Not much was known about the effects of caffeine on the newborn 40-50 years ago. Today we know that caffeine is a stimulant and crosses the placenta and will reach the baby. There is some evidence that large amounts of caffeine intake can actually cause miscarriage in the first trimester or increase your chance of having a very small or "low birth weight" baby.
How Much Caffeine is Safe During Pregnancy?
Experts agree that no more than 150mg of caffeine intake daily should be safe for most women. Some even recommend avoiding caffeine when at all possible in order to avoid some of the pregnancy risks with caffeine.
Popular Drinks and Foods with Caffeine Content
When you are pregnant, it is a good idea to tally up the caffeine content in some of your favorite drinks and foods to be sure you are not getting too much. Here are approximate caffeine contents of beverages and foods:
- Double Expresso -160mg
- Drip Coffee - 90mg
- Soft Drinks - 45mg
- Green tea - 30mg
- Dark Chocolate - 30mg (1.45 oz bar)
- Milk Chocolate - 11mg (1.55 oz bar)
- Decaf Coffee - 5mg
- Herbal tea - 0mg
Just remember that it is a cumulative affect, so if you have one cup of drip coffee in the morning, a soda for lunch and a piece of dark chocolate later in the day, your total caffeine intake for the day would be 175mg.
It is best to check with your own medical provider if you have any health issues that might be worsened by caffeine intake whether you are pregnant or not.
Be sure to review other foods to avoid or limit as well as general nutrition recommendations during pregnancy. For a list of other substances to avoid, click here.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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