Decaf Coffee

[AnnieA]

O.K. I need honest opinions here...

I stopped drinking regular coffee the morning that I got my BFP. I'm now 11w5d and I've been craving coffee for a couple of days now. I was reading about the difference between coffee that has been decaffeinated using chemicals vs water processing. I was in Whole Foods this AM and the brewed decaf that they had out was water processed. So I got a cup. And it was the best thing I've had to drink in months!

Is the slight caffeine in the decaf bad for the baby? I have not cut chocolate out of my diet but I haven't really had that much because sweet things don't appeal to me right now. If you don't drink regular coffee during pregnancy are you o.k. with the occasional cup of water processed decaf?

[Tresa]

absolutely! I quit drinking coffee shortly before I got a positive test with this baby because it was upsetting my stomach to drink coffee first thing in the morning...didn't drink it for weeks, and then one day, I HAD to have it (still w/in the first tri). I resumed drinking one cup of regular coffee in the mornings like I usually do. Sometimes I dillute it with half a cup of hot water.

I've read good and bad things about caffiene in pregnancy. For me, one cup a day seems reasonable, "in moderation," and unlikely to cause problems.

[P.J.]

Lots of people (midwives, docs) say one cup of regular coffee per day is harmless.
That's what I had during my pregnancy and my baby turned out okay. Well, he is a little hyper, but now I've switched to decaf.

[MaerynPearl]

Ive drank coffee a few times here and there during this pregnancy.

With DS I drank coffee DAILY. I craved cappuccinos... and would allow myself up to two per day.

It certainly did not harm him (and was not the cause of the only problem I had during pregnancy, that was caused by a car accident I was in)

Hes now 7 1/2... and horribly smart. Enough that I am amazed by it! (I wouldn't say hes gifted, but he is certainly clever) He is just as active as not... he is content laying in bed and reading an entire book... or going outside and riding his bike all day. Never had any health problems.

But then... I dont think 1-2 cups of cappuccino per day really is an excessive amount of caffeine (nor would be 1 cup of coffee) and really what you want to avoid, as with anything, is excessive amounts.


Of course, if you have anxiety/stress problems, you should avoid caffeine completely, because it makes it worse. But if caffeine does not harm you, a little bit should not harm baby.

[MyFullHouse]

I drink 2 cups (caffeinated) a day, in addition to whatever sneaks in in smaller amounts.

For me, there's not enough evidence to make it a huge concern. I'm ADD, and I don't like the side effects of medication (and wouldn't take it during pregnancy, anyway), so I usually self-medicate with caffeine. When I'm not pregnant, I pretty much main-line the stuff. 2 cups of coffee/day is *just* enough to keep me from being a completely useless lump!

[MegBoz]

From what I read on mainstream sites, the "SAFE" amount of caffeine you can have is about the same as 2 cups! (2 smallish cups, 6 oz, I think?)

So I figured if that's what MAINSTREAM sites say (& they tend to grossly err on the side of caution) then I'm not worried. Also, if you have more - a risk is low birth weight. Since the risks weren't thinks like disruption in neurological development, I also didn't worry.

With DS, I had 1 regular cup, 1 decaf cup most days (although not every single day.) He's 2 now & super smart & healthy! I also never noticed him being upset or having trouble sleeping when I drank coffee while BFing (again, I didn't have it every single day - so I looked to see if there was a difference.)

[russsk]

My coffee cravings only increased with this pregnancy. It's just sooooo satisfying. I'm fine with one cup of regular, but I want a whole pot! So I mix a little regular into my water-process decaf. Baby hasn't been born yet, but I've had a healthy pregnancy and I'm not really worried about it.

[PrincessWinnie]

I do the half and half thing - about a half cup of water-process decaf, a half a cup of regular coffee. Enough to get me going but not enough to make me "flitty".

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

I have a cup of coffee or one caff soda a day. Everyhthing I have read, researched and studied suggests that it is ok in moderation. Definitely have always been a little weary of de-caff'd anythings. Not comfortable with the chemicals used in the process and the artificial sweetners used in sodas.

[phoenix78]

With my first pregnancy, I cut out all caffiene from day I found out I was pregnant and didn't have any until baby was born and then only once a day while bf. But when DD#2 was conceived 4 years later and I had a preschooler to chase around, I still let myself have 1-2 half-caff cups a day, about 3x a week (when the cravings were worst). Had a perfect pregnancy and the calmest baby around. Interestingly now with baby #3, my caffiene addiction seemed to have been put on hold and I'm not even really wanting coffee now other than for the occassional pick me up if I don't get my afternoon nap. I think coffee in moderation is perfectly fine. Enjoy!

[RedOakMomma]

I have a cup of water-processed, organic decaf a couple times a week. It's a treat I really look forward to, and I'm not worried about that small amount of caffeine.

[karen1968]

I mix caffeinated and water-process decaf beans together before grinding (at the grocery store) and drink up to two cups a day. Some days I also *gasp* have a caffeinated soda. I think the "safe" level is up to 300mg of caffeine per day.

So, go ahead and enjoy that decaf!