A Blog For Mums
I don’t know about you, but for me, my morning cup of coffee is a non-negotiable. It’s a ritual I can’t do without. A tiny moment of peace before the day kicks off and things get hectic.
So when those two pink lines appear on the pregnancy test, and the list of ‘don’ts’ and ‘can’t haves’ suddenly got very long, I was worried coffee would be among them. Because caffeine = bad, right? Especially if you’re pregnant.
If you have found yourself wondering if you can have caffeine when pregnant, I have good news – your morning coffee is safe.
The slightly less good news is that you will have to be a bit more careful about how much caffeine you’re having overall, but it’s not a total ban. As with all things, it’s about balance. Caffeine in moderation is fine, it’s only when you have too much that it can be an issue.
With a few tweaks you can keep yourself and your baby happy without feeling like you are going without. So let’s break down exactly how to do that.
There is no better guide in the UK than the NHS, so going along with their advice is a pretty safe place to start.
If you search the internet for information on caffeine and pregnancy you will find all sorts of scary stuff (who knew the internet was full of scare stories…), but the NHS advice is refreshingly simple:
“Keep your caffeine intake to 200mg or less per day during pregnancy.”
Great, but what does 200mg of caffeine look like? Here are a few examples to give you an idea:
Obviously this is just a guide, the actual amount will depend on the brands you use, how much coffee you use per cup, how long you let the tea stew, etc.
The reason this is important, is because high levels of caffeine have been linked to an increased risk of low birth weight and even miscarriage in some studies. We are talking about high levels of caffeine intake here though, as in four or five strong cups a day, not just a brew in the morning.
So yes, you can absolutely enjoy a coffee in the morning, but you might want to rethink that triple espresso.
I’ve been pregnant twice, I know it can feel like you are disqualified from anything that brings you joy in life in order to give the baby the best start.
You might groan at the idea of monitoring your coffee intake, but there are ways to do it that feel like less of a buzz kill. Here are a few tips from my own experience.
Do it once, and do it right. Make yourself the kind of coffee you absolutely love, and enjoy it. Just do it once a day, and pick a time that makes the most sense to you. Whether that’s in the morning before work, with your lunch, or a relaxing mug full of goodness after a long day, make a no compromises coffee and drink it at a time that works for you.
Mix regular and decaf beans (or regular and decaf instant coffee) for a lower caffeine blend, then you can have two cups. Although be aware that decaf still technically contains caffeine. If you go this route you will have a drink that still tastes like a great coffee, but with half the buzz.
Instead of using that big two hander mug you can really wrap your fingers around, go for a smaller cup and use half the usual amount to adjust for the size difference. This is basically portion control. You will feel like you are having two cups in a day, but really you are just splitting your usual cup of coffee in half.
No prizes for originality here, but if you find a decaf coffee you like, use that. It has barely any caffeine in it and you can drink several cups a day with no issues. Don’t force yourself if you don’t like it though.
I like a coffee in the morning and another around 3pm, when the dreaded slump kicks in. When I was pregnant, I replaced the 3pm coffee with a high protein snack, a fizzy drink (with no caffeine in it), or even a brisk walk. Don’t laugh, it was surprisingly helpful!
Lots of things have caffeine in them:
So if you are a bit of a chocolate fiend, or you’re big on supplements, check the caffeine content. You might find it easier to cut these things out than coffee.
The Mum guilt, or the Mum shaming, is real. I know. Websites, online forums, and even other Mums might make you feel bad for drinking coffee while you are pregnant. Well, let them try, but don’t let them succeed.
You are not a bad Mum for enjoying a coffee during pregnancy. The National Health Service says it is alright, and that should be good enough for anyone.
Pregnancy comes with a truckload of unsolicited advice and unnecessary judgements from motherhood cults, don’t let them have your coffee too. Unless you are necking five cans of Red Bull a day you are not doing your baby any harm.
Being pregnant shouldn’t be about quitting everything you enjoy and becoming some sort of mum to be monk (unless you smoke, you should stop that immediately). It’s about making small informed changes that give you balance and allow you to enjoy the unique experience that is growing another human being inside you.
So do what works for you, and don’t let anyone tell you that a cup of coffee in the morning is bad for your baby. It’s not.
Self Care and Health
