If you drank coffee while pregnant...

[AmyKT]

did your baby seem particularly high-need and/or spirited and/or active? I drank a moderate amount with my first pregnancy (usually around 1-1.5 cups from the second tri on) with my first, and she is all kinds of spirited. She was incredibly active in my belly and has continued that way through her 2+ years. I was going to try to do less caffeine this pregnancy, just in case it had some effect on her temperament, but I'm falling off the wagon. I've gone from half a cup of 3/4 caff daily to sometimes more than one. And today I had two cups. (rough night). As much as we love our spunky monkey, we'd really like a mellow baby this time.

Intellectually, I don't believe that moderate caffeine consumption in utero can have long lasting effects on personality (I know of at least one example to the contrary), but I'd still like to hear some anecdotes.

[sharr610]

My son is pretty wild and I had no caffeine while pg with him. This one, I'm allowing the occasional cup because I need it!

[Peony]

3 pgs, no coffee during the first and then I've drank it during the next two. My first child is my high needs/ wild child.

[welsh]

Drank none last time and DS is/was high-needs/spirited.
Drinking a moderate amount this time...let's see....

[MamaJenese]

I drank coffee both times. I did cut down whilst pregannt but I was a junky before hand. Got down to 2 cups a day. I think I stuck to one cup in the first trimester. I had two VERY mellow babies.

[tarasattva]

Drank a _substantial_ amount of black iced tea w/ pregnancy 1 - DD was a calm/happy/gentle baby both in utero and up until recently (but now at 2yo is a handful of wonderful wildness).

Have completely cut out caffeine this pregnancy (19w) and this babe is much more active in utero.

[JessieBird]

My DS is super mellow and a very easy baby, always has been. I cut down on coffee during pregnancy but still had at least 1 cup a day throughout, probably 2 a day months 7-9.

This time around, coffee has lost it's appeal and I'm only having one cup of 1/2 decaf 1/2 regular a day at work, mostly out of habbit.

[mumkimum]

Originally Posted by sharr610

My son is pretty wild and I had no caffeine while pg with him. This one, I'm allowing the occasional cup because I need it!

I didn't even go back to coffee with my dd until 5 or 6 months. I won't know for a few more months with this one, but I've been drinking 1 or 2 cups every a few times a week (or less). That said, I can understand holding out hope for a calmer babe by avoiding the caffeine.

[AmyKT]

Whew! It's good to hear these stories. DH occasionally teases me that DD's energy is all my fault because of the coffee I drank, though sometimes I think he really means it. I told him I'd drink enough beer this pregnancy to balance out the caffeine I take in (just kidding ).

[lrgs]

I always wonder if I did something during pregnancy to "encourage" my DD's spiritedness. I really do think it just comes down to temperament though.......I see a lot of my traits in my DD. I cut out coffee totally with her, did have the odd cup of tea here and there and she was born spirited. This time I am having 1-2 cups a day and we'll see what happens come July!

[ivymae]

I coffee, and have drank it through each of my pregnancies. DD1 is mellow, thoughtful and compassionate. DD2 is stubborn, has a loud sense of humor, and is our "boundary pusher". (Who knows who #3 will be.) I really can't see caffeine being a major player in personality development.

[mediumcrunch]

1-2 cups of coffee every morning from about 20 weeks on with each pregnancy. Most were very easy babies. One was pretty intense and still is at 3.

[organicpapayamama]

i had coffee starting in the 2nd trimester with ds till he was born. Almost every morning before work, 1 cup. Hes the most mellow kid ive ever met. Very low needs.

[Ashes]

Interesting thread. I am glad the OP isn't taking it 100% seriously because I highly doubt there is any correlation.

FWIW, I drank about 3 cups of coffee a week with my DS and he is super mellow and great. He is only 20 months though.. so who knows for sure.

This pregnancy... I WISH I could drink coffee but I have been way too sick to enjoy it at all.

[Litcrit]

As soon as the early pg aversion subsided a bit, I got back to at least a cup a day and continued drinking coffee while breastfeeding. DD was mellow, almost never cried, slept most of the time.

[Liberty5_3000]

I drank a lot of decaf while i was pregnant with my son (my BIL worked in a coffee shop near our house, so I got free drinks, so it was sooooo tempting to go there a lot and do homework).

I had a very high needs little boy the first two years, very miserable, very active, never slept.

I heard something about how decaf isn't really caffeine free and I have always wondered if there was a connection.

[bdoody11]

Originally Posted by AmyKT

did your baby seem particularly high-need and/or spirited and/or active? I drank a moderate amount with my first pregnancy (usually around 1-1.5 cups from the second tri on) with my first, and she is all kinds of spirited. She was incredibly active in my belly and has continued that way through her 2+ years. I was going to try to do less caffeine this pregnancy, just in case it had some effect on her temperament, but I'm falling off the wagon. I've gone from half a cup of 3/4 caff daily to sometimes more than one. And today I had two cups. (rough night). As much as we love our spunky monkey, we'd really like a mellow baby this time.

Intellectually, I don't believe that moderate caffeine consumption in utero can have long lasting effects on personality (I know of at least one example to the contrary), but I'd still like to hear some anecdotes.

I've had the same thoughts! I drank coffee with DD #1 and she is my spirited wild child. I'm now pregnant with DD #2 and I'm still with the caffeine (hello? I have a spirited 3 year old. Now I really need it!) I'm interested to see what her personality will be like. Like you, I can't believe it's related to the coffee, but when our children's behavior is challenging it's hard not to think about what we could have done differently.

[Drummer's Wife]

I continued to drink coffee during all four pregnancies and all four babies were super laid back and chill. I have never experienced a high needs, or fussy baby, TBH.

Now, toddlerhood? They started to get wild and crazy, then.

[meganlisbeth]

i stopped most caffiene while trying to get pregnant....oh, about five years ago now! i have the occasional cup of caff after a sleepless night, but otherwise i stick to decaf (which i know still has a minimal amount). DS is rather laid back (though increasingly less so as we move through toddlerhood) in his waking hours, but sleep has always been his challenge. i firmly believe that it's all about temperment.

[elmh23]

I don't drink coffee (don't like the taste) but I do drink soda.

Both my kids were calm while in the womb, but my first was high needs from birth (couldn't be put down, cried a lot, nursed like 19 hours out of every 24 and didn't sleep worth a damn) and my second was really calm for the first 3 months and then decided he had to start crawling and hasn't stopped moving since.

I gave up soda 100% for the first one and drank probably one a day with my second one. I'm on my third and drink more like 2-3 a day and while he is very active inside, we'll have to see how he is on the outside.