Many expectant mothers face the dilemma: can you drink coffee while pregnant ? Breaking the daily ritual of welcoming the morning with a delicious cup of coffee is quite a challenge. Coffee lovers, not wanting to jeopardize their baby's health, are trying to figure out whether they'll have to give up their favorite beverage completely during these demanding nine months. In today's article , we explain whether coffee consumption during this period is safe and what amounts of caffeine are acceptable during pregnancy.

Is coffee safe during pregnancy?

Drinking coffee during pregnancy has long been controversial. Despite the undeniable benefits of this grainy beverage, which include anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties , it contains caffeine, which is a cause for concern for expectant mothers.

Caffeine and its metabolites, when consumed with coffee, cross the placenta into the amniotic fluid, where they can then affect the developing fetus. The fetus is exposed to this stimulant for longer because the expectant mother's bodies take longer to eliminate it. Caffeine has a longer effect on the fetus, increasing the risk of overexposure. Although caffeine has not been conclusively demonstrated to affect fetal development, excessive coffee consumption may be associated with a low birth weight.

It turns out that coffee itself isn't a problem during pregnancy – but too much can be problematic, as it could lead to too much caffeine for the body. The question remains: how much coffee can you drink during pregnancy to safely enjoy its delicious flavor ?

Drinking coffee and breastfeeding

Not only pregnancy but also breastfeeding is a time when it's important to pay attention to the quality and quantity of beverages consumed. High caffeine consumption during this time can cause irritability or sleep problems in the newborn. The recommendations are similar – do not exceed 300 mg of caffeine daily and avoid consumption just before breastfeeding.

Caffeine during pregnancy – how much coffee can an expectant mother afford?

Fresh coffee lovers who are expecting a baby don't have to say goodbye to their beloved specialty. However, the number of daily servings and their intensity must be limited. How much caffeine can you consume during pregnancy without exceeding the safe limit? Caffeine consumption during pregnancy should not exceed 200-300 mg per day. For safety and peace of mind, it's best to stick to the lower end of the spectrum.

What do these values ​​mean in the context of the question of how much coffee can you drink during pregnancy? They indicate that pregnant women should not consume more than one or two cups of moderately strong coffee per day . It's also worth remembering that not only coffee but also tea, cola, chocolate, and some dietary supplements also contain caffeine.

What coffee is the best choice during pregnancy? Freshly ground coffee beans are the best option, but instant coffee should be avoided. Homemade coffee made from ground beans contains less caffeine , tastes better, and doesn't contain any additional substances that could adversely affect the health of the expectant mother. When it comes to choosing beans, it's worth choosing medium-roasted ones, as the brew prepared with them has a lower caffeine content than its counterpart made with light-roasted beans.

Decaffeinated coffee – is it a good alternative to the classic variant? during pregnancy?

As we've established, drinking coffee during pregnancy wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't for its high caffeine content. Intuition suggests that a cup of decaf coffee should be a good substitute for a regular cup of black coffee . This intuition is, of course, correct – decaf coffee isn't completely caffeine-free, but its caffeine content is many times lower than in regular coffee.

Decaffeinated coffee is obtained through the decaffeination process, which can occur in various ways. Coffees in this segment are decaffeinated using:

• extraction using solvents
• Swiss Water Process, i.e. using the osmosis process in the water environment and carbon filters,
• extraction using carbon dioxide.

Pregnant women should avoid the cheapest variants decaffeinated using the first method. If you're an expectant mother, opt for proven, more expensive decaffeinated coffee, which is obtained without the use of chemicals .

What else can you drink instead of coffee?

Pregnant women who don't want to completely give up their morning ritual can choose beverages that are safe for their baby. One popular option is cereal coffee, which is caffeine-free and can be drunk several times a day. Its taste and appearance are similar to traditional coffee, making it an excellent substitute.

Other alternatives include herbal infusions (lemon balm, peppermint tea, and chamomile) or rooibos, as well as yerba mate-based beverages. Although the latter, although natural, contains some caffeine (100 ml of infusion contains approximately 36 mg of caffeine) and should be consumed with caution. It's crucial to consult your doctor before making any changes.

Summary

Can pregnant women drink coffee? After reading today's article, you already know that if you don't want to give up coffee completely, you should limit its quantity and intensity, and choose a high-quality product from a trusted source. LaCava Coffee Roastery supplies customers with selected coffee beans and modern coffee machines , which allow you to create unique coffee specialties with strengths that can be adjusted to your current needs . We invite you to take advantage of our offer.

We also encourage you to read other articles on our blog. We cover a wide variety of topics related to coffee lovers' favorite beverage – including whether coffee is healthy . Enjoy!