The researchers noted that caffeine is believed to cause blood vessels in the uterus and placenta to constrict, which could reduce the blood supply to the fetus and inhibit growth.
Caffeine crosses the placenta to your baby.
Any amount of caffeine can also cause changes in your baby's sleep pattern or normal movement pattern in the later stages of pregnancy. Remember, caffeine is a stimulant and can keep both you and your baby awake.
How does caffeine affect you and your baby during pregnancy? Caffeine slightly increases your blood pressure and heart rate and the amount of urine your body makes. Caffeine may cause you to feel jittery, have indigestion or have trouble sleeping.
Limiting the consumption of caffeine during pregnancy is crucial to reduce the risk of health issues for the baby. High levels of caffeine in pregnant women can even cause a miscarriage.
Even a small amount of caffeine can cause changes in your baby's sleep pattern or normal movement pattern in the later stages of pregnancy. Remember, because caffeine is a stimulant, it can keep both you and your baby awake.
They found caffeine consumption during pregnancy did not affect their baby's sleep during the first three months. They also looked at women who consumed both caffeine and breastfed and found similar results. When it comes to breastfeeding, it's possible your baby can feel the effects of caffeine.
Is it OK to Drink Coffee During Pregnancy? If you're pregnant, check with your doctor about having caffeine. It's usually OK to have 1 or 2 cups of coffee, but it's best not to have more than that.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg (about two, six-ounce cups) per day.
Recommendations for pregnancy
The recommended limit in Australia is a maximum of 200mg caffeine per day. This would be equivalent to 1 cup of strong espresso style coffee, 3 cups of instant coffee, 4 cups of medium strength tea, 4 cups of cocoa or hot chocolate or 4 cans of cola.
“It takes a long time for the frontal lobe to develop compared to other regions of the brain, and with excessive accumulation of caffeine, there's a possibility that the development of the frontal lobe is slowed down compared to other babies.”
Furthermore, other studies found that even a daily intake as low as 100–200 mg during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage [4], fetal growth restriction [5], low birth weight [22–24], as well as increased risks to the offspring, including cognitive development impairments [25], overweight, and ...
The researchers noted that caffeine is believed to cause blood vessels in the uterus and placenta to constrict, which could reduce the blood supply to the fetus and inhibit growth.
Caffeine is safe during pregnancy in moderation. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reports that it is safe to consume less than 200mg of caffeine per day, without any notable side effects for mom or baby.
Babies of pregnant women who consume over 200 mg of caffeine per day are at an increased risk of fetal growth restriction which could result in low birth weight and/or miscarriage. “There is evidence that excessive caffeine intake is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
Use tea to keep your morning routine
If you're still craving a warm cup of something once you've hit your caffeine limit, consider a caffeine-free tea, such as chamomile, ginger, or rooibos, to keep your morning ritual intact.
What does 200mg of caffeine look like? You will be reaching 200mg of caffeine with, for example: 2 bars of plain chocolate and one mug of filter coffee. 2 mugs of tea and one can of cola.
Exposure to caffeine in the womb, even in small amounts, may lead to shorter height in childhood, suggests an analysis by National Institutes of Health researchers. Children of women with low caffeine intake during pregnancy were slightly shorter than their peers born to women who consumed no caffeine while pregnant.
These studies have shown that caffeine can cause birth defects, premature labor, preterm delivery, reduced fertility, and an increased risk of low-birth-weight offspring and other reproductive problems. Studies involving humans haven't shown an increased risk of these issues, however.
Introduction. Caffeine is rapidly absorbed and crosses the placenta freely. 19 After ingestion of 200 mg caffeine, intervillous blood flow in the placenta was found to be reduced by 25%.
Studies from the last decade report that moderate caffeine consumption, including that from coffee, is not a matter of concern for a healthy pregnancy.
High caffeine intake during pregnancy may result in increased catecholamine levels in the fetus, which may cause placental vasoconstriction [3], and increased fetal heart rate, leading to impaired fetal oxygenation [4].
Our results suggest that a high caffeine intake in the third trimester may be a risk factor for fetal growth retardation, in particular if the fetus is a boy.
Although caffeine does cross the placenta, it has been shown that caffeine does not cause a decrease in uterine blood flow or fetal oxygenation 8. Two studies have assessed the relationship between caffeine consumption and mean birth weight differences 6 7, and two others have recently reported on IUGR.
Yes, you can still enjoy a mug of coffee every now and then during your pregnancy. Just make sure that you don't have more than 200mg of caffeine in a day.