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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Have you all stopped coffee/caffeine? I haven't

27 replies

pandarific · 02/04/2018 14:54

Everyone else seems to be caffeine-free... I feel I need it to get through the tiredness/nausea and actually perform at work.

As soon as I got positive test I cut way back from the 3+ filter cups I was having a day at work, and am now more on the max of 1 cup of earl grey tea with one small cup coffee max a day, so under the 200mg guidance NHS gives.

Are you all stopping caffeine? I'm either 9.5 or 10.5 weeks, yet to have dating scan, not feeling sick over Easter so hoping the placenta has kicked in and I'll feel a bit better now.

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WineAndTiramisu · 02/04/2018 14:55

I'm now nearly 38 weeks and haven't stopped caffeine, although not a great fan of coffee normally. Just kept under the 200mg advice (tea and chocolate!)

AaronPurrSir · 02/04/2018 14:56

I’ve switched from coffee to tea and only having 2 cups a day max.

LockedOutOfMN · 02/04/2018 14:59

I don't like tea, but had one small / weak coffee more or less every day when pregnant, occasionally two. Drank plenty of water and I don't like stuff like Coke or energy drinks. I guess I would also have had some caffeine from chocolate.

AnneLovesGilbert · 02/04/2018 14:59

Nope. I enjoy coffee and there’s no danger in a bit of caffeine so I’m not stopping. Have one cup of proper in the morning then decaf for the rest of the day so under the NHS recommendation. I don’t drink normal tea or eat chocolate more than once a month or so.

You sound sensible. Congrats on your pregnancy

Thissameearth · 02/04/2018 15:01

Nope I just stayed under the 200mg. Figured if NHS gave you a max amount then anything under it was safer. I didn’t have any booze though and came across people who would have a glass of wine but no caffeine at all - guess we all reach our own view of what we’re comfortable with.

Thissameearth · 02/04/2018 15:03

*safe

AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight · 02/04/2018 15:06

I kept having caffeine during my three successful pregnancies (at the 200mg guideline, or, as it was for my first two, 300mg), and I have a history of miscarriage. I never liked decaf coffee - preferred to have small amounts of the real stuff. Do like decaf tea, though, and still drink it to help keep my caffeine down during bf/generally.

Fidgety31 · 02/04/2018 15:07

I drink loads of tea , all day every day
I don’t have it strong though

windchimesabotage · 02/04/2018 15:09

remember that caffeine effects everybody differently. Every womans body will metabolise it differently so id go with how it usually effects you.
I have almost completely stopped drinking it (around 1 cup of tea a week or half a small coffee shop coffee) because im very sensitive to it anyway. Would get heart palpitations and dizzy from a large coffee.
However if you were drinking a lot of coffee before hand and having no problems due to it it is probably okay to just cut down and not completely stop as obviously your body processes it well.

reddressblueshoes · 02/04/2018 15:26

No- I probably have three, sometimes four cups of tea a day, if I have say a bottle of Coke as well I'll try and limit it somewhat.

I read something in expecting better about the caffeine recommendations that seemed to suggest most of the studies that say there's an elevated risk of miscarriage are based on people drinking the equivalent of eight espressos a day.

I'm 12 weeks now and all seems well, I wouldn't drink tea/coffee to the extent I felt jittery which I have done before if I had say a work deadline. But below that level I just can't see how it would have an effect, so I'm happy to just try and stay within guidelines and now worry about it.

I won't drink any alcohol because honestly, it doesn't have any real positives but I just can't feel the same about a few cups of tea.

ToriRay · 02/04/2018 15:28

I have a couple of cups in the morning! I would normally drink tea in the afternoon, but switched to Yorkshire Decaf to mitigate for my morning coffee that I really love! Congratulations!

Nothisispatrick · 02/04/2018 15:34

I have two cups of normal tea a day

Magpie24 · 02/04/2018 15:36

Coffee turns my stomach so I'm off that just now but still having lucozade to help the morning sickness

Didntcomeheretofuckspiders · 02/04/2018 16:00

I’ve not even really though about cutting back as I’m not a massive tea/coffee person anyway. Tea leaves a horrible tannin-y taste in my mouth now so I only have the odd cup if I need something to dunk a biscuit in, plus the occasional coffee at work. I probably get more caffeine from all the fizzy drinks I get cravings for but even then it’s probably only a couple of times per week. I had a massive Frappuccino the other week but I figured it was probably mostly cream anyway 😂

Pigeoncat · 02/04/2018 16:12

Luckily I dislike coffee. Can’t do without tea though, so sticking to de-caf, except one normal tea in the morning - haven’t missed the caffeine yet so I’m thrilled!

I’ve also given up my favourite drink - Diet Coke, and again happy to report that I haven’t missed it!

I got awful headaches when trying to give up caffeine before (not for pregnancy related reasons) so I’m pretty happy.

florafoxtrot · 02/04/2018 16:13

I cut back on caffeine when we were struggling TTC so am pretty much solely on decaf these days, although saying that coming off caffeine was pretty rough and I wouldn't have wanted to do it when also going through the tiredness and fog of the first few weeks of pregnancy.
I'm sure as long as you are within the guidelines then its nothing to worry about but you could maybe cut down as much as you feel physically able to do? Totally understand the need to function though, it does lift and you'll feel better. Congratulations!

Alyosha · 02/04/2018 16:18

Nope. Usually try to limit it to 2 cups of caffeinated tea though.

However I just ate two whole easter eggs in a row...so...

Honey456 · 02/04/2018 16:21

I can easily give up alcohol but I need at least 2 cups of tea or coffee a day to function! Which I don’t think is more than the recommended amount anyway :)

Luckily we also found some yummy decaf ( think it’s the Taylors one for cafetiere) which I have if I want more as I love the taste/ comfort of a hot drink.

pastabest · 02/04/2018 16:30

Nope, I don't worry about caffeine at all. The risks aren't that huge (especially after 12 weeks) even if you drink over the guidelines and the maximum guidelines are based on fairly limited evidence.

You have to remember with pregnancy that a lot of the guidance is actually fairly standard healthy eating guidance for any adult (limit caffeine and alcohol, eat plenty of fruit veg and high fibre foods etc).

I don't actually drink massive amounts of caffeine anyway so I've just carried on as normal. A cup of tea in the morning, a cup of coffee in the afternoon and a can of coke at lunchtime on the days I work.

Another recommendation for the book Expecting Better, it's a reasonably accessible read and really cuts through all of the scaremongering about what you eat and drink in pregnancy (and also covers other things like pain relief and birth choices).

strawberrysparkle · 02/04/2018 16:34

I haven't paid attention and have eaten a lot of chocolate! So no haven't given up.

hellotoyellow · 02/04/2018 16:43

I'm on one or none a day - coffee only as I hate tea but accidentally had a double shot from Nero the other day. It was delicious. I feel horrendous without any caffeine - was on up to three proper coffees a day though +/- diet cokes so this is a big cut! I'm almost always within the recommendation and usually substantially under it still as no chocolate anymore (makes me sick )

Northernbeachbum · 02/04/2018 16:45

I've cut down from 5 coffees a day to 1.....

KalaLaka · 02/04/2018 16:46

How can you bear the smell of coffee when pregnant? It's pure evil!

happymummy12345 · 02/04/2018 16:50

I hate coffee, so I only drink tea. I drank loads when I was pregnant.

PointeShoesAndTutus · 02/04/2018 17:04

I went right off coffee in the first and second trimester and have never been a big tea drinker. In the last couple of weeks I’ve started having the odd coffee, maybe 2-3 a week. So I’ve massively reduced but more from dislike than intention.

I have given up Diet Coke (more for the aspartame) though, as a conscious thing.

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