Is That Safe? Caffeine During Pregnancy

Welcome back to our new blog series, Is That Safe? where we’ll be answering all of your burning questions about the do’s and don'ts of pregnancy!

Today, we’re answering the top asked questions about whether it’s safe to drink caffeine during pregnancy.

You might also like our last post in this series Is That Safe? Eating Sushi, Cassava & Camembert During Pregnancy.

Is it safe to drink caffeine during pregnancy?

It is safe to drink caffeine during pregnancy, but only in moderation.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in the US agree that a daily intake of less than 200 mg of caffeine is considered safe during pregnancy.

While it will be hard to know for certain just exactly how much caffeine is in whatever your go-to beverage is, you can use these averages as a general guideline:

• 8 oz cup of brewed coffee: 95 mg of caffeine

• 1 shot of espresso: 65 mg of caffeine

• 1 mug of instant coffee: 100mg of caffeine

• 1 mug of tea: 75mg of caffeine

What are the risks of drinking caffeine during pregnancy?

The biggest concern is that caffeine can pass through the placenta and into baby's bloodstream. While your body is well-equipped to metabolize that caffeine, your growing baby doesn't have the same digestive capabilities. Because of this, caffeine remains in your baby's body for longer, meaning its stimulating effects last longer as well.

What are some caffeine-free alternatives I can drink during pregnancy?

If you’re missing that hot drink during the morning, you can get completely caffeine-free tea if you opt for herbal varieties such as peppermint, rooibos, ginger, and chamomile. But there are four primary tea groups that boast a significant amount of caffeine, and they are black teas, green teas, oolong, and white teas -so limit your intake of these!

We also suggest being wary of decaf coffee. While the name implies there is no caffeine, an 8 oz cup of decaf coffee does have around 3 mg of caffeine. Usually, the amount is so small that it's fairly negligible, but it's still good to be aware of it.

For more advice on drinking caffeine during pregnancy and to find out the top 6 caffeine culprits, check out this post Caffeine & Pregnancy: Do You Really Need to Stop Drinking Coffee?.

What else do you want to see in our Is That Safe? series? Let us know in the comments!

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