Caffeine consumption

[Jj93x]

Hi, I have drastically cut my caffeine intake since finding out I’m pregnant, I used to drink quite a bit (as in 2 large cans of red bull, 2 large Americano coffees and multiple cans of Diet Coke)

I’ve totally cut out energy drinks and coffee but I’m really struggling with cutting out Diet Coke completely. I find if I don’t drink much of it I get a splitting headache, I’m assuming as my body is so used to the caffeine.

It’s also basically the only thing I find helps my horrible nausea. I’ve tried water, flavoured water, pop with no caffeine like Fanta, juice and it all makes me feel ill .

I’m just worried as I worked out how much caffeine I’m having and some days it’s around 225-250mg a day, I know the guidelines advise less than 200mg. Some days I do have bang on around the 200mg mark.

Does anyone have any tips to help cut down? I’m coming up to 11 weeks, will this amount of caffeine have had any negative affects? I had an early scan at 8 weeks and all was fine, I didn’t realise I was consuming so much some days til I’ve worked out the numbers.

x

Could you try the caffeine free version? Obviously won't help with the caffeine withdrawal but might help with the nausea. Or maybe try buying the smaller cans (I think they're about 200ml rather than 330ml) to trick your brain into thinking you've had a full one? Then you could mix and match with some caffeinated and some caffeine free throughout the day.

I was in the same boat as you, and cut down my coffee and tea consumption to two cups per day.

I also got splitting headaches when cutting back. Shows caffeine addiction is real I guess.

If it helps, the headache period lasted about a week with some days worse than others. After that it was fine. If you can, just see your way through it. It wont harm the baby

I love diet coke and will treat myself to a can of the cafeine free version once in a while. I really try to limit though because of the aspartame

Hi, I am totally the same as you. I'm now 18 + 6. I have managed to cut down to around 150mg a day. I find that switching to the tiny cans of coke and only making myself half a cup of coffee has helped to trick me that I am having more. As pp have said caffeine free is also a good option.

I'm addicted to diet coke/Pepsi. During my first pregnancy, I actually went off it during the first trimester but then started drinking the regular stuff...let's just say I put on a lot of weight! I've gone on to have 2 more babies and drunk a can or 2 of diet every day. Easy pregnancies, babies fine. I'm not advocating that you should drink diet drinks of course but I wouldn't stress to much over it.

I was the same I drank so much coffee!
& I love coke.
As soon as I found out I was pregnant I literally cut caffeine out. Iv had two miscarriages and this time round I am doing everything to the book.

I never actually thought I was addicted to caffeine but my god I was! I literally couldn't function.
It takes a few weeks to get used to. But Now I find just having one cup of coffee or one coke a day is fine now and no longer need caffeine.

The caffiene headaches will last a few days, maybe a week. I've cut out caffiene a few times in my life and the addiction is real! But you can do it! Cut back slowly, and you could try drinking things like green tea or a normal coffee instead of diet coke as both are healthier provided you don't go over the recommended caffeine allowance. That shod stop the caffiene headaches or at least lessen them. Full fat coke is actually better as it doesn't have aspartame which is really bad for you in general, with or without pregnancy! Sounds like lots of people keep drinking it and it's fine so don't stress, but definitely try to just cut back slowly / swap for healthier options when you can

One idea to cut back is to spend some days at home so you can just rest while the headaches are worse. Can you take a couple of sick days? The withdrawal will only last a few days, truly.

Sparkling water can be a good bubbly fix too and ginger beer is amazing I've found. X

I used to have at least 1 red bull, multiple cups of tea and either diet coke pepsi max and a few glasses daily. I've cut it all out but I am having a glass of caffeine free diet coke with my evening meal and it tastes exactly the same plus I do have the odd glass of pepsi max or cup of tea every so often as a treat. It helps that I have had really bad trapped wind and drinking fizzy drinks during the day makes it worse

Immediately start mixing non caffeinated and caffeinated together. Then less and less caffeinated.

I did half caff everything.