Pregnancy Nutrition - Is Caffeine OK?

Author: Laura Flynn

Article:
Back in 1980 the FDA published a warning advising pregnant women
to restrict or eliminate their intake of caffeine because of its
teratogenic effects (cause birth defects). This was echoed in
1994 with a review of over 200 medical journals by Dr. Astrid
Nehlig that was published in The Journal of Neurotoxicology and
Teratology.

Currently, the advice on caffeine intake during pregnancy is
moderation - meaning less than 300mg. This is because new
studies show no harm with intakes less than that. Due to the
fact that scientific studies are showing new and different
results, I tend to be conservative in my personal view on
caffeine and pregnancy.

What does caffeine do?

Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, leaches
calcium, reduces iron absorption, has a diuretic effect and
crosses the placenta into your baby. This means it has the
following results in your body:

• Raises your heart rate • Decreases the amount of calcium
in your body • Dehydrates you • Increases your blood
pressure • AND the same things occur for your baby (except
baby will steal from your bones to get needed calcium)

That's not all - it also interferes with a normal fetal growth,
is associated with lower birth weight and weakens adrenal
glands, which affect your blood sugar regulation and stress
coping abilities.

It is best to avoid or at least reduce your caffeine intake to
no more than 300mg per day. Some experts say no more than 150mg
per day. You may be able to handle the caffeine, but baby's
liver is immature and not able to get rid of it like you.
Imagine if that 1 cup of morning coffee lasted you 40-130 hours
as it does for your baby.

Common caffeine sources

• Coffee (100-200 mg per 8 ounce) • Tea (black 60mg, green
40mg) • Soda (40-75mg per can) • Dark Chocolate (5-35mg per
1 ounce) • Milk Chocolate (1-15mg per 1 ounce) • Headache
medicine (65-130mg)

If you are a caffeine user, I recommend reducing to less than
300mg per day (some studies show increase miscarriages with more
than 300mg). Then gradually reducing to as close to zero as
possible, which will not only benefit your baby, but also your
ability to handle stress.

About the author:
Laura Flynn, Registered Dietician, is Co-Author of The Fit and
Healthy Pregnancy Guide - your source for holistic coaching on
pregnancy nutrition and exercise. Visit
http://www.FitandHealthyPregnancy.com for Free Special Reports
and articles.