Caffeine

How much caffeine can I have during pregnancy?

Caffeine During pregnancy:
Several doctors recommend to limit the caffeine intake during pregnancy to 300mg per day. The table below shows you exactly how much 300mg is. Drink decaf or tea instead.

Caffeine During breastfeeding:
For most mothers, drinking an occasional caffeine containing beverage is not harmful for her baby as only a small amount of caffeine passes into the breastmilk. Limiting consumption of caffeine to the equivalent of 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day is a good guideline. Consuming more than 750 mg of caffeine a day could result in caffeine accumulating in the baby`s body, especially in a newborn. It takes 2 to 5 days for a newborn to clear half the caffeine from his body. By 3 months of age the baby is able to clear half the caffeine in 14 hours.

Caffeine in Foods and Drinks

Coffee, Starbuck's 16 oz	550 mg
Coffee, Non-gourmet 8 oz	136 mg
Caffe Latte or Cappuccino 16 oz	185 mg
Tea, Regular 8 oz	50 mg
Mountain Dew 12 oz	55 mg
Cola 12 oz	35 to 45 mg
Chocolate, dark or semi-sweet 1 oz	20 mg
Decaf Coffee 8 oz	10 mg
Tea, Decaf or Herbal 8 oz	5 mg
Hot Chocolate 8oz	5 mg

Herbal Teas

Most supermarket brands of herbal teas are safe to use during breastfeeding. Privately brewed remedies or teas could cause problems with breastfeeding.

Comments: Caffeine

Comments 1 to 22 of about 22.
1

Amber J - 62 days ago.
Some energy drinks contain a lot of caffeine, so I'd be careful.

cocoluv - 121 days ago.
hi does anyone know the effect of energy drinks while TTC or while pregnant? i dont drink coffee and lately have been really tired and need a energy drink to keep awake at work..

grace85 - 136 days ago.
crazy how your body has a way of putting you off certain things in pregnancy, i am 12 wks 4 days on my 2nd and i must admit while not pregnant i am a total coffee addict, now pregnant and while i was pregnant with my son, i could only manage one maybe 2 cups of decaf a day even then i felt a little off afterwards and so i stuck to just the morning cup to start my day! it is true your body seems to reject what is not concidered good for you and your baby through pregnany, its magical and totally crazy but ya gotta love it!!! congrats to all by the way, and best of luck!!

m2b - 187 days ago.
Does anyone know where you can but 4c decaf iced tea mix they make it I checked the web site but I don't know where to get it.

christi P - 190 days ago.
I miss having a creamy french vanilla cappuccino... i suppose one wouldnt hurt... but it kind of seems like saying that is just as bad as saying oh one alcoholic beverage wont hurt... it may not but i really dont want to risk it....

amberelaine - 195 days ago.
I have recently tried a Tea with Caffine and I got a upset stomach, As soon as I became pregnant I stopped drinking COffee of Tea ( my teas are 6 sugars two cream and coffee the same ) and I had two teas in my first trimester and I didnt like it as I use too, now at 16 weeks I had one and I enjoyed it but it didnt agree with my stomach I think this is a sign the baby isnt use to caffeine? I dont drink pop either...

kym22 - 207 days ago.
I find that drinking coffee increases my milk supply a bit. I was never a coffee drinker before until I came back to work with a 3 mo old! She is fine ( I also drink 1-2 diet coke with splenda's everyday) My LO sleeps through the night and is perfect!

kathy=^.^= - 232 days ago.
im very addicted to caffine... i drink almost a 2liter a day... when i was pregnant i think i drank just about half that and my baby came out just fine...

MommyOf3But4ToBe - 237 days ago.
i now have a 15 month old little boy... when i was pregnant with him, i drank soda and a quad shot from starbucks almost daily... and my little guy is great... he was talking at 2 months, and says things all the time now... so dont stress too much on coffee.... he is my 3rd by the way, and coffee never affected ANY of my kids... hope this helps to put your minds at ease....

kebler98 - 237 days ago.
I was good about not having caffeine for the first couple of months with my little guy, but by the 8 month I was drinking soda at the rate of 2-3 cans a day. My son is 7 months, and is an awesome baby. Doesn't cry much and only spits up on occasion. I felt bad but I work 10 hour shifts and needed to stay awake. I guess it is different for everyone.

dazieoo - 238 days ago.
.. Im having trouble with the coffee thing... I gotta wake up soooooo early... (today i gotta be at work at 4am!).. I tried to cut it out all together.. thought i might be able to trick myself by drinking decafe.....didn't really work. I did switch to instant though .. which is a lil less....I just can't seem to wake up at all with out my lil cup of coffee!

babydarlin - 238 days ago.
Caffeine is overall not that difficult for me- once every other weekend or so I crave an ice cold cherry coke. Otherwise I'm not very interested in cola, which is where my caffeine has always hailed from. I get a 20oz and enjoy half Saturday and half Sunday. I'm not terribly interested in chocolate right now, either. Morning sickness sucks :P

trkrchk - 294 days ago.
When I had my first daugher, I completely laid off the caffiene. Caff-free soda, decaf coffee, no tea, tons of water and juice. I had a fat little girl. I drank lots of it with my 2nd and she came out 7.5 lbe and only 18 inches, but was not a crier. My third I laid off completely, and she had acid reflux, cried ALL the time, and was in general a grumpy baby. I think that while caffiene affects growth in utero, I think the crying/spitting up thing has alot to do with thier temperment too. I drink 1-2 cups of coffee with this pregnancy because I have SO much do do in a day, but I get crazy migrane headaches when I lay off.. I <3 coffee.. But if I lay off all together I do really well,and have more energy thatn if I didn't drink any caffiene at all. Hard to lay off that stuff though

heavensangels - 316 days ago.
I didn't drink caffeine with my second childand he was a great baby!!!!!!!With my third child I would drink a cup of coffee 3 times a week and he cries non stop. The Dr. said it could be withdraw from the coffee. Anyway something to think about.

akmom78 - 317 days ago.
I was super paranoid with my first and cut out caffeine completely. My second I still cut out the caffeine but had some on occasion. Now I'm pregnant with my third but have a full-time job. I was getting so tired by mid afternoon. So I started with just a half of a cup of black coffee just to give me a little kick to make it through the day. I felt guilty and talked to me dr and he okay'd it. I was very relieved and now to find out even more that my little bit of coffee is ok. I thought I was a terrible mom having a half (sometimes a whole) cup of coffee everyday. He says after the baby is born it may make him spit up more but that's it

supermompj - 328 days ago.
i think caffine in moderation is fine too, i am preggo with the 4th successful pregnancy. with our first i stopped drinking it all together. with the 2nd and 3rd and now the 4th i have picked up a little. i still have cut back from normal but i have a mt dew everyday and all of my pregnancies turned into beautiful babies

clarkie3 - 329 days ago.
When I was pregnant and breastfeeding I drank 1 - 2 cups a day of coffee, and my midwife said that was OK. No pop and limited chocolate though.

AmberS - 363 days ago.
I am 7 months pregnant and I have almost cut out all of the caffeine from sodas but it is so hard with the chocolate candy and things! I crave it.

MODELMOM - 363 days ago.
omg i drink soda like crazy pepsi and sprite are my favorite and im scared becuz im 8months prego... and when i was pregnant heteenage bumps i had bad eczemia on his back lil bumps on his back teenage bumps i wonder will mydaughter have it becuz of my soda problems

ajen - 365 days ago.
um , also- i am so constipated the coffee really helps with that!

ajen - 365 days ago.
busy california-- i did the exact same thing-- no caffien in first tri-- then a cup on my 2 and 3rd-- now i am preg with number2-- and i have been drinking half reg/half decafe-- i cant even function without caffine. . .lol i hope it all goes good and i can still do this in my first trimenster . . .

BusyCaliforniaMom - 380 days ago.
With my first pregnancy I immediately cut out my morning cup of coffee because I didn't want to jeopardize my baby's health by drinking caffeine. That was an awful 2 months I went through with the caffeine withdrawals along with morning sickness. I allowed myself my coffee again once I hit my 12 week mark and drank coffee everyday, sometimes twice a day up until the day I delivered. I had a healthy pregnancy and a very healthy little boy. I am now expecting my second child and I decided not to cut out the caffeine this time. I believe if you drink caffeine in moderation, then it is okay.