on very strong antidepressants for PND. Didn't even realise I was pregnant for well over 6 weeks. Hadn't taken folic acid, hadn't cut out food you should avoid or caffeine. Had a healthy scan and all was well. Don't add your stress to the mix, honestly 🙂 It'll be fine!

Thishatisnotmine · 20/01/2018 09:06

Oh and my first pg I went off coffee to begin with but replaced it woth vast quantities of tea!

Roomba · 20/01/2018 09:09

Please try not to worry. I know how hard it is after a MMC, you panic about everything and that's very normal and understandable.

You don't have a placenta yet for the caffeine to be passed to your baby, it's vanishingly unlikely any harm could come from a cup of coffee even after the placenta has formed. I still drank a couple of cups of normal coffee a day and also tea during both pregnancies. My babies were absolutely fine (well, DS1 has ADD, but that is blatantly genetic from his father's side, nothing to do with me drinking coffee!)

Roomba · 20/01/2018 09:15

I should also point out to reassure you that I didn't find out I was pregnant with DS2 (now 5yo) until I was 6m pregnant. Before that I drank coffee and tea, drank a fair bit over Christmas (luckily I don't drink much normally), ate crap, didn't take folic acid, took very strong painkillers, massively overdid things physically, was so stressed I practically had a breakdown... you get the picture! He was a good birth weight, is a very healthy child, no issues at all and he's top of his class at most things despite being the youngest there.

Onceuponatimethen · 20/01/2018 09:16

Op I don’t think you have anything to fear from your coffee up to now for one simple reason. The umbilical cord isn’t feeding the baby until the 7th week of pregnancy if I remember rightly. So I don’t think at this point what you eat or drink has anything like the same impact as later on in pg.

I think you are going to cut it out from now on just in case and I did the same - switched to decaf.

But at this point to my mind it’s vety very unlikely this will have caused a mc.

Hopefully all will be well and you will have a sticky pg. I had a Mc at 36 but two dc , one just dead on age 40

Onceuponatimethen · 20/01/2018 09:16

I’m so sorry for my incredibly clumsy language. I mean I had him exactly when I turned 40

Original poster

coastalchick · 20/01/2018 09:34

Thanks ladies - you have really reassured me! I am going to stop from now. Gave up booze the minute found out was pg (and I don't smoke anyway) so that's all good.

This whole TTC/pregnancy thing is just a bloody minefield - it's not like this on the telly!!!!

OP posts:

Intelinside · 20/01/2018 10:01

Oh sorry, when you said 39 and 4 months thought you meant that you were 4 months preggo! Oh well, absolutely in that case don't worry at all. Like other people have said, baby isnt taking any nutrients/vitamins/caffeine From you yet!

MsJuniper · 20/01/2018 10:10

I think it's definitely too early to make a difference, lots of the time people don't even know they are pregnant at that stage. When I had DS I specifically thought I wasn't pg as period had started and drank plentiful mojitos at a friend's birthday - bleeding stopped the next day and I got a BFP.

I understand the worry as have had several mc since and am now 29 weeks at 41 years old. The early weeks move so slowly and there is so much anxiety. Take it one day at a time, or one minute or one hour if needs be. Wishing you every success.

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