Tea/Caffeine

[girlmum02]

How much tea would you recommend in pregnancy? In my last pregnancy I only had 1-2 cups a day but this time around I feel like I need it way more, I am assuming it's because I'm so much busier this time round constantly chasing my toddler about. I don't want to put baby at risk if I drink too much but tea is my vice 😂

Hello @girlmum02! They say to limit caffeine to 200 milligrams each day.

There is:

100mg in a mug of instant coffee
140mg in a mug of filter coffee
75mg in a mug of tea (green tea can have the same amount of caffeine as regular tea)
40mg in a can of cola
80mg in a 250ml can of energy drink
less than 25mg in a 50g bar of plain dark chocolate
less than 10mg in a 50g bar of plain milk chocolate

NHS Source x

Could you try decaf tea alongside a few cups of regular tea a day? See if you can fool your brain into thinking you're getting the caffeine. I drink a lot of diet coke and have started drinking the caffeine free stuff with a couple glasses of regular diet coke. It's not quite the same but does the job when I've got that craving!

I never found a decent decaf tea, they all taste watery never mind how strong you make them.

While pregnant I took up decaf instant coffee with sugar. It will never appeal to coffee purists, but I found the sugar jolt plus the ritual of a hot drink stopped me missing the caffeine.

Can you try any alternatives that are caffeine free? I’ve been happy with a normal cup of tea then rooibus / decaf tea for rest of the day. I agree the decaf doesn’t taste the same so I almost prefer the herbal ones and like Pukka herbal teas

@babyboybluex thank you! Think I could do about 3 a day then and be okay!

I'm not a big chocolate eater/coke drinker so that shouldn't be an issue! I tried decaf in any brand I could find but they're all gross to me honestly

Also do try and boost yourself in other ways- a healthy snack like a boiled egg or lovely music / something interesting to listen to. I hear you re life with a toddler as ones perks become much more important !

Another poster shared this on a thread a while back (I wish I could remember who so I could say thanks whenever I repost it!) And it's pretty helpful. I think you're onto a winner being a tea drinker to be fair, you can get more cups in than us coffee heads 😂

www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/calculators-tools-resources/check-your-caffeine-intake-pregnancy

I like decaf Earl grey. Especially twinnings but Sainsbury's is ok too. I'm a big tea drinker and this helps me limit it.

Sainsburys own brand red label decaf tea isn't bad at all, I happily drink it and I usually have about 8 cups of normal tea a day!

Just an aside that I found Yorkshire tea decaf really good, I still only managed one or sometimes two a day though due to constant nausea!
Wishing you all the best

I drink 2-3 cups of tea and a can of coke a day, and have done through this pregnancy (except for when I had Hyperemesis at the start and couldn't keep anything down). I really don't think its an issue, I haven't touched a drop of alcohol but I need the caffeine (and sugar!) to get through the day this time around. I read Expecting Better, and it seems like you'd need to consume an insane amount of caffeine for there to be a real risk.

I am the exact same as @nurserypolitics, 2-3 cups of normal tea, and a can of coke. I am normally a huge tea drinker, so limiting to 2-3 cups a day is perfect for me. Also, it isn't every day that I will have a can of coke, but it really helps to fend of any nausea, and also give me that sugar boost when I need an energy kick in the afternoons at work. Just try to stay below or around the limits that @babyboybluex put in their post and you will be fine!

M&S decaf is ok, I think it’s the best I’ve tried.

I used to have a tea first thing then a coffee
Mid morning. I then would sometimes also have another tea in the afternoon if I needed it. I agree giving up or cutting down on caffeine is one of the hardest bits- even harder than wine!! I think I went over the 200mg limit quite a bit but tried not to obsess about it too much as there are only so many things you can worry about when pregnant!

Read “expecting better” for an interest perspective on caffeine in pregnancy.