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Update: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists revised its guidelines about drinking coffee and caffeinated beverages in July of 2010. The new guidelines say that up to 200 mg daily of caffeine does not increase the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. The new guideline was published in the August 2010 issue of “Obstetrics and Gynecology” and is based on a comprehensive review of all published studies on caffeine risks during pregnancy.
According to the ACOG’s Committee on Obstetric Practice, there is good evidence to show that having a cup of coffee a day doesn’t affect the risk of miscarriage or premature births. Dr. William H. Barth Jr., chairman of the committee, told U.S. News & World Report, “Finally, we have good evidence to show that having a cup of coffee a day is fine and it poses no risk to the fetus.”
For reference, an 8 oz. cup of brewed coffee contains about 137 mg of caffeine, while a cup of instant has about 78 mg of caffeine. If you’re pregnant, you should also be aware of caffeine intake from other beverages and foods and count that against your caffeine for the day.
The committee didn’t make any statement about whether caffeine during pregnancy restricts fetal growth or has other effects on the growing fetus.
Caffeine in Pregnancy and ADHD
An early study suggested that there may be a connection between coffee during pregnancy and ADHD. A study found that children whose mothers had taken the equivalent of 10 cups of coffee a day during pregnancy had three times the risk of ADHD. Once the researchers adjusted the results to account for other factors, however, they found the increased risk was statistically insignificant — that is, they determined that even at that level, children born to mothers who drink coffee have no more risk of having ADHD than those born to mothers who don’t drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks.
Previously:
It seems that the connection between coffee and pregnancy may not be as simple as most people have always believed. A few recent studies show that drinking moderate amounts of coffee during late pregnancy may not be as bad for you as we’d thought. On the other hand, there seems to be a definite link between coffee and infertility.
Drinking coffee during pregnancy has been one of those automatic no-nos for a very long time, so a study released in January by the British Medical Journal may come as a surprise. Researchers studying the effects of drinking coffee during pregnancy found that “coffee in moderation is safe during pregnancy”. But is it really?
The effects of coffee during pregnancy is extensively researched – and the results of the various studies into the effects of caffeine and coffee on pregnant women, fertility and the development of the growing baby are contradictory at best. This latest study suggests that women who take in less than 300 mgs of caffeine per day are not endangering their babies. That’s widely been reported as ‘about the same amount of caffeine as three cups of coffee’ – and that’s where things get sticky. Is that a cup of home brewed drip coffee? An espresso at your favorite coffee bar? A sixteen ounce latte? A cup of instant? Each of those has a different amount of caffeine – and it’s not always easy to guess which coffee drinks are the most loaded with caffeine.
Another study in Denmark back in 2003 found that women who drank more than eight daily cups of coffee during pregnancy increased their risk of miscarriage or stillbirth by as much as 300%. The researchers suspected that the reason may be that caffeine constricts the blood vessels, meaning that less blood gets through the placenta to the developing baby. They also suggested that the caffeine in coffee may directly affect the baby, whose developing system is far more sensitive to caffeine than the mother’s. Other studies suggest that up to five daily cups of coffee during pregnancy is safe for your baby.
According to most medical experts, the bottom line on drinking coffee during pregnancy is this: pregnant women should reduce their intake of caffeine during pregnancy to about the amount found in 1 to 2 cups of coffee a day.
What about decaffeinated coffee and pregnancy?
There’s far less research into decaffeinated coffee and pregnancy. Since caffeine is the major culprit in the ill effects of drinking coffee during pregnancy, it stands to reason that during pregnancy decaf coffee is fine. There’s no suggestion that decaf has any ill effects on pregnancy at all. In other words, if you must drink coffee during pregnancy decaf coffee is the way to go. Caffeinated coffee should be limited to no more than one to two cups of coffee per day.
The Good News About Coffee in Late Pregnancy
The Danish study reported in January studied the intake of coffee in late pregnancy – the last trimester. It showed that in over 1200 women, those who drank no more than 300 mgs of caffeine a day showed no difference in birth weight or premature births with women who drank strictly decaffeinated coffee during pregnancy. If you really need that shot of caffeine, you might try replacing a few cups of coffee a day with decaffeinated coffee during pregnancy.
Related studies:
A study of 5,144 pregnant women by scientists at the State Department of Health, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and UCSF turned up some surprising results. The study found no significant increased risk for spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage, associated with caffeine consumption. Even among women considered heavy caffeine consumers (300 milligrams or three cups of coffee a day) miscarriage risk increased only slightly — about 1.3 times the risk as noncaffeine users. The Study also found that women who drank three or more cups of decaffeinated coffee a day in the first trimester had 2.4 times the risk of miscarriage as those who did not drink decaf.
Read the full study at: http://www.ucsf.edu/daybreak/1997/08/825_caff.htm
Also on BBC: Decaf coffee linked to heart risk
Drinking decaffeinated coffee could increase the risk of heart disease, a study has suggested.
It could lead to a rise in harmful cholesterol levels, the US National Institutes of Health study found.
Read the article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4444908.stm
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GD says
I come from a coffee drinking culture, my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother etc.. ALL DRANK COFFEE WHILE PREGNANT. However, in Latin America especially in Guatemala everyone has cofee 2 times a day usually medium or coffee with Milk, (cafe con Leche) not as strong as a latte. No one in my family coming from my great grand mother had a pre-term, nor did they have any children with mental or physical disabilities, I think that coffee itself is not bad at all, it’s about the moderation, I honestly cannot bear to take more than 2 cups a day in a medium blend or with milk but each person is subject to their own opinion, I honestly think the stance of saying “coffee is simply bad during pregnancy” is ignorant and misinformed, if that was the case everyone in Latin America must be pre-term, Sigh….
loice says
I crave filtered
Double espresso and clay (as in soil) can there be something healthier to substitute with! I’s ±2months pregnant please help me!!!
Aanchal says
Hi… i am 17 weeks preganant and likes coffee very much before pregnancy. till now i had not taken any coffee but now i sometimes get craving for a cup of coffee. what should be the ideal amount in case pregnant women wants to intake. since every individual is different and so the case of pregnancy is different with all. please advice…
MaKitty81 says
Hi Everyone,
I wonder if a woman drink a lot of coffee for a month before knowing she is pregnant what are the risks to the unborn child?
nichideas says
I do not think decaf coffee is safe at all during pregnancy.
Gano Excel says
coffee is good for you but drink moderately
AniaWhoLovesCoffee says
i study nuitrition and i love coffee and am planning to get pregnant so i did a research on coffee. on http://www.babycentre.com you will find an article about drinking coffee while pregnant. they say that having a cup of coffee equals to running to catch a bus. in both cases your heart rate goes up, so does your matabolism. they also say that considering this one or two cups should be fine.
as love coffee,and want to stay healthy,i prepare it at home from freshly ground organic coffee beans, and i only use filtered water. i use home coffee machine and krups coffee grinder, britta water filter. i drink about 2-3 cups a day. i would not recommend drinking regular decaf, because of the processes the coffee goes through. i think i would try to go off coffee, or at least drink week organic coffee. good quality coffee has lots of antioxidants. should not be drunk with sugar or milk.
one last thing – not everyone is affected by coffee/caffeine in the same way, so bear that in mind. if someone drunk 8 cups of coffee during her pregnancy and had healthy baby this may not be safe recommendation for sombody else.
i would say, everyone should limit ( or stop drinking if u can ) their coffee/caffeine intake,and should only buy organic. they are some good brands.
happy pregnancy!
Cali says
What about organic coffee? Limited of course to 1-2 cups a day. I’m asking because I simply love coffee and cannot think straight without it.
Ebonee says
At my 7 month ultra sound scan my babies heart was racing and thumping way louder than normal. My mid wife asked if I could think of anything that would cause it. I could only think that I’d had two caffeinated coffees,one at 7am and one at 11.30am. I was shocked and a little ashamed that my poor wee girls heart was still working overtime at 4PM! I didn’t drink anymore coffee while pregnant after that, its simply not worth it.
JJ says
I owned a coffee shop and let me tell you specialty drinks do NOT HAVE MORE CAFFEINE than a regular cup of joe. That is incorrect. yes, espresso contains more caffeine per volume, but an espresso shot is very small compared to a 8oz,120z, 16oz or 20oz of coffee. So per volume your “regular cup of joe” has alot more caffeine in it.
I’m currently pregnant myself and I do not drink any caffeine, I have never been a soda drinker so that’s not a problem. I have had one iced latte with half caf espresso. This has far less caf than a regular cup of coffee. Then there comes tea which has less caffeine as well. People need to look into their information correctly before misinforming people. My dr/midwife advised that one cup of regular coffee a day would be fine but no coffee the first trimester at all. Again,I’m almost in my third trimester and have only had one iced latte last week. So, I say you need to decide for yourself what risks you are willing to take and you need to talk to your Dr/midwife before deciding to consume something. I find the study interesting on the decaf coffee side of things, makes sense though as the process that the beans go through to make them decaf.
dee says
I drank a cupp before, during and after my pregnancy.. but I was younger then so I had no probs.. now that i’m older and trying for a 2nd, i’m going to deem caffeine as a risk just to be on the safe side.. plus, read this: http://www.babycenter.com/204_caffeine-may-interfere-with-fertility-in-women_10351446.bc?scid=preconception_20110531:2&pe=MlV4QWdSSXwyMDExMDUzMQ
ilovecoffeetoo says
wow did any of you catch the last part of this article??? all you people saying to switch to decaf are clearly not reading this through.
“The Study also found that women who drank three or more cups of decaffeinated coffee a day in the first trimester had 2.4 times the risk of miscarriage as those who did not drink decaf.”
miscarriage was 1.3 times in CAFFEINATED coffee, nad 2.4 in decaf. which one is clearly safer? let them drink it if it doesnt exced a dangerous amount, but dont tell them to switch to decaf when it causes more problems
sarah says
I am 28 weeks pregnant and i have not drunk caffinanted coffee since i have gotten pregnant! But i drink decaffinated coffee. When i drink decaffinated coffee i usually drink 2 cups with about 4 to 5 teaspoons of suger. I drink decaff almost everyday mainly in tha morning and everything seems fine with my pregnancy. As a matter of fact im enjoying a cup right now. All i can say is good luck to everyone, which i believe everyone will be ok as long as you dont drink a whole lot of coffee!
emma says
hi, everything here is very interesting and great to read, i am currently trying to get pregnant but i am addicted to one specific coffee, nescafe gold blend decaff. i thought i was all safe since i have only one cup a day, and it has very little caffeine in it. but after reading this i am questioning if it’s that causing me to not get pregnant, we’ve been trying for 5 months. maybe i should try the swiss stuff. does it come in instant? thanks for the advice
good luck to all
em x
John-Michael Perez says
So, there’s mixed research on whether caffeine intake is linked to increased risk of miscarriage. One study found no evidence of a link, but another study found that intake of more than 200 mg a day of caffeine (regardless of the source) meant more than twice the risk of miscarriage. Neither study is conclusive proof that caffeine does or doesn’t cause miscarriage, however, as it’s possible that various confounding factors could have affected the results.
With the available evidence in mind, a reasonable conclusion would be that it’s a good idea to restrict your caffeine intake during pregnancy as a safety precaution — there’s enough evidence to say that moderate to high caffeine intake might be linked to miscarriage. But on the other hand, if you’ve already had a miscarriage, you should not look back and assume that it happened because you drank too much coffee or ate too much chocolate while you were pregnant. There’s just not enough evidence to draw such conclusions, and it’s probably more likely that caffeine had nothing to do with your miscarriage.
BOTTOM LINE: Why risk it?
WEENA says
to Jacks, when i was trying to get pregnant my ob-gyn advised me to not run but just walk because it lessens my ovulation. i followed her and it worked! I’m now 18 weeks. pregnant. goodluck!
To Jacks says
Thanks for your advise…clearly I am over doing it on the training but when it comes so naturally and feels so effortless to be able to run an hour, swim 1hr – 1 1/2hs, ride 2-3hrs its hard to give up as it makes you feel so good…but people have been telling me I’m doing to much and I know in my heart that I have to give it up or I just won’t be able to get pregers…and I’m not getting any younger!!
Jacks7 says
To kirsty… I went tocthe library and just searched for ovulation and fertility books. Also i talked to my doctor… But my opinion would be yes. I would def cut back on training! From what you explained it sounds like i did not even work out as much as you and it still affected my ovulation! And i know that excersize is something that can be very important in someones life but i made the choice to limit myself to an hour or less five times a week and here i am prego! So i would definatly consider making some changes in that area of your life:) its really hard to do at first but the result is definately worth it! Let me know if you need any more advice… I would love to help:)
Kirsty says
Jacks 7, please reply. I have started the ovulation drug, had 2 mths and no ovulation so the dosage was raised last month and still no ovulation. I’m still training, running up to 14km a day or swimming or a shorter run and bikram yoga class. Do you think I need to ease back more on the training? Where did you do your research?
Jacks7 says
I have worked in coffee for six years. In that time i have learned that certain coffee shops buy defaf beans that have been through the Swiss Water Process which means it has been decafinated only by processing water through them several times and no chemicals are used in this process. I am currently six weeks pregnant and personally ask coffee shops im my area if they buy decaf that has been through the water process and go there whenever i feel the craving! But i also think that everyones pregnancy is different and should consult their doctor for info and not take peoples peoples advice to heart .
Also to Kisrty … I have also been in your shoes. I used to be very active and i also had few periods a year. My husband and i desired to have a baby so i did some research and found that intense excersize can decrease fertility and cause you not to ovulate! So i cut back and six months later here i am six weeks prego! I hope this helps!
Jennifer says
I do not think decaf coffee is safe at all during pregnancy. I am a coffee drinker and once I got pregnant I switched to decaf. Every day I would have 1 cup of decaf coffee. About 2 – 3 hours after I would have a low sugar episode that left me dizzy, very irritable, shaky, sweaty, and eating everything in site to get my sugar back up. As soon as I stopped drinking decaf coffee, my low sugar episodes stopped and I have not had one since. My advice do not drink any caffeine at all.
Melanie says
Well I’m confused….I’m a few weeks pregnant and cut down my coffe intake form about 5-8 cups a day to only 2 cups a day. I read that it was ok but now i’m not so sure.Help? is any amount of caffeine proven ok? and I bought some decaf,is that not ok and what about green tea??????
Charlene says
I think that coffee in moderation is not a bad thing during pregnancy.
Decaf has plenty toxins and there are other supposedly healthy drinks like fruit juice, soda, and flavoured water that are layered with chemicals designed to keep the product fresher for longer. Sulphur Dioxide, Pimarcin and other preservatives are surely more harmful than the effects of a little caffeine here and there.
Jim says
My wife is pregnant and trying to avoid caffeinated coffee just to be safe, but looking into the process of decaffeinating coffee has got me a little concerned. In the standard methods of decaffeinating coffee (both direct and indirect) the coffee comes into contact with methyl chloride (a known carcinogen) and/or ethyl acetate (less toxic but still potentially harmful). If there are known carcinogens and neurotoxins being used to process coffee, is it really worth the risk of potentially damaging our baby’s health? I’ve been checking out alternative methods of decaffeination and the swiss water process as well as a new method called the Co2 process seem to be good alternatives. Fortunately coffees treated using these processes aren’t too difficult to find (at least not up here in Portland, OR). Does anyone else know anything about the standard or natural methods of treating coffee?
uni says
“As pregnant women, there are so many things we are advised not to eat and drink, i just think that in moderation, the simple things in life should still be enjoyable.”
I just cannot agree more~~~~~its a baby which we are carrying , not a monster~ just be careful what you drink and eat , but that doesnot mean you cannot eat and drink at all…………….
Melly says
I’m 10 weeks pregnant and I rarely drink coffee. The key is to not drink a lot of caffeine because it also raises the baby’s heart rate which is why it could also cause a spontaneous abortion. It also travels through the placenta, and because pregnant women have a slower digestive system than non-pregnant women, that means the caffeine stays in your body longer. So just take care of how much caffeine you drink, whether it be through coffee, soda, or tea.
My doctor told me that it’s okay to drink caffeine once in a while, but she just tells her patients to not drink it at all because once you tell a person that, it might go from occasionally to moderately and maybe potentially everyday. So if I drink coffee, it would be a very weak cup with lots of milk, and maybe once a week if that.
sally mckenna says
To babyone, regarding chemicals in decaf – there are brands out there that use natural methods of decaffeinating coffee. You can get chemical free decaff coffee in any natural food store (Whole Foods).
Abby says
I am about 4 months pregnant and I dont drink caffeine every day but when i do drink it is in high amounts do you think my baby will be okay? I have heard a lot of differnt things about caffiene during pregnancy, and i haven’t been aware of how much you should or should not drink, but now that i am aware should i be worried.I did some light research about it when i first found that i was pregnant but did not relize the signifigance of how much effect caffine has on pregnancy, now that i have done more research i am some what concerned, but still not certain of how much caffeine consumed should be of concern.
Samantha says
I am 26 weeks pregnant with my first baby.. and i went completly off tea, well completly off everything for the first three months. As soon as i started to feel more myself i really wanted to drink coffee with a good helping of double cream, ive had one or two a day for the passed two months…i think there are a lot worse things pregnant women could be doing, and over panicing about how much coffee we are drinking is probably one of them !
babyone says
decaf has a bunch of chemicals in it…i read that decaf is actually worse for pregnant women and to just limit caffeine to a reasonable amount. i will not drink decaf since i read up on it during my pregnancy
MM says
I am not a doctor, but based on my studies in A&P and Nursing, I would say that the reasons for limiting caffine (i.e., coffee) would be mainly due to it’s vasoconstrictor effects. In pregnancy a woman’s blood volume significantly increases, because it needs to supply the baby and the mother with nutrients and oxygen. If you have an increased blood volume (which would automatically increase your BP)….then you add vasoconstriction (which is a narrowing of the vessels that also increases BP) I would think that it couldn’t be good for mom or baby. I’m not saying don’t drink coffee, but I think the recommendation to limit it is a great idea.
kisrty says
I, like Jessica am extremely healthy, an elite marathon runner who also swims and cycles, I have trained everyday for the last 400 days. I am wanting to get pregnant but I only get a few periods a year. I love my coffee and have a home made extra strenght soy latte a day. Is this reducing my chances of getting pregnant. Does anyone know?
alexandra says
Actually, I do agree with most of your posts but I must add to the whole decaff sharade that not only does it contain tons of pesticides, the same as regular coffee (one of the most chemical treated crops in the world along with soy beans) but also is heavily processed and some even claim toxic. So if you really crave you coffee in the morning you’re probably better off having a weak regular coffee that a couple of decaffs.
Jessica says
I am almost 18 weeks pregnant, I used to consume 2-3 decaf soy lattes a day before pregnancy, no caffienated drinks, hate caffeine, but up until a week ago it made me nauseated now I crave a small cup of decaf with half and half everyday, I eat very healthy I dont splurge on the normal pregnancy cravings, splurging for me is some natural vanilla ice cream and berries on top, and my decaf coffee, once a day, I also know alot about nutrition and feel that decaf coffee is way less of a concern than the moms I see buying a diet soda and a pastry.
A coffee fan says
I think coffee ring’s opinion is ill-informed and potentially dangerous. One person’s experience does not override years of research. It is true that there have been conflicting studies, but that is a reason to take things in moderation and TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR!! Many women experience high blood pressure during pregnancy and coffee can certainly play a role in increasing that. I hope people on this forum have more sense than to listen to posters that think doing things in excess is fine because it is their own “research.” I certainly would not want to risk a miscarriage or have a child with a birth defect because I was doing my own research, instead of trusting years of science. My advice is to wean yourself from caffeine slowly if you are trying to become pregnant or find that you are pregnant. There are many good half caffeinated varieties now and decaf that are just as tasty as the real thing. If you still need to have 1-2 cups daily, most doctors seem to say that is ok.
Tolu Odus. says
Not all the things that worked for Ms A would work the same way for Ms B. I totally support Chai latte, Moderation. If one is used to taking 8 cups, while pregnant 5 cups is OK (I think). That is the way to go. If one can go without, good.
Chai Latte says
I have never been a really big coffee drinker, but since my second trimester, I really enjoy a good cup pf coffee everyday. As pregnant women, there are so many things we are advised not to eat and drink, i just think that in moderation, the simple things in life should still be enjoyable. I agree with ‘coffee ring’ who says that even breathing air isnt always good for you.
coffee rings says
Since working in the coffee industry for the last 8 years & training as a qualified barista… I have learnt alot. It’s OK all this research – but to me means nothing!! During my pregnancy I still drank 8 – 10 (poss more)cups a day. I’m addicted I know. Still I knew what they say about drinking coffee in pregnancy but I just took it as research only and went ahead with my addiction! My baby came out 2 weeks late, the most beautiful skin i have ever seen, not a thing wrong with my baby and is a very advanced baby. I put it down to my 2 addictions COFFEE AND CHEESE! if you want to drink coffee in pregnancy go for it… I’m a very healthy lady compared to my friends who wouldn’t even touch a cuppa.
If at any point in my pregnancy I had low blood pressure that coffee was my cure.
I think you get to a point in life when people say what’s good & bad and start to realise even breathing in air isn’t always good for you.
Baristagirl says
I have been working in the coffee industry for the last three years and as a result I have acquired a lot of knowledge. I do not claim to know any effects that caffeine will have on a pregnancy. Evidently there are a lot of mixed messages as far as the potential effects of it. Because I see unbelievable amounts of pregnant women coming in and ordering our specialty coffees in both decaf and fully caffeinated. Specialty coffees (lattes, cappucinos,etc) tend to have more caffeine than an average cup of joe. Point of fact, decaffeinated coffee still contains caffeine, just a lesser amount than fully caffeinated.
jonny says
no way
Peggy says
I heard that decaf still has caffeine in it. Just less. That’s probably why.
pierina says
if caffeinated coffe is the problem why is decaff still limited to 2 drinks a day. what is the problem with it?