Coffee while pregnant? Yes, please!
Are you struggling with giving up coffee or other forms of caffeine during pregnancy? We have some good news!
According to research analyzed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, up to 200mg of caffeine per day can be consumed without increasing the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. That's approximately the amount in a 12 - 16 ounce cup of brewed coffee, depending on the beans, roast, and brewing method. The World Health Organization, on the other hand, has stated that up to 300mg daily caffeine intake during pregnancy is safe. Bottom line, cutting out coffee entirely is unnecessary.
In short, there is concern that the effects of caffeine on a pregnant body can cause increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm birth, and other complications. Caffeine can cause temporary increase in blood pressure and because it crosses the placenta, it can have impact on fetal growth if consumed at high levels.
Large studies on this topic are conflicting, with some showing no increased risk of miscarriage with up to 3 cups of coffee a day (hence the World Health Organization’s higher recommendation at 300mg/day) and others showing statistically significant increase in miscarriage rates with more than 2 cups/day.
Like many pregnancy recommendations, it can be confusing to see different guidelines for the same thing from two prominent and respected institutions, especially since that extra 100mg can mean a whole additional cup of coffee!
In trying to understand this topic when we were pregnant, we found it frustrating and misleading that so many sources (including, at times, medical professionals) recommended cutting out caffeine entirely until more research can be conducted. When exactly would that research be complete? Before my due date? Probably not.
Luckily, we had Emily Oster’s book Expecting Better as an excellent resource to allieve some of our unfounded fears. Oster dives into the topic of caffeine during pregnancy and examines how difficult it can be to control for all of the variables in this type of research, especially where it involves miscarriage and subjective factors like whether the amount of nausea experienced by women in the study may have impacted results.
Unfortunately, at this point in time there aren’t enough additional studies available to examine these variables and reach more concrete conclusions about whether more than 200-300mg of caffeine will impact pregnancy outcomes. In the meantime, though - drink your morning coffee without fear! The data we do have is widely accepted and 200-300mg of caffeine/day leaves lots of room to maintain a coffee routine.
Two things to keep in mind:
Remember that caffeine also is found in tea, chocolate, energy drinks, and soft drinks, so if you’ve decided to limit your caffeine intake, be aware of these sources.
Remember that caffeine varies depending on where you’re getting your coffee. An 8oz coffee or espresso from Starbucks is not necessarily equivalent to an 8oz from Dunkin Donuts. And quite a few Grande drinks from Starbucks contain close to 400mg of caffeine. Check out this link for some data on popular coffee brands.
A final word: It can’t be healthy to obsess over every mg of caffeine you intake during pregnancy. Your mental health during pregnancy is equally important to the health of your baby as is what you eat and drink. If you consume more caffeine one day that you were planning to, all is NOT lost. You are NOT a bad parent. And if your needs and comfort level for how much caffeine you consume differ from other pregnant people around you, do not let their standards dictate yours. Information is abundant - you are more than capable of making the right choice for your body and your baby.
