About Caffeine during TTC and Beyond

[Mumita]

So...I have a regular cup of coffee with milk and sugar every day in the morning, its not strong coffee, just coffee.  And usually at work I'll have a cup of tea, either Green tea or Decaff tea.

I don't consider that a lot of caffeinne, but I don't know if that is good or bad while ttc.
  When I got pregnant in May, I had sort-of quit drinking coffee and I was drinking hot cocoa in the mornings instead but then I went home to Puerto Rico during the 2ww and I started drinking coffee again because the coffee in Puerto Rico is great and I missed it a lot.  And then when I found out I was pregnant I kept drinking coffee on and off. Always one cup in the morning and that's it.  The pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at 7 weeks.  I don't know if the ONE cup of coffee made all the difference.

Now if I get pregnant this month I will definitely try my hardest to quit but does it really affect conception and will it hurt my chances during the dreaded 2ww?  I really don't want to go cold turkey while quitting coffee, I get the WORST headache. :(

What do you all think?

[Griggsy]

I have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day. That doesn't mean I always have that much, but never more. For one 12oz soda I have, I always drink a water to follow it.

Green tea can have a lot of caffeine in it, so I would read the bottle, or box and if you don't see it listed per serving then call and ask. I swtiched to Cranberry juice when I conceived and come to find out it had 80mg of caffeine per 8oz, vs 75mg for a 12oz soda. I couldn't believe it!

[FirstCub4Bear]

I was a caffeine junkie and drank 1 sugar free Rockstar per day for at least a year. It became a habit and that's 160 mg of caffeine. It took me 10 months to conceive, but that is because I have really irregular cycles and only ovulate every other month. I dont think caffeine had much to do with it.

When I got my BFP, i immediately quit my beloved Rockstar (frown) and started researching how much caffeine I could safely have because I was thinking quitting cold turkey would be really hard, headaches, etc. I've found it's OK to have a cup of coffee or one can of soda a day, even two. Actually the book I have says keep it under 200 mg a day and you should be fine when pregnant. I am going way under, and treating myself to one cherry coke per day (37 mg of caffeine). I think you'll be fine having a cup of coffee per day even when you conceive. And from what I know, green tea doesn't have too much caffeine in it anyway. But warning. Someone has told me that green tea can take away from the folic acid in your prenatal. I drank green tea to help me conceive (and it worked!) but I stopped once I got pregnant because of this..

Good luck!

[KM604]

My doctor told me 2-3 cups of caffeinated beverages a day is good.  I treat myself to a Starbucks Frappucino about 2 times a week - but now that I'm pregnant it gives me the runs so I have to really want it! LOL.  Anyways, I drink caffeine free diet coke when at home and work, so that only time I drink caffinated diet coke is when we go to a restaurant or someone's house.  Some days I don't have any caffeine while others I may have a little more than normal.  I don't know if caffeine is a reason for m/c, that you should ask your doctor.  But I honestly thought after my m/c that when I did get pregnant again I would be so strict with everything - but I'm not at all.  I don't want to be worrying all throughout my pregnancy about this or that - because if I were to m/c than it would happen regardless of what precautions I took (I'm more talking about not exercising or eating like I thought I would).

[LauraB78]

Hey girl,

I am a total caffeine "jerk" usually, but I have cut down to (2) caffeinated beverages per day at my Dr.'s request and all has been fine.. =)

[ashiepooh]

Yeah ask your doctor, All the books and everything say one cup a day is fine!  I'd maybe pick between coffee or tea, maybe do coffee every other day and tea on the off days?  But I would be more concerned with like people who drink a 12 pack of pop in a day, lol  that has more caffeine then coffee.  Plus my doctor say if you drink just black coffee, with nothing added you can do two cups a day.  Black coffee is actually good for you.  I guess.  LOL  I always add milk so I dunno..  

I had read all the stuff on the internet, and then asked my doctor.  He just said, a lot of websites are off on their information by a tag bit.  

[Mumita]

I always avoid drinking too much caffeinne because I get all jittery and crazy with more than one cup of coffee and maybe some tea.
I've just read a lot of new articles condeming caffeine and I'm worried.  But it doesn't make sense...I don't know.

Thanks Ashie

[ashiepooh]

You can have one cup of coffee a day while pregnant!  As long as it's not giving you a caffeine rush it doesn't affect the baby!  

I drink one cup of coffee every day and have two more than healthy kids and one in the oven cooking.  LOL  You could always switch to decaf, but it's up to you!  It doesn't affect anything in conception or pregnancy, just remember not to drink enough that would make you "wig out"  lol...