If you are pregnant, you may wonder if you can still enjoy your morning cup of coffee. Opinions vary on the safety of caffeine during pregnancy. Most doctors say it’s safe to have a small amount of caffeine during a normal, healthy pregnancy. This is usually limited to one cup of coffee or caffeinated beverage each day. Higher levels of caffeine have been linked to problems for the baby and mother.
There is some research that suggests that heavy caffeine use can be dangerous. In some cases, a lot of caffeine in the diet can contribute to miscarriage. A lot of caffeine can also result in a slightly lower birth weight. This may not affect a normal, full term baby, but a baby that is born too soon may be affected by even a slight decrease in normal weight. For these babies, every ounce counts.
Another problem with caffeine is that it can hinder your body’s ability to absorb iron. This can be a problem if you have low iron to start with. Low iron is a common problem in pregnancy, so this can be significant.
Pay attention to other sources of caffeine. If you are still drinking your morning cup of coffee, avoid other caffeinated beverages during the day. You are probably aware that caffeine is in coffee, tea and sodas. You may not realize it is in hot chocolate and chocolate as well. It’s important to keep track of all sources of caffeine in your diet.
Many over the counter and prescription medications contain caffeine. Be sure to find out how much caffeine is in the medications you are taking. The amount can be significant. For example, taking some pain relief medications every six hours can result in over 500 mg of caffeine. This can easily put you over your daily limit when combined with a few caffeinated beverages.
You will have to become an informed consumer to limit caffeine in medications. Read the labels on any pain relief, allergy or cold medications. If you are taking prescription medications, ask your doctor and pharmacist about the caffeine content. Ask for an alternate prescription that doesn’t contain caffeine if you are concerned about the content. As with the rest of your diet, you will have to keep track of how much is in the beverages you drink and medicines you take to be sure you aren’t getting too much caffeine.
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