how concerned are you about caffeine? - Page 3

[aikigypsy]

I cut back by de-caffienating the tea I brew at home (pour boiling water over tea leaves, leave for 30-40 seconds, pour it off, brew as usual), and on the rare occasions when I get an espresso drink, I get decaf, but I don't stress about it.

When I was pregnant with DD, I was back and forth to Ireland a couple of times, and there was no polite way to get out of drinking gallons of full-caffiene tea. I didn't drink it in the late afternoon/evening, and even that caused a lot of raised eyebrows. She was fine, and certainly not stunted (8 lb. 11 oz. at birth).

[rightkindofme]

I have a throwback Pepsi a few times a week. (I don't do HFCS.) It's 38 mg of caffeine. I figure if I am consuming less than 50% of the daily recommended limit over the course of a week I don't have a problem.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Moderation is important. I want to TTC later this year and this month have cut my caffeine intake back to what it would be if I were pregnant/nursing. It has been an adjustment for me. I drink tea only for caffeine, black tea. No chocolate, coffee, or sweet drinks.

Edited by Sol_y_Paz - 10/12/11 at 12:18am

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by corysmilk

I am surprized that someone compared coffee to alcohol. ??

why?

caffeine and alcohol are both drugs, albeit naturally occurring ones (if you take into account that a fermented fruit is alcoholic)

[nia82]

I don't do caffeine in the first 16 weeks as the studies that did show harm showed the increased risk of miscarriage in the those few weeks. I do need caffeine, my blood pressure is extremely low, just getting up from a chair leaves me dizzy and without vision for a good half minute. I will do one cup in the morning to get going, I'm more a zombie right now and I do need to take care of my toddler!
I eat chocolate, as much as I want to (which is like every other day). European chocolate only though, I can't stand sweet Hershey stuff, yikes. I just craved chocolate cake so I made one with dutch cocoa and very little sugar, I think that's perfectly fine....
I don't do commercial soda ever for the HFCS. We have natural soda (Blue Skies brand) in our natural store that has neither HFCs nor caffeine (even cola flavor!). It is all natural, and still, I cannot stomach more than one a week. DH however is totally addicted to it, so I'm happy he drinks the natural stuff!

[nwatt]

I gave up all caffeine when I got pregnant with DD. My concerns were not that I thought that the caffeine would cause birth defects or developmental issues, but rather that I didn't want my baby's body to be born used to having caffeine in it's system and then suddenly be cut off from it. I know how cranky I used to get and how bad of headaches I used to get when I wouldn't get my caffeine, and I didn't want my new baby affected the same way.

[RedOakMomma]

I cut it out entirely during ttc and the first trimester of this pregnancy. Never had it in my other pregnancies, except for the rare cola.

My m/c last fall was after a couple of months when I was drinking a large cup of strong coffee a day, sometimes more, including during the pregnancy. I know I'll never know what caused the m/c, but it was devastating.

If caffeine can increase the rate of m/c so dramatically, giving it up became an easy decision. I did so, and (thank heavens) was pregnant again in 4 months. This pregnancy has been easy and healthy. After the first trimester I'll sometimes have a decaf or a half-caf (small), but mostly I avoid the stuff.

FWIW...the other week I mistakenly brewed a small pot of what I thought was decaf. Turns out it was caffinated coffee. OHMYGOODNESS did it have an effect on the baby (at about 33 weeks)...she was tossing, turning, kicking, fluttering, and moving like a wild thing for several hours. I felt all strange and disoriented, too. And that was after just TWO regular cups of coffee.

If a chemical can do THAT after just two cups, then no thank you. I don't want that stuff in my baby on a regular basis. As someone said, it would be hard to be born and go through caffeine withdrawal. Surely babies must feel it.

[greenmulberry]

I drink caffeine, I have too!

I was drinking a pot a day of coffee when I got pregnant, and as a life long coffee drinker, it is impossible for me to quit entirely. I am the income earner for my family, and there is no way I could function at work without caffeine since I have become so addicted to it. I can't get ready for work in the morning without caffeine.

But I do wish I could quit altogether because I don't want to take anymore drugs than I have to while pregnant.

So, when I found out I was pregnant I cut back to two cups of coffee a day. I would have one in the morning, and then wait until later in the day when I felt like I was just going to pass out to have the second one. As I have been weaning my self off of caffeine, I have replaced my second cup of coffee with tea, and on many days eliminated it altogether. These days, I am usually having one glass of iced tea in the morning and that is it. I hope to eliminate that some day.

So I am trying to get rid of it, but I might be nine months along before I can function without any caffeine at all.

However, if I can manage to quit caffeine during this pregnancy, I am not going to pick it up again. I really don't like being addicted to drugs like I am to caffiene.

[Maine Mama Doula]

I drank caffeine during my first three pregnancies. DD1 was the only normal one. DS had a congenital kidney defect and now has only one kidney. He also had trouble with his large motor development the first 2 years. DD2 had a congenital heart defect that went undiagnosed for 9 months and had surgery to repair an aortic coarctation the day is was diagnosed...finally. She may be on heart meds for the rest of her life. After reading some articles on caffeine and the inherent risks during development, I have quit today at 5w5d. When I started my raw diet months ago, I quit then too, but due to my extreme fatigue of pregnancy unbeknown to me, I had started back up. Now I am done for good. Not to mention, caffeine definitely affects the nursing relationship, both in supply and in the comfort of the babe.

[Just1More]

I hardly drank any for my first 3 pregnancies. I didn't even drink soda.

This time...well...I confess to drinking a coke or three a week. Usually a frozen coke. The thing is, I don't even really like soda. It's too sweet, and I don't like the fizzies. So, when I start craving a frozen coke, I can just about bet my iron is low. You crave ice with low iron, and sugar and caffiene (for the energy boost). If I take my prenatal consistently, I don't even want it.

I don't really worry about a bit here and there, though. There are bigger things to worry about.

[graciegal]

Everyone needs to remember that all these studies on the affects of caffeine give results that are a CORRELATION, not a causation... Correlation means "at the same time we see X, person was doing Y/we see Y." None of this data can ever say "Taking X causes Y" unless they are doing animal studies because it's against the law to do studies on pregnant women.

I drink caffeine about 4 times a week and I am 37.5 weeks along with -no- ill pregnancy symptoms whatsoever. I consider myself well-versed in scientific literature. I have a PhD in Molecular Genetics, a PhD in Nutrition, and finishing a PhD in Public Health. I am a quasi-conspiracy theorist about MANY chemicals that our EPA says are "safe" like soy, artificial sweeteners, BPA, pesticides, etc. Caffeine is not on my "list." In fact, as a anatomy & physiology professor, I teach my pre-med students about the positive affects of caffeine on neural stimulation and brain function.

I also am not afraid of an occasional glass of wine, lunch meats, chocolate, goat cheese, serve-your-own lunch counters, and all the other things people worry about.

Just my two cents but hope they can help other mamas relax a bit.

[mrsberman]

http://http://www.acog.org/from_home...07-21-10-3.cfm

Just thought I'd add this link I saw today.

I don't avoid drinking coffee or soda while pregnant, but at the same time it's not something that I have a lot of anyways. DH and I will brew a pot and it will take us days to finish it. I believe that things in moderation are okay. With DD I would occasionally have some wine, eat lunch meat, order my burgers and steaks cooked medium...

[Monarchgrrl]

I don't drink soda, ever. Haven't in about 3 years. And I gave up all caffeine (except the occasional chocolate) about 6 months before TTC. I've been addicted to coffee/tea for probably 10-15 years. It has a real, physical affect on the body. So, I always knew that I would abstain while TTC, pregnant and breastfeeding. I wanted to become unaddicted anyway, so it was a good time. I miss the taste of coffee but I don't miss the dependency AT ALL! I feel so much better!

But on the flip side, I don't listen to any other food-related "rules" for pregnancy and I don't avoid anything that is healthy and I want to eat while pregnant.

[Adamsmama]

During the 1st trimester I avoid caffeine ... now as I'm 2nd trimester I do enjoy chocolate every day and very occasionally (like every couple of weeks) have a cup of coffee.

[Twinklefae]

Originally Posted by graciegal

Everyone needs to remember that all these studies on the affects of caffeine give results that are a CORRELATION, not a causation... Correlation means "at the same time we see X, person was doing Y/we see Y." None of this data can ever say "Taking X causes Y" unless they are doing animal studies because it's against the law to do studies on pregnant women.

I drink caffeine about 4 times a week and I am 37.5 weeks along with -no- ill pregnancy symptoms whatsoever. I consider myself well-versed in scientific literature. I have a PhD in Molecular Genetics, a PhD in Nutrition, and finishing a PhD in Public Health. I am a quasi-conspiracy theorist about MANY chemicals that our EPA says are "safe" like soy, artificial sweeteners, BPA, pesticides, etc. Caffeine is not on my "list." In fact, as a anatomy & physiology professor, I teach my pre-med students about the positive affects of caffeine on neural stimulation and brain function.

I also am not afraid of an occasional glass of wine, lunch meats, chocolate, goat cheese, serve-your-own lunch counters, and all the other things people worry about.

Just my two cents but hope they can help other mamas relax a bit.

:

I have a cup of tea every morning - not because I couldn't live without it, but because my hot sweet milky tea makes my morning a much more pleasant experience. I don't see any evidence to say that I should avoid that pleasure.

Same with the odd sip of alcohol. :

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

I do not worry about caffeine. Never was a huge coffee drinker and have always limited my soda intake. At the most I drink a soda or a cup of coffee in any given day, and sometimes I do not drink either.

[happythistle]

Moderation for me... I love chai tea and iced tea but while pg I've cut down to only herbal iced tea and chai a couple times a week. Strong dose of caffeine doesn't agree with me so I enjoy a little at a time.