caffeine and pregnancy

[gigisouth]

Just wondering if I am drinking too much caffeine.  I'm 14 weeks pregnant and I work full-time nights.  I'm a general day I have aarge coffee, glass of ice tea and a diet coke. Is this too much?

[Clysta]

It's a decent bit. Don't forget as well that different foods (such as chocolate) contain caffeine as well.

Try looking to substitute different things. Some that don't have caffeine are 7UP, Sprite, and A&W Root Beer. You could also try having smaller amounts of coffee and tea during the day as well. General idea is that everything is fine in moderation.

[mikaleen]

http://www.wilstar.com/caffeine.htm

caffeine levels by drink.  I also read that  McDonalds large coffee has 145 mg of caffeine.

[RippedonScotch]

That is alot of Caffeine.
I found that I just liked the fizz of pop.  that is enough to wake me up.   Most clear pops are caffeine free, in Canada at least it is illegal to add caffeine to a clear soda, and I'm assuming it is the same for the US.  Ginger Ale and all Crush products are also caffeine free so maybe you can try that.   Maybe just the carbonation would help wake you up.  

[mikaleen]

You could turn the large coffee into a small coffee, cut out the ice tea and have a caffeine free regular coke instead of diet.  If I really need a soda to settle my stomach I usually have a sprite.  Maybe it won't feel as though you are cutting so much out?

I have a cup of coffee in the morning and one in the afternoon.  Regular coffee...no capuccinnos or espressos...but I don't normally drink soda.  I do however, eat a LOT of dark chocolate. =)

[gigisouth]

Thanks so much. I will work on switching. Its not worth hurting my baby!

[Victorian87]

My doctor told me it takes a lot of caffeine to be dangerous after I admitted my one a day habit but she said we want to act cautiously. Just not worth the risk. I would definitely turn that into 2 regular Cokes rather than a diet and a coffee. Good luck!

[Brittny27]

I drank MOUNTAIN DEW my whole pregnancy and my daughter is PERFECT!! I was a bartender and worked 10 hour shifts so I would drink 2 120z cans of Mt. Dew each friday and Saturday. I would usually only drink one mt. dew on other days of the week. I also drank coke and ginger ale.

Dr's say 300 mg of caffeine is safe. You do have to take into account the other items that you eat each day that contain caffeine, like chocolate.

[Mrs_Wiltz]

I ACTUALLY WAS TOLD THAT 300MG WAS THE MOST CAFFINE YOU SHOULD HAVE. BUT YOU HAVE TO ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE FOOD THAT CONTAINS CAFFEINE AS WELL. BUT MY DR DID TELL ME THAT DIET COKE IS THE WORST YOU COULD DRINK. AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF ALL THE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS IN IT. MY DR ADVISED ME THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD AVOID ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. AND IN A 12OZ CAN OF SODA NOT ONLY IS THERE 34MG OF CAFFEINE BUT 9TBSP OF SUGAR AND TOO MUCH CAN CAUSE PREGNANCY DIABETES. BUT AGAIN THAT'S JUST WHAT MY DR TOLD ME. YOUR DR MAY SUGGEST SOMETHING ELSE.

[NicoleW09]

200 mg is the maximum recommended amount of caffeine a pregnant woman should consume daily. you're taking in over that amount easily.

[DollMoll]

Way too much!!! Your only supposed to have eight ounces of coffee a day. I love my caffiene too,but, I just figure that it is only nine months of my life to give up, and its for my baby. If your trying to stay awake, try chewing gum. Also the sweetener in diet coke has been linked to thyroid problems in children. Trust me I love diet coke with crushed ice,but I gave that up too.  

[PriceFamily91611]

Me personally think that's to much, there has been a lot of questions about this , if it hurts ur baby, will ur baby b colic and hings like this, I've not heard straight from a doctor if it's bad or how much u shuld, I know most ppl say one coke a day, however I'm not drinking caffeine at all, I'm 4 weeks! Since u drink that much caffeine a day I would ask ur doctor how to ween off or down bc I know ppl that r use to having a lot of caffiene everyday and when they tried to stop they had withdraws and headaches and got sick bc their body was so use to all that caffiene everyday