Most of us enjoy a cup of coffee after a day’s work or in a meeting with friends or sometimes just to help us keep awake in a long night’s work overtime. Enjoying a cup of coffee is invigorating as there is a wide variation of coffee you can choose from. Personally, I enjoy coffee with a pastry or cheesecake accompanied with friends engaged in long fun conversations. But is having this simple cup of coffee safe if I am pregnant? Read on to find out.
The main ingredient of the coffee beans which we all love is caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that increases heart rate and blood pressure. It is also classified as a diuretic which causes increase urination. Caffeine is not only present in coffee but in iced tea, nut, chocolate, soda and some medications as well. It can be addictive so no wonder why we can’t seem to go by a day without a starbucks coffee at hand.
Based on research caffeine may produce unhealthy risks for your baby. Since caffeine is a stimulant, it works best for adults to help them keep alert and stay awake. For a pregnant mother you have to realize that the effects of caffeine is of equal proportions to the baby and with the baby’s underdeveloped organs it may not be able to digest and metabolize caffeine leading to toxicity characterized as an increase heart rate and blood pressure for your baby. It basically keeps your baby awake for prolonged periods which will impede its growth and development. And remember that caffeine is a diuretic so it will cause your baby to lose fluids and this might lead to dehydration. It is also said that caffeine reduces the absorption of some nutrients like iron and calcium. Nutrients that your baby highly needs for brain development.
The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that pregnant women who take more than a 12 ounce cup of coffee a day had a higher risk of miscarriage as compared to those who does not take caffeine at all. It is advised to avoid all caffeinated products while pregnant. For those who just can’t, you can probably compromise by lessening the amount and frequency of caffeine intake.
Some tips on how you can reduce your caffeine intake:
- Start slowly by reducing the amount then reducing the frequency. Jumping in to stop abruptly can cause some irritability and anxiety.
- Try decaffeinated drinks as substitute for your caffeinated drinks.
- Try exercise as your stimulant. It has the same effects of increasing your heart rate and blood pressure plus other benefits as well.
- Drink lots of water or fruit juices to manage your cravings for caffeinated drinks and beverages.
The key principle is to take everything in moderation. If you are not used to drinking coffee then you won’t get addicted to it and preventing it when you are pregnant will no longer be a problem for you. Think of the consequences and you might just change your mind on that cup next time.
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