Coffee during pregnancy: How much is safe?

You drink eight cups of coffee a day? If you are pregnant, you should thoroughly reconsider your coffee consumption. You don’t have to give up coffee or caffeinated drinks like black tea right away. Up to three cups of coffee a day are safe during pregnancy. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you should completely avoid caffeine.

A can of cola here, two or three cups of filter coffee there, and a latte macchiato in a restaurant. Many pregnant women find it difficult to do without caffeine altogether. Other women, on the other hand, can’t even smell coffee during pregnancy. Some are also plagued by fatigue and see a glimmer of hope in their morning coffee. But high levels of caffeine can be harmful to the baby. Those who cannot do without the taste can also switch to decaffeinated coffee.

How much is safe?

Coffee should only be drunk in moderation during pregnancy. The Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE) explains in its leaflet on  nutrition during pregnancy : “Caffeinated beverages should be consumed with restraint, since high amounts of caffeine (>300 mg per day) have been observed to cause growth retardation in babies and spontaneous abortions in pregnant women. However, small amounts – such as two to three cups of coffee or four to six cups of tea – are harmless to health.”

Unlike alcohol, which pregnant women should avoid completely, caffeine depends on the amount and a healthy diet in general. Incidentally, caffeinated beverages also include coffee, black tea, green tea, white tea, iced tea and energy drinks. All caffeinated soft drinks vary in caffeine content. Some foods also contain caffeine, which your body absorbs in the same way.

Effect of caffeine on the baby

High caffeine consumption during pregnancy not only affects the health of the woman, but also that of the unborn baby. Heavy consumption of coffee increases the risk of miscarriage. Possible consequences in addition to a miscarriage could also be, for example, a low birth weight.

The fetus feeds on the mother’s bloodstream and therefore also absorbs the caffeine when the woman treats herself to a cup of coffee from time to time. If you drink more than three cups of coffee a day or do not want to do without coffee during pregnancy, decaffeinated coffee is the better option.

Because adults can easily break down caffeine with the help of an enzyme. However, children, babies and unborn babies do not have this enzyme. That’s why they can’t break down caffeine.

Coffee while breastfeeding: does caffeine affect the child?

After pregnancy and  the birth  of the baby, some mothers think: “Finally drink a lot of coffee again!” However,   caffeine consumption should also be limited while breastfeeding . Experts advise not to drink more than two to three cups of coffee while breastfeeding, provided that the mother does not consume any other caffeinated beverages. Because the caffeine is also transmitted to the baby via breast milk.