Should You Be Drinking Caffeinated Drinks While Pregnant?

If you need your morning cup of coffee to feel like a truck didn’t hit you, then you most likely have a caffeine addiction.  If you find out that you are pregnant during this addiction, you are probably freaking out without your morning cup of coffee, worried that drinking caffeine can harm your baby.

 

Studies have shown that when a pregnant woman ingests large amounts of caffeine during pregnancy, it can lead to a variety of problems including low birth weight, miscarriage, and birth defects.

 

Drinking small amounts of caffeine doesn’t seem to cause problems in pregnant women though.  Most doctors will tell you that ingesting a small amount, less than 200mg per day, is not going to cause any issues with the pregnancy.  Thus, drinking one cup of coffee per day probably isn’t going to be a problem.

 

However, before you run to the coffee pot to brew up some caffeinated goodness, you will want to talk with your doctor.  Ask the doctor about the recommended amount for a pregnant woman, especially depending on your weight and height.

Something that you need to keep in mind when you are pregnant is that coffee certainly isn’t the only place that you are going to find caffeine.  Many other beverages, such as tea and soda, have quite a lot of caffeine in them.  Certain over the counter medications have caffeine, and so does chocolate and most energy drinks.

 

Energy drinks should be avoided at costs, as the amount of caffeine, taurine and other vitamins is often unregulated depending on the brand, and can damage even a healthy adult – let alone the delicate body of the developing little person inside you.  They can also increase your heart-rate and overdose you on common vitamins such as B12, which is included in most energy drinks in doses up to 2,000 times your recommended daily value!  So no Red Bull for you!

 

When you are pregnant and trying to do the best for your baby, you will want to make sure that you are always aware of everything that you are putting into your body.  Know what you’re consuming, and stay healthy when you are pregnant to ensure your baby is as healthy as possible.

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