[clavicula]

What do you think, may i put some in my tea or coffee?

 

[~Megan~]

I think you should never ingest them. Sugar is much healthier for you.

 

[amybw]

not sure if it is safe for pregnancy, someone back me up here, but Stevia is a great alternative to any chemical sweetener.

Amy

 

[MrsMoe]

Aspartame in pregnancy is considered safe, Saccharin is not. For mothers with PKU or liver issues, Aspartame is NOT reccomended.

I am a big Crystal Light fan - it has Nutra Sweet - and I drink tons of it (pervious pregnancy and this one.) No problems for me here.

 

[flapjack]

I reckon everything in moderation... if you can't drink unsweetened tea or coffee, a little sweetener probably won't harm you.

 

[Artisan]

It is so bad for you -- SO bad. Just because it has been approved by the FDA does not mean it's safe. Drugs deemed safe kill people all the time and get pulled from the market.

I won't bore you with all the details, but maybe do a little research into how it got approved in the first place.

The chemical composition of aspartame is very similar to that of formaldehyde. When it is heated, the chemicals break down and turn into something nearly identical to formaldehyde. Your body is near 100 degrees internally, enough to cause this chemical change.

There are many other issues I could bring up, but suffice it to say that I personally know someone who had a child with severe physical abnormalities due to excess aspartame consumption during pregnancy. Of course you would not be drinking Diet Coke the way she did (all day, every day), but when her doctor sent her to genetic counseling to see if the problem was a fluke or genetic (the baby's brain developed outside of the skull and lived for an hour after the delivery), the genetecist easily pinpointed the aspartame consumption.

I'm not trying to be a fear monger. With most things in pregnancy I am quite laid back. If you asked if it would be OK to drink regular Coke, I would say, "Fine, in moderation." Alcohol? "Fine in moderation." Unpasteurized cheese? "Fine in moderation." But this is one of those things I have done a TON of research on, written several academic papers on, and feel quite strongly about.

 

[Pinky Tuscadero]

ITA-artificial sweeteners are not safe for anyone to ingest. With regards to babies and children I think it's especially important. They have no blood/brain barrier to protect them. These sweeteners are considered neurotoxins. Also, they say that early exposure to a lot of things is what causes sensitivities to them, like egg whites, strawberries...
All artificial sweeteners give me migraines within a few minutes. The companies that make them can talk till there blue in the face about how they don't cause migraines but I can feel it almost instantly. I can tell if what I'm drinking is Crystal Light within about 30 seconds. Sugar only has 15 calories per teaspoon so why not just go natural! The artificial sweetener industry is full of scary things!
Suzy

 

[cuqui]

I have a constant nasty taste in my mouth after I eat, anything, so I chew Trident. It contains aspertame, am I ingesting by chewiwg, I'm thinking yes, but it is enough to 'count'? I chew about 6 pieces a day. I tried 'natural' gums but they did not mask the nasty taste. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[Turtlemum]

Try looking on the motherisk website. They have lots of information/RTC studies about all sorts of drugs, foods, products and their safety in pregnancy. Just google motherisk and the website should come up.
Good Luck
Kelli

 

[henhao]

I use stevia, honey or splenda. I use these things maybe 2-3 times per month.

hh

 

[pamamidwife]

NutraSweet and Splenda both are things that I adamantly stay away from. Not good for anyone, not good for growing babes.

 

[fiddledebi]

I have religiously avoided aspartame during both pregnancies and need no prodding to continue that -- but I'm wondering about nursing. Does the aspartame pose as serious a risk to nursing babies as when they are in utero? I have never had any of the problems that are associated with aspartame use myself, and I'm not talking about excessive consumption either...I'd just like to have a diet soda a few times a week. I miss it terribly. What is the thinking on aspartame and nursing?

 

[nancy926]

The only risk I know of with high saccharin intake (and I can't find many clarification as to what "high" means) is that it may put your baby at an increased risk for bladder cancer later in life.

most saccharin studies are in rats, but since rats metabolize it differently from humans, the studies aren't worth much.

 

[hankiesmama]

Last night is when I finally found out what was making me so emotional and feel so nasty. Since my ha1c was 5.8 (elevated but not diabetic) I decided I would start my gestational diabetes diet earlier. This included a small amount of sucralose (splenda) and aspartame (Nutra Sweet) since I haven't been able to eat any sugar or break my craving for sugar.

I felt SOOO nasty. I got diarrhea and headaches. Sometimes I thought I was going to die.

Artificial sweeteners can be okay for YOU but think about how it could make your nursing baby or your in utero baby feel?

The truth is, besides food companies like Hain Celestial Foods and Glen Muir and Annie's, other food companies don't give a damn about what happens to their consumers.

That's a sad truth. After my experience recently, I will never EVER use artificial sweeteners again. I was convinced I was going diabetic and that I would die.

I just hope my fetus is okay.

 

[loewymartin]

I have always avoided artificial sweetners - pregnant or not. My MIL was teasing when she was here last week that our household is: real butter, real fat (not that scary olesse stuff) and real sugar! The calorie difference isn't much between the "real" versus "fake" and I'd rather have the real stuff knowing what it is. I've been craving lemonade this pregnancy and bought a lemonade at a restaurant we were at - one sip and I realized it had nutrasweet in it - blech! When your body isn't used to it you can really taste it! So I had water with lemon instead.

All that said, I avoid it.

Michelle

 

[RiceMomma]

OUt of curiosity, what about Splenda? I've heard alot about it being safe. I personally, especially when pregnant, stay away from all those artificial sweeteners. But when I turned down some icecream the other day becuase it had Splenda in it, my freinds acted like I was some kind of paranoid freak.

 

[mwherbs]

so artificial sweeteners are probably safer than the coffee you are proposing to put it in.

 

[darkpear]

What about sugar alcohols? Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol etc? I am wary of aspartame and sucralose as well, but I do like to chew gum, and the papaya enzyme tablets I've been taking for heartburn are in a mannitol base.

 

[~Megan~]

I guess what I should ask is why do you want to use an artificial sweetner? Is it because of calories?
Do you really think the teaspoon or two you put in your tea is that many calories to make it worth substituting?

Is it that you don't like the taste of sugar? What about honey or stevia?

 

[orangebird]

Did I miss it? Why can't you just use a little sugar or honey? Otherwise stevia is good and I can't imagine why it wouldn't be safe. As far as I am aware, Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol are safe too, but hmmm, can you buy them? I have only seen them already mixed into things, candy and gum mostly. Not the most natural I guess but I have never heard they are bad except is is sorbitol that in large doses can cause loose stools? Xylitol is actually good for your teeth, so I've heard. I would stay far away from aspartame and splenda, pregnant or not, that stuff is baaaaad news.