Mommy Alert! Miscarriage and Caffeine

January 22, 2008

Contrary to what was reported in this Mommy Alert two weeks ago, a recent New York Times article says there is evidence that caffeine poses a risk to pregnant women. It said:

"The new study, being published Monday in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, finds that pregnant women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day — the amount in 10 ounces of coffee or 25 ounces of tea — may double their risk of miscarriage."

So if you're expecting, you may want to err on the side of caution and skip the cup of joe.

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30 Comments

Greggie 5 years 16 weeks

paine, ask your doctor. I've always gone with their recommendation on it, I've just never had one tell me I had to cut it out entirely. Especially with my headaches.

anniekim 5 years 16 weeks

My ob/gyn okays 2 serving of caffeine a day. I usually go without, but i donp;t worry too much if I need a cup to stay awake. (I am drinking a french roast right now1) I am pretty much am a green tea drinker, though. With my 1st pregnancy I did not touch a drop of caffeine--and judged pregnant women who did! With my 2nd I lightened up a little in general regarding diet, but I avoided caffeine as much as possible. My younger daughter turned was born a pound larger that my first! Use your common sense, I think and keep your mind on your child's health as much as your current cravings.

anniekim 5 years 16 weeks

My ob/gyn okays 2 serving of caffeine a day. I usually go without, but i donp;t worry too much if I need a cup to stay awake. (I am drinking a french roast right now1) I am pretty much am a green tea drinker, though.With my 1st pregnancy I did not touch a drop of caffeine--and judged pregnant women who did!With my 2nd I lightened up a little in general regarding diet, but I avoided caffeine as much as possible.My younger daughter turned was born a pound larger that my first!Use your common sense, I think and keep your mind on your child's health as much as your current cravings.

paine 5 years 17 weeks

so greggie a soda or a cup of coffee per day is fine!?.

onabanana 5 years 17 weeks

All my mom could hold down when she was preggers with me was iced coffee. Given I was born a primie.....darn it! I love coffee!!!!

thatgirljj 5 years 17 weeks

Cheers to those of you who can give it up completely. I can't. I have migraines and cutting out caffiene 100% will trigger them... and believe me, those migraine meds are way worse for a baby than a cup of coffee is. I've moved to drinking strong green tea though, since I developed a total coffee aversion in my first trimester... but I do get headaches if I cut it out completely. If you're a heavy consumer, cut down. If you're comfortable cutting it out, cut it out. Don't let one study here or there throw you into a panic.

thatgirljj 5 years 17 weeks

Cheers to those of you who can give it up completely. I can't. I have migraines and cutting out caffiene 100% will trigger them... and believe me, those migraine meds are way worse for a baby than a cup of coffee is. I've moved to drinking strong green tea though, since I developed a total coffee aversion in my first trimester... but I do get headaches if I cut it out completely.If you're a heavy consumer, cut down. If you're comfortable cutting it out, cut it out. Don't let one study here or there throw you into a panic.

raspberry78 5 years 17 weeks

I didn't drink even 1 cup of coffee while I was pregnant.

rgrl 5 years 17 weeks

Oh puh-leeze! A little coffee is fine. Do you know what pregnant women in the 60's 70's used to do and still carried healthy babies to term. I think we all should be educated about things, but hate too many restrictions and scare tactics.

Greggie 5 years 17 weeks

See, sushi's another misleading one. Not only is a lot of sushi fine because it's cooked or doesn't even contain fish, but if you're at a reputable restaurant, even raw sushi shouldn't be a hazard. The mercury recommendation is another "in moderation." Don't eat two cans of tuna a day, but eating it once in awhile is fine. The withdrawal of caffeine would've always been a bigger health hazard than using the moderation key for me. I've had different doctors for each pregnancy, and all have been fine with a soda or a cup of coffee per day.

Greggie 5 years 17 weeks

See, sushi's another misleading one. Not only is a lot of sushi fine because it's cooked or doesn't even contain fish, but if you're at a reputable restaurant, even raw sushi shouldn't be a hazard. The mercury recommendation is another "in moderation." Don't eat two cans of tuna a day, but eating it once in awhile is fine.The withdrawal of caffeine would've always been a bigger health hazard than using the moderation key for me. I've had different doctors for each pregnancy, and all have been fine with a soda or a cup of coffee per day.

Novaraen 5 years 17 weeks

Oh...and as to the question about what not to eat...well...no sushi. Which made me sad because i love it. Its not that all fish is bad, but i just went crazy trying to figure out which ones to eat, and which ones not to...so i just didnt eat any. Didnt want to take the chance. It has to do with the mercury levels in the fish...mercury is bad for pregnant women, i understand. :D

Novaraen 5 years 17 weeks

I have always understood that caffeine is bad during pregnancy, so when i got pregnant, i stopped completely. I wasnt sent into crazy withdrawals or anything...the health of my babies was waaaaay more important than having that fix. Thanks for posting this...i commented on the other post that said it was ok to drink caffeine...i knew that something was off with that.

Novaraen 5 years 17 weeks

I have always understood that caffeine is bad during pregnancy, so when i got pregnant, i stopped completely. I wasnt sent into crazy withdrawals or anything...the health of my babies was waaaaay more important than having that fix.Thanks for posting this...i commented on the other post that said it was ok to drink caffeine...i knew that something was off with that.

chancleta 5 years 17 weeks

what else shouldn't you eat? i'm not pregnant but we're trying

chancleta 5 years 17 weeks

what else shouldn't you eat?i'm not pregnant but we're trying

hottdana 5 years 17 weeks

Something else to add to the list! So what can we have, water!?

chancleta 5 years 17 weeks

wow thank you i thought moderation was ok 10 ounces is rather normal size cup is decaf ok?

chancleta 5 years 17 weeks

wowthank youi thought moderation was ok10 ounces is rather normal size cupis decaf ok?

oc sugar 5 years 17 weeks

i cut out caffiene completely when i was pregnant. no need to chance it for a cup of coffee or can of soda, not worth it no matter what the studies find.

Liss 5 years 17 weeks

I have always heard that caffeine while pregnant is bad, but you can have a little. When my SIL had her last baby her dr. told her it was ok to have one soda a day.

cbgmick 5 years 17 weeks

This irks me! The media's portrayal of epidemiological research often misses the mark and doesn't quite present the whole picture of the scientific research that was conducted. People need guidance, but need to have whole picture explained. I think the media often misses the mark and instead just panics people or makes everyday people jump to extreme conclusions (i.e. drink as much caffeine as you like or caffeine needs to be wholly eliminated). Neither is particularly helpful!

cbgmick 5 years 17 weeks

sweetnshy5282 5 years 17 weeks

*crazy

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