Should you drink Coffee when Pregnant or TTC?
Sushi. Brie. A glass of Rose. There’s so much to avoid while pregnant – do you really need to keep away from caffeine, too?!
Each morning, billions of people rely on caffeine for a wake-up boost. But when pregnant, you’re not the only one who gets a buzz – baby does too. “Caffeine crosses the placenta and has been found in amniotic fluid and fetal blood samples.” Says Shar La Porte, a licensed midwife at Midwifery Care NYC. “Because the liver isn’t fully developed yet, the jolt to baby’s system is greater than it is to yours, and it takes longer for the caffeine to leave their system.”
The jury is out on how caffeine affects a fetus and whether it can actually hurt it, but most health-care professionals recommend abstaining from caffeine consumption while pregnant or trying to conceive, or limiting intake to no more than 200 milligrams (a 6-8 oz cup) each day.
Caffeine is a natural diuretic, meaning it pulls fluids and calcium from both you and baby and will keep you running to the bathroom (as if you aren't going enough already). Also, caffeine has zero nutritional value and can affect your mood, sleep schedule and it can prevent your body from optimally absorbing Iron.
One of the key ingredients in your prenatal vitamin is Iron – and for good reason. Iron helps make hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout your body. During pregnancy, your body supplies blood and oxygen to your baby, so the demand for iron goes up to keep up with the increase in blood supply. So while you’re trying to give your body all the nutrients it needs, drinking caffeine while pregnant actually accomplishes the opposite.
Can Coffee prevent you from conceiving?
Trying to conceive can be a giant waiting game — Sure, you can track your cycle and prepare your body for pregnancy, but sometimes what you don’t do is just as important as what you do.
Caffeine, whether that’s from coffee, soda or energy drinks, has been associated with fertility hurdles. Multiple studies have shown that the risk of miscarriage increases with caffeine intake. Women consuming greater than 200mg had twice the miscarriage rate as compared to non-caffeine users. Another study found that women who consumed more than an 8oz cup of coffee per day were half as likely to become pregnant per cycle as women who abstained.
It’s not totally clear why caffeine appears to have a negative impact on fertility, but preliminary studies in mice and monkeys suggest that it inhibits egg maturation. There is also research to propose that it can prevent implantation.
Have your cake and eat it too!
Going cold turkey can be tough, especially when trying to beat pregnancy fatigue. Thankfully, we’ve got something better than caffeine to give you the boost you need. And one that’s actually good for you + baby, too.
Premama’s Energy Boost Drink Mix is a pregnancy safe (and breastfeeding too!) alternative to caffeine. It’s packed with essential B vitamins to boost your energy, metabolism and soothe the effects of morning sickness. It also contains the most bio-available form of Omega-3’s to help increase your mood and cognition (Omega’s are essential for growing baby’s brain, eyes, and nervous system, too).
This all natural, caffeine / stimulant-free, watermelon flavored drink mix is getting all the love. It’s vegan, tasty and comes in convenient drink mix sachets so you’ve got ‘em when you need them. Just pour into water and voila – putting aside coffee has never been easier.