What to expect when you're expecting (29 page)

“I use coffee to keep me going all day. Do I have to give up caffeine while I’m pregnant?”

No need to surrender your Starbucks card entirely—though you may have to start pulling it out a little less often. Most evidence suggests that drinking up to approximately 200 mg of caffeine a day is safe during pregnancy. Depending on how you take your coffee (black or with lots of milk), that could mean limiting yourself to about two cups (give or take) a day. Which means you’re good to go (and fuel your get-up-and-go) if you’re a light to moderate coffee drinker—but that you’ll have to reassess your intake if you’ve got a more serious java jones (five-shot lattes, twice a day, come to mind?).

Why go so low? Well, for one thing, you share those lattes—like everything you eat and drink when you’re expecting—with your baby. Caffeine (found most famously in coffee but also available in other foods and beverages) does cross the placenta—though to what extent (and at what dose) it affects a fetus is not completely clear. The latest information indicates that heavier caffeine intake early in pregnancy slightly increases the risk of miscarriage.

And there’s more to the caffeine story. Sure, it has impressive pick-me-up powers, but it also has equally notable diuretic powers, causing calcium and other key pregnancy nutrients to be washed out of your system before they can be thoroughly absorbed. Another downside to this diuretic effect: more frequent urination, which is the last thing a pregnant woman needs (you’ll be peeing plenty on your own now that you’re expecting). Need more motivation for cutting down? Caffeine’s stimulating effects may exacerbate your mood swings, making them even more volatile and intense than they already are (or than they will be once your hormones rev into action). It can also prevent you from getting the rest your body’s craving more than ever, especially if you drink it after noon. Plus excessive caffeine may interfere with the absorption of the iron both you and your baby need.

Different practitioners have different recommendations on caffeine consumption, so check in with yours for a bottom line on your favorite brew. When calculating your daily caffeine intake, keep in mind that it’s not necessarily as easy as counting cups. Caffeine isn’t just found in coffee—it’s also in caffeinated soft drinks (too many Mountain Dews will have to be a Mountain Don’t), coffee ice cream, tea, energy bars and drinks, and chocolate (though the amount varies from product to product). You’ll need to know, too, that dark brews sold in coffeehouses contain far more caffeine than homemade; likewise, instant coffee contains less than drip does (see box, next page).

How do you cut down on a hefty caffeine habit (or cut it out altogether)? That depends on what’s in the caffeine for you. If it’s a part of your day (or many parts of your day—an eye-opener when you wake up, a companion on your way to work, a desktop fixture, an afternoon pick-me-up) that you’re not anxious to part with, there’s no need to. Just make your morning joes regular and your afternoons decaf. Or order your latte with mostly decaf shots instead of
regular—or with less espresso and more milk (you’ll get a bigger calcium bonus anyway).

If it’s the lift you crave—and that your body has become accustomed to—cutting back will be a taller order (make that a Venti order). As any coffee lover is well aware, it’s one thing to be motivated to cut back on or kick caffeine altogether and another thing to do it. Caffeine is addictive (that’s where the craving comes in), and quitting—or even cutting way back on—a heavy habit comes with its own set of withdrawal symptoms, including headache, irritability, fatigue, and lethargy. That’s why it’s a good idea to ease off heavy consumption gradually. Try cutting back a cup at a time, and give yourself a few days to adjust to the lower dose before cutting back by another cup. Another way to cut back: Take each cup half-caf, gradually going full decaf in more and more cups—until your total caffeine consumption is down to that two-a-day-or-less goal.

Caffeine Counter

How much caffeine do you get per day? It may be more—or less—than you think (and more or less than that approximate target of 200 mg). Check out this handy list, so you can do the math before you belly up to the coffee bar:

1 cup brewed coffee (8 ounces) = 135 mg

1 cup instant coffee = 95 mg

1 cup decaf coffee = 5 mg

6 ounces caffe latte or cappuccino = 90 mg

1 ounce espresso = 90 mg

1 cup tea = 40 to 60 mg (green tea has less caffeine than black tea)

1 can of cola (12 ounces) = about 35 mg caffeine

1 can of diet cola = 45 mg

1 ounce milk chocolate = 6 mg

1 ounce dark chocolate = 20 mg