Since a 9th-century Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi stumbled upon a fruit whose broth gave him lots of energy and terrible breath, people have been using coffee and its caffeine to wake them up in the morning and keep them focused throughout the day. We’ve since discovered caffeine’s naturally occurring presence in tea, chocolate, and energy drinks (okay, this one is not so natural), and people have been quick to jump to all sorts of different sources for caffeine’s energy. So, is it safe to consume caffeine during pregnancy? Here’s what you need to know.
Are there downsides to caffeine during pregnancy?
Even though caffeine naturally gives you a bunch of energy, some drinks containing caffeine also contain herbal supplements, high amounts of sugar, or other ingredients that aren’t desirable during pregnancy. Also, caffeine is a diuretic, which means it’ll increase the frequency with which you need to pee, which is usually already elevated during pregnancy. This can lead to more bathroom trips (although small amounts won’t dehydrate you, despite what you may have heard).
Caffeine is most often used as a stimulant to help get you up in the morning, however drinking caffeine later in the day can make getting precious sleep more difficult. Like other stimulants, caffeine temporarily raises both heart rate and blood pressure, which may impact you more during pregnancy. Both increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure can be risky for some people or lead to complications.
Can caffeine hurt Baby?
While babies and children shouldn’t drink caffeine, fetuses in utero don’t receive the same amount of caffeine as you do drinking it directly. Research suggests that small amounts of caffeine are likely safe for developing babies and pregnancies. Rates of stillbirth, miscarriage, pre-term birth and/or low birthweight do not appear to be impacted by small amounts (under 200 mg) of daily caffeine use in pregnancy. However, higher amounts of daily caffeine use may have negative impacts on your growing baby and pregnancy.
What’s the verdict?
Drinking more than a small amount of caffeine each day (over 200-300 mg) may increase the risk of miscarriage or poor fetal growth. People who want to completely eliminate any risk posed by caffeine can stop using it completely if they choose. Always be sure to check the amount of caffeine in any coffee, tea, energy drinks, soda, or chocolate, because the amounts can vary quite a bit. Herbal products do not always label caffeine content because this is not required by the FDA. Pregnant people should be very picky about whether they use any herbal products or supplements when thinking about caffeine. Remember, it’s the daily total of all of your caffeine that matters, not just what you find in one drink. Your healthcare provider is always a good source of support and guidance as you navigate reducing or removing caffeine from your daily routine.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
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Sources
- J Cade. “Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and risk of fetal growth restriction: a large prospective observational study.” British Medical Journal. 2008;337:a2332. Web. 11/3/2008.
- “Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy: Committee Opinion Number 462.” ACOG. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 8/10/2015. Web.
- “Caffeine in pregnancy.” March of Dimes. March of Dimes, April 2020. Web.
- Caroline Brito Nunes, Peiyuan Huang, Geng Wang, Mischa Lundberg, Shannon D’Urso, Robyn E Wootton, Maria Carolina Borges, Deborah A Lawlor, Nicole M Warrington, David M Evans, Liang-Dar Hwang, Gunn-Helen Moen, Mendelian randomization study of maternal coffee consumption and its influence on birthweight, stillbirth, miscarriage, gestational age and pre-term birth, International Journal of Epidemiology, 2022;, dyac121, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyac121
