Giving up coffee---how do you do it?!?

[Mamabear12]

First day I found out I was pregnant I did not drink coffee, the second day I had half a cup. Third day another half and then went back to having a full cup of coffee every morning! I would like to just not have coffee....but find I really want coffee. I also keep waking at 5am with this pregnancy, still a little tired and can't go back to sleep! I enjoy having a coffee in the morning while the entire house is sleeping (dh, 2dc and a dog!). I have two hours of peace... :) What else could I drink thats as exciting as coffee? I guess I could switch to a tea...any other good suggestions?

The NHS say you can safely have two cups of instant coffee a day while pregnant so that's what I do. Why are you wanting to stop completely?

I was the same! I started letting myself have instant coffee (much weaker!) And wasn't allowed to finish a whole cup. As soon as I started feeling the effects I'd throw the rest away.

Also I'd have it as late in the day as I could manage.

I would say that by around 8 weeks I didn't fancy it and also I slept so much better without it! Decaf and herbal teas. It's a fun challenge, you can do it!

Decaf coffee?

Stormwhale I am not sure why. Partly, because it said caffeine can effect birth weight of babies. Both of mine were on the lower side for birth weight...but they both thrived and gained weight after they were born. I only ever had a coffee a day with my second one. The first one I stuck to main decaf...so maybe I just make small babies? I am not sure why, as I managed to get 23 kilos with both pregnancies! So this time around I was hoping I could skip the coffee...

You can still drink coffee. You should have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day while pregnant. A standard cup of instant coffee has approx 65mg of caffeine. So if you have one or two then that is still within the daily guideline amount.
Personally I initially switched to decaf, then actually went off it completely as the morning sickness hit. I’ve had the odd one or two in the past few weeks since I’ve been feeling better. But you certainly don’t have to cut it out completely if one cup a day is a daily pleasure for you.

I don't like coffee particularly, but I am trying to study for exams and those two cups of permitted coffee per day are the only thing keeping me awake (would have previously been inhaling cans of Monster...). I cant wait for exams to be over so I don't have to drink it anymore!

Tea can actually have more caffeine in than coffee, so perhaps some nice fruit/herbal teas if you want to switch completely?

I'm 37 weeks and have a normal tea or coffee every day if I want anymore I have a decaff. My bump is measuring 3 weeks ahead which I know doesn't mean baby is but I don't think it's effecting her growth haha xx

I did it cold turkey. Initially replaced it with builders tea but now I don’t even want that.

As above, you can still have coffee up to 200 mg a day if you want. I chose to cut it out completely same as yourself though. How did I do it? I cut down to half cups instead of my full cup every morning during that first week at work when I found out. Then at the weekend, I made sure I had no plans, I didn't drink coffee at all during the weekend, fully knowing I would have headaches and just want to sleep all day... and that's what I did! Spent the weekend watching tv and napping pretty much. Got up on Monday morning, no headache, no caffeine withdrawal exhaustion... just missing the habit and taste of that morning coffee, that little me time I would spend drinking it and enjoying it. Now, 6 months on, I don't really think about it at all, but still can't wait to have a little me time when baby is here and having their morning nap... few mins to myself with a cup of coffee and reading nonsense online!

I just went decaf, for tea and coffee eventually as they detected my baby had heart irregularities at about 30 weeks so they said me avoiding caffeine was best (I even had to avoid chocolate!!! 😵) but when they rescanned me at 36 weeks her heart was back to normal and they said I could have coffee and tea again, I just never bothered switching back, I still buy decaf tea bags now 😂 I like being able to have a late night cup of something and not worry it will keep me awake.
I think the poster above me has a really good plan for ditching the coffee over a weekend. I was never really addicted so for me going decaf was totally fine.
Good luck with your pregnancy!!! You might also just have small babies, I'm sure if your other two are doing perfectly now anyway it's not a problem 😊

Some coffee is safe. I have a half strength coffee in the morning, and then if I feel like it I have another half strength later in the day.

It sounds like you enjoy the ritual as much as the drink, so maybe keep your routine just have a weaker brew or a make it a ginger tea or something.

Are you and your partner tall? Your babies heights are more influenced by genetics than anything you eat or drink.

@YesimstillwatchingNetflix - if that were true then most British Indian parents wouldn’t have kids over 5 ft 6. Height can be influenced by both hygiene and diet; you take care of both during pregnancy and after birth and the height will follow.

I've moved to decaf coffee and cant taste the difference, have hidden a jar in my locker to avoid having it out on display in the office and unnecessary questions.
Used to love tea, and at the moment even caffeinated tea just tastes disgusting to me, let alone decaf 🤢

I guess i was "lucky" with the fact that any hot drinks literally make me so sick, even now 5.5 months along haha

I went completely cold turkey, as a special treat I have a decaf once in awhile. I really really love coffee but pregnancy and baby concerns override that love. I haven't really missed it and sleep really well, so it can work ;)

That being said the day I took the test I strongly suspected it would be positive so had two coffees as I knew they would be my final two

After my embryo transfer in January the IVF consultant said I was to have no caffeine until after my viability scan. When pushed on the matter he said I could have 1 cup of decaffeinated coffee a day. By the time I got to ymviability scan at 6+6 I had actually gone off coffee completely. I have 2-3 cups of decaf tea each morning and then a couple of cans of Pepsi Max during the rest of the day. I’m under the 200mg guideline limit so don’t look too closely when I do have caffeine.

I stopped cold turkey and had the worst headaches fro 3 days....awful. I felt so sorry for myself that I was missing my coffees. I now cant really tell the difference between decaf and real...especially in the form of a cappuccino from a coffee house.

All the people recommending herbal teas, remember that nhs say to drink these in moderation too. Personally, I prefer to drink my 3 cups of tea or 2 coffees, rather than my usual herbal teas, since there is so little research out there on the effects of things like hibiscus, mate and raspberry/ blackberry leaves in tea. At least with nornal tea and coffee I know what risks I'm taking. I've also been making my own fresh mint and ginger teas by just adding hot water... Nice and fresh!