Your feelings on caffeine?

[MamaLea]

I used to drink 2 pots of tea a day. Then I quit just about cold turkey when I found out I was pregnant. Now I'm missing it so bad! Not just the caffeine boost, which does sound lovely, but also the taste and ritual involved in my tea brewing.

With my first pregnancy I quit caffeinated beverages completely until several weeks after baby was born. With the second I waited until the end of the first trimester then allowed one caffeinated beverage in the morning.

What do you do? Do you have caffeine rules for yourself?

[Lousli]

I limit myself. Today, for example, I got a cup of coffee in the morning, but I wasn't really enjoying it, so I drank about 1/4 of the cup and threw out the rest. Then I had one of those small cans (the half size ones) of Coke with lunch. That will be it for today. I generally have just one beverage a day with caffeine, either a soda or a coffee, sometimes an iced tea.

[Virginia884]

I am 9 weeks and I have drastically cut back. I will allow myself 1 caffeinated drink every couple of days or so. I don't feel guilty when I do have it and I still drink decaf coffee every morning.

[changingseasons]

You can brew your teabags (or loose tea) in a hot cup of water for a few minutes, and then put them in your tea pot. You'll get a lot less caffeine that way (although it won't taste quite as strong either.)

I've been off caffeine a while now, but I'm really enjoying herbal teas.

[MamaLea]

Originally Posted by changingseasons

You can brew your teabags (or loose tea) in a hot cup of water for a few minutes, and then put them in your tea pot. You'll get a lot less caffeine that way (although it won't taste quite as strong either.)

I've been off caffeine a while now, but I'm really enjoying herbal teas.

I make tea with loose leaves in a coffee press. I have thought about just leaving it to brew for less time. Somedays I feel too sick to drink it! But other times i crave it so bad. And the only things I've heard is it can increase chance of mc and can cause low birth weight.

I think I will try so low brew time tea tomorrow!

[goldingoddess]

My first pregnancy I gave it up completely for the first four months, then went back to a cup o joe a day.

This pregnancy I did not plan to give up caffeine at all, but it makes me sick so I did anyways. Really even the thought of drinking coffee makes me sick. I've had Yerba Mate once and got really sick about 30 minutes later, and I've had black tea once on an empty stomach and immediately threw up.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by MamaLea

I have thought about just leaving it to brew for less time.

It's not necessarily the brew time, it's when you do 2 brews, most of the caffeine is lost in the first. So you could pour a little water over the leaves, let them sit for a minute and pour the water out, then pour new water over them to brew for your regular length of time.

[Lyss]

Originally Posted by goldingoddess

This pregnancy I did not plan to give up caffeine at all, but it makes me sick so I did anyways. Really even the thought of drinking coffee makes me sick.

I gave up caffeine for the other pregnancies, but I was allowing myself my coffee until I just couldn't stomach it anymore. I do drink a glass of caffeinated iced tea every day, but even that isn't tasting so great anymore.

[Ola_]

I was doing half a cup of coffee or a cup of black tea, but the coffee doesn't feel so good anymore. Tea still does so I often have a cup of chai in the afternoon if I feel like it. It's not every day but often enough.

[shellbell76]

I do a cup of half caf in the morning and sometimes a cup of half caf in the early afternoon... I've cut down to that with every pregnancy and my midwife is always fine with it

[umpquafish]

I love coffee. I worked in cafes for fourteen years, but never really worked myself up into caffeine overload addiction or anything, no more than two cups of coffee or three americanos a day. I have genuinely treasured my morning coffee. Tea hurts my stomach, but chai is okay because of the milk.
Leading up to conception, I cut back to half-decaf lattes or chai. When I found out that conception was successful, I scaled back even further to decaf lattes or hot chocolate, with no more than two cups of chai a week. The bakery next door makes their own chai, without a boatload of sugar. I can't stand the sticky sweet boxed stuff.
I am not sure I would have had the willpower to give up caffeine if I hadn't done it over the course of several months.

[MO_Bookwyrm]

I have to admit it...I just can't give up my caffeine. But, I have cut back a bit. My commute to work is about 45 minutes one way. I usually stop and pick up a 32 oz Pepsi for the drive. At work, I now drink water on my breaks where I used to drink Diet Coke. And I sometimes get another Pepsi for my drive home, but it is usually an Orange Crush and they are caffeine free.

Changing to water at work has cut out a lot of caffeine. I work as a table games dealer at a casino, so I work for 60 mins (or so) and then take a 20 min break. That added up to a lot of Diet Coke.

[Virginia884]

Also wanted to add... during the summer I drink a huge amount of iced coffee from Starbucks. Well, they don't have decaf! So now when I want an iced coffee I get an iced decaf americano. Tastes almost exactly the same. Thought that might help someone out there!

[BeanyMama]

I gave up caffeine completely my first two pregnancies with no problem, but with my last and with this one I allow myself a mug o' joe in the morning. I really love my coffee. So really really. I switched my afternoon green tea to RRL, though. Yums!

[dislocator3972]

I just had the weirdest dream about this!

DH and I were brushing our teeth in the same bathroom. From in the shower, DH's brother and SIL were telling us that they really couldn't support us or the pregnancy as long as I was consuming any caffeine at all. On and on about how dangerous it is to the poor, poor baby, etc. And I started snapping that it was less dangerous than ultrasounds, pain meds, forceps, c-sections, vaccinations and all the other weird stuff that they pumped into their children. I was trying to make SIL feel guilty and cry!

First of all, that BIL and SIL are fantastic. Secondly, I cannot imagine all of us in the bathroom together for any reason, Thirdly, maybe I do feel guilty about my caffeine intake if someone can say something in a dream and get a reaction like that!

I have a caffeinated beverage a couple times per week. When I got preggo with DD I was working in a coffee shop and consuming a LOT (6-8 cups per day at last count) and I really tried to tone it down, but it took a while. This time I find that getting decaf is enough for me to feel more awake. So I usually only have caffeine if I drink a soda or something.

[michanders4]

I do about one cup of coffee a day maybe a cup and a half and sometimes none (if I can get a nap instead). With my last pregnancy I gave it up until about 10 weeks and then I switched to half caf. Midwife said 1 cup a day or so is OK.

[Caterina]

I gave up caffeine when I was pregnant with my first, and haven't gone back. I drink Earl Gray Rooibus (sp?) every morning, with no caffeine but with the same loose tea ritual and it tastes great with a little milk and honey. And now I share my morning cup with my DD who at almost 2 wants to be just like us. I get it at the local tea shop, fairly expensive, but so worth it to me!

[beanbean]

I had absolutely no caffeine with my first, very little with the next, and a few times a week with my last.

I was pretty relaxed about it until I read the study (came out just a couple months ago) showing a 50% higher incidence of miscarriage in women consuming 150 mg of caffeine a day (equivalent to one cup of coffee).

Ever since then, I've been completely off coffee from a few days prior to ovulation through the end of my cycle. Now that I'm pregnant I've only had decaf (4 mg of caffeine) and an occasional soda (40 mg of caffeine, sipped slowly).