Craving chocolate? You are advised to limit your daily consumption to 200mg of caffeine during pregnancy. This should include all of the caffeine in your diet, not just the cups of coffee. On average, the caffeine contents of popular dietary sources are as follows:

• 1 instant coffee – 100mg
• 1 filter coffee – 140 mg
• 1 tea – 75mg
• 1 green tea – 50 mg
• 1 can of cola – 40 mg
• 50g milk chocolate – 25mg

Risks of caffeine during pregnancy

Caffeine travels across the placenta and can affect your baby. If you exceed the recommended 200mg of caffeine each day, you will have an increased risk of miscarriage and low birth weight.

Giving up caffeine during pregnancy

Some women choose to cut caffeine out entirely for the duration of the pregnancy. If you’d like to cut out the caffeine, try the following tips to help you give up the hard stuff:

1. Switch to water – instead of supping a soda during your lunch break, opt for a glass of water instead. Pregnant women are advised to drink eight glasses of water a day, you can achieve this by switching from caffeine drinks to good old fashioned water. Try adding a slice of lemon for flavour.
2. Cut out chocolate – chocolate cookies, chocolate ice-cream and chocolate bars all contain caffeine. Give up chocolate, and replace it with a healthy snack such as fresh fruit or mixed nuts.
3. Go herbal – give up your life-long tea and coffee addiction, and instead embrace life as an appreciator of herbal teas. Choose a herbal tea that is recommended during pregnancy (not all are), and have this as your new morning call.
4. Get enough rest – if you get enough sleep at night, you won’t need to rely on caffeine to prise open your sleepy eyes in the morning. Sleep whenever you feel tired, and trust your body to tell you when it needs more rest.
5. Expect withdrawal symptoms – for the first week of your new caffeine-free life, you may encounter a few symptoms. From headaches to mood swings, giving up caffeine can take its toll on your body. Caffeine is addictive, so expect the first week to be rough. Once that’s over, however, you should feel great.
6. Stay motivated – when faced with the withdrawal headaches, it can be hard to stay motivated. You may feel like running to the nearest coffee shop and ordering a double espresso, but don’t. Stay strong, stay motivated, and you’ll be over the worst of the symptoms in no time. Keep a scan photo, or a list of reasons why you’re quitting, with you to remind you why you’ve embarked on this challenge.

Do you have any tips for battling caffeine withdrawal during pregnancy?

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

If you have cut completely or reduced your caffeine consumption during pregnancy, you may be wondering what you can replace your favourite hot drink with. Many herbal teas are considered safe for pregnant women, but there are a few notable ones to be avoided.

Teas to avoid

Some teas are considered unsafe for consumption during pregnancy due to the potential side effects. The following teas should be avoided during pregnancy:

• St John’s wort tea – pregnant women are advised to avoid St John’s wort during pregnancy
• licorice root tea – it is believed consumption of licorice root tea may be linked with preterm delivery
• ginseng tea – this may cause fetal development problems and should be avoided during pregnancy
• pennyroyal tea – this may stimulate uterine contractions and should be avoided during pregnancy
• ephedra tea – ephedra should be avoided during pregnancy because it can stimulate uterine contractions. It has also been found to cross the placenta and increase fetal heart rate.
• yarrow tea – yarrow is a muscle relaxant and is thought to be linked to risk of miscarriage
• dong quai tea – this herb may stimulate bleeding

Teas in moderation

The following teas contain caffeine, and so should be enjoyed in moderation. Pregnant women are advised to restrict their caffeine intake to less than 200mg each day. If you’re trying to avoid caffeine during pregnancy, you should avoid the following teas altogether:

• black tea
• green tea
• chai tea
• earl grey tea
• oolong tea
• darjeeling tea
• lapsang souchong tea
• golden monkey black tea
• lychee tea
• hong mao tea
• nilgiris tea

A note about green tea

There is some debate about how safe green tea is for pregnant women. It contains caffeine and so intake should be restricted, but there is also evidence to suggest that it can reduce folic acid absorption. Folic acid is very important during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, and so some women choose to avoid green tea altogether during pregnancy.

Safe teas

The following herbal teas are considered safe to drink during pregnancy:

• raspberry leaf tea – this one is considered safe once you have reached week 24, but should be avoided until that point
• ginger tea – many women rely on this drink to help them through the rocky weeks of morning sickness in early pregnancy
• peppermint tea – another tea often used to combat nausea in early pregnancy
• dandelion leaf tea – high in potassium, and safe to drink in pregnancy
• rooibos tea – caffeine free and full of antioxidants, this is tea comes highly recommended for pregnant women

There isn’t much research on the effect of drinking herbal teas during pregnancy – on pregnant women or developing babies. Some people advise limiting your herbal tea intake just just one or two cups a day. There isn’t any evidence to suggest herbal teas can cause problems, but it is worth being cautious with the amount you drink, just in case.

What are your favourite herbal teas, and have you had any success in using them to stave off nausea?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.

If you rely on coffee to wake you up in the morning, you may be feeling slightly panicked at the idea that you have to go cold turkey for the next nine months. Should you give it up, or is it safe to drink coffee during pregnancy?

Caffeine recommendations
It is recommended that, while you are able to continue to drink caffeine throughout your pregnancy, you should limit your intake to 200mg a day. This equates to about two cups of instant coffee, or one cup of brewed coffee.

The 200mg should include all of your caffeine sources, not just coffee. For example, there’s no point cutting down to one cup of coffee a day by switching to caffeinated tea for your other nine cups. By doing that, you will still be exceeding the recommended daily caffeine intake. Tea, fizzy drinks and chocolate are all other sources of caffeine that you need to factor into your 200mg. A small bar of chocolate can contain as many as 50mg of caffeine, so it’s important that you keep track of all your dietary caffeine because it soon adds up.

If you usually drink coffee from outlets, you should bear in mind that the strength of the particular coffee can vary drastically between chains. It’s also important to note that the recommended allowance of two cups a day is referring to the regular coffee cups you have at home, not the bathtub size coffee mugs you find in some coffee houses.

Caffeine risks
There are a number of risks associated with regularly exceeding the daily recommended amount of caffeine, including:

• low birth weight
• miscarriage

Caffeine travels through the umbilical cord and can affect your baby. You may notice that she becomes unsettled, or you notice an increase in movements, shortly after you drink a cup of coffee.

Alternatives to coffee
Decaffeinated coffee is an obvious replacement during pregnancy. You’ll still be able to enjoy the great flavour, and might even be able to fool yourself into thinking you’re drinking a regular coffee.

During pregnancy, your body needs a higher intake of water. By drinking more water to fight your thirst, you may also help yourself to avoid fluid retention, reduce dizziness and enjoy that famous pregnancy ‘glow’.

Giving up caffeine
If you have decided to give up coffee for the duration of your pregnancy, you may experience caffeine withdrawal for a few days. Symptoms include:

• headaches
• tiredness
• irritability
• difficulty concentrating

After a few days, these symptoms will subside and you should feel much better.

Do you have any tried and tested tips for reducing your coffee intake during pregnancy?

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.