Friends, family, and doctors often advise pregnant women to avoid a whole list of foods and beverages. The most commonly mentioned products are: soft cheeses, alcohol, sushi, red meat, and caffeine. For many women, quitting caffeine during pregnancy is the most difficult, especially since fatigue is common in the first and third trimesters.
Facts about caffeine
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, heart rate, and respiration. It increases energy, promotes strength and stamina, and improves mental focus. Caffeine also affects your metabolism, that is why it is also considered a fat burner. In addition, caffeine also produces feelings of pleasure, joy, euphoria, and excitement.
Risks of high caffeine consumption
Some people do not tolerate caffeine well. A high sensitivity to caffeine seems to be the main cause. They get stomach trouble, feel agitated, sleep poorly, have a faster heartbeat or even a temporary irregular heartbeat. Those who consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day can suffer from insomnia, irritability, stress, excessive sweating, loss of concentration, rapid heartbeat, nervousness and headaches, amongst other symptoms.
Risks of high caffeine consumption in pregnancy
Regular consumption of medium to high amounts of caffeine during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of miscarriage. Studies have also shown that higher caffeine consumption is likely to lead to a low birth weight baby. Caffeine can significantly affect the growing fetus because it can pass freely through the placenta, and since caffeine has no benefits for your baby, only potential dangers, we do not recommend consuming large amounts of caffeine during pregnancy.
How much caffeine is recommended during pregnancy
There are also products that contain a very low amount of caffeine. For example, you'll find caffeine in tea, chocolate, and non-prescription painkillers. Be careful not to exceed your limit by consuming too much caffeine from different sources. If you consume a small amount of caffeine per day, about one cup of coffee, you don't need to worry. That comes down to 60mg to 80mg of caffeine, but it also depends on the type and strength of the coffee bean in case of coffee.
So there is no scientific evidence that small amounts of caffeine have long-term effects on health or baby development. Instead, focus on keeping yourself happy, healthy, and fit. Look forward to all the joy that the birth of your child will bring.
Caffeine can be found in more than just coffee. So you should also consider your caffeine intake from other sources. As you can see, caffeine is surprisingly common.