Where do you all stand on caffeine consumption?

[LizzeyBenett]

Just wondering if you have all continued to drink tea & coffee obviously within reason . I had my first cup of coffee since my BFP last week and it was delicious but not sure it's worth it . Took me 2 years to get pregnant after a MC I'm very nervous.

I found Emily Osters book really interesting on stuff like this. Bit of it here. edition.cnn.com/2013/08/27/health/expecting-better-pregnancy-myths/index.html

She basically said the correlation with coffee and miscarriage occurred in decaf as well and that the link could be that women who didn't suffer morning sickness were more likely to drink coffee (it tends to be the first thing women go off) but also be more like to lose the baby as morning sickness can be a sign off a healthy pregnancy. I kept to two cups max just in case though

I was going to suggest this book to. Makes the point that most pregnant related advice is based on fairly non existent science. I had one coffee a day and if I wanted another I’d have decaf.

In my first pregnancy I didn't change what I had - maybe one coffee and a couple of teas a day. For my second I was so nauseous for about 20 weeks that the thought of it made me heave but once the nausea went I had similar to my first pregnancy/normal non-pregnant life. Agree with others that Expecting Better is a really useful read, it's nice not to be spoken down to.

I had either decaff coffee, and 1-2 cups on tea a day (decaff tea tasted like socks)

I switched to caffeine free Coke when pregnant with DD2. Pregnant with DC3 now and I have only just started having my morning cup of tea in the last couple of days now I’m 15+5. It made me feel really sick before then. 🤢 I will occasionally have a can of Pepsi max as well. I average out to less than the recommended amount.

I used to have 1 cup of coffee a day or 2 cups of tea.

I mainly stuck to decaffeinated versions but I wasn't super religious about it provided I was under 200mg per day. There is caffeine in fizzy drinks and chocolate so I figured as long as I'm mainly on decaf then I can't go over by accident. I actually felt way better for going decaf and I've just stuck with the decaf versions. I'm fussy with coffee though there's only a couple of decaf I will drink.

I had one or two cups of tea a day. And then decaf.

People are probably going to slam me but I didn't change how much tea or coffee I drank at all. And I'm a massive tea belly so easily 10-15 cups of tea a day 🫣

Wouldn’t slam you at all Devilsmommy.
I think everyone has something they’re nervous about when pregnant. Could be something different for everyone.

I haven't had a drop of coffee since finding out I was pregnant just to be on the safe side, I might be over cautious but it's quite difficult to know exactly how much caffeine each drink contains so I just stopped it altogether.
Many women still have coffee and are fine so I think it differs from person to person.

I carried on but cut down my coffee intake to 1 cup a day. I have a nespresso machine so googled the amount of caffeine in the ones I drank, also in other things I liked like chocolate/Pepsi so I knew how much of things I could have a day.
If you go over slightly then it's not too bad but caffeine increases babies heart rate so best to keep below 200mg.

I drank some decaf coffee and some fruit teas.
Just be mindful of the amount you're having and you'll be fine.

I am currently pregnant and had zero tea or coffee for the first 20 weeks. After that the occasional decaf coffee snuck in. Now I have a cup of normal tea most days and I have also had a couple of caffinated lattes while out but I then skip the tea that day and the following day. I don't measure the caffeine but I don't think a few teas or an occasional latte is enough to cause harm.

I am convinced a lot of early pregnancy symptoms are compounded by caffeine withdrawal for a lot of women. Best to cut down before you get pregnant if you intend to go cold turkey. I had a couple of cups a tea a day throughout.

Exactly, just have what you feel like! ☺️

Good on you! I'd even extend this to the odd little glass of wine with a meal.

Healthy babies are born out of absolute poverty, malnourishment, addiction. For an otherwise very healthy diet, a bit of what you fancy will do no harm.

I swapped over to caffeine free diet coke but still had normal amount of English breakfast tea just not the extra strong twinings ones. I would normally have 3 or 4 big mugs.

When I was pregnant, a study was reported that found a proportional risk of miscarriage even with smaller amounts of caffeine than the recommended 200mg and concluded that there was no safe amount. I gave it up completely. I couldn’t find that study when I was pregnant the second time and I felt guilty doing any less than I had for the pfb.

I kept to one cup of coffee a day when pregnant with my twins

During my first pregnancy I stuck to two v.weak cups a day. This time I haven’t touched a drop due to sickness but I’m only 11 weeks so hoping to get my taste for it back again soon.

After reading Oster’s book mentioned above I’d be happily drinking up to 4-5 cups a day.

Absolutely no correlation at all, 4 miscarriages and didn’t touch a drop of caffeine, alcohol, etc. Gave up ttc, drank loads before finding out I was pregnant. Thought it would go the same way as the last ones, so drank coffee, ate rare beef, occasional glass of wine. Have a wonderful, toddler now!

2 cups of normal coffee a day at the moment.. then probably too much decaf 😬

Really struggling to cut it down, alcohol + cigarettes were easier.

I'm not going to read through all of the answers but my personal opinion is to avoid caffeine all together.
It's not worth the risk. Caffeine is proven to reduce blood flow & oxygen to baby along with having links to miscarriage and lower birth weight.
I just think - what's the point in risking it? I understand I'm probably being overboard compared to some people but after having losses I want to try everything in my power to keep this baby safe (I'm now 32 weeks and very tired 😅)

I drank it but every time I did I was sick and that was the only time I was ever sick so about 3 times in the pregnancy and only with coffee so I thought 'yeah smudge (our nn for dd) doesn't like this' and stopped.

Sorry did still drink tea but mainly decaf