Too Much Caffeine for Pregnancy?

I have a 4 and 2.5 year old and I am 24 weeks pregnant. Don't expect the energy "boost" to ever appear; not with two toddlers. I realize caffeine seems helpful, but the best you can do is hydrate with just water. Caffeine just makes your kidneys work overtime; water helps balance out your system.
Personally, I love a few cups of black tea, but when I'm pregnant or nursing, I completely abstain; why even potentially harm your baby?
I drink tons of caffeine-free tea (peppermint with lemon and honey, rooibos (high antioxidant and no caffeine), decaf earl grey, etc (I buy them all at Trader Joe's).

Be kind to your baby. Get as much sleep as possible.
I've started streamlining my cleaning at home, so I can be less burdened by it and so I can spend more time with my family. By doing that, I actually get more sleep and I feel less tired from the constant guilt of not doing enough.
It might be helpful for you to check out the website: www.flylady.net

good luck

2 moms found this helpful

Hi J.~
I can relate...I think. We just found out we were pregnant with our third last week. I didn't drink coffee hardly at all until our second was born. It is great that you have been able to cut that out. My Dr. actually said things in moderation are fine. The only thing you may want to look into is what is in your tea. Some teas have certain herbs in them that can put you into labor early. I love tea also. I drink the Good Earth spice tea from Trader Joes. My Dr. also told me a few cups of coffee a week are ok. I wouldn't worry too much about having one cup of tea as long as you aren't feeling any symptoms of labor at this point. Good luck. I really hope that you get that burst of energy soon. I have 5 more weeks to go until mine hopefully shows up!!!

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I don't have personal experience with this, because I didn't develop my coffee habit until after my kids were born, but I read quite a few medical newsletters, and I think you are well within the safe zone. The latest I read was to drink no more than one cup of coffee per day. Tea generally has considerably less caffeine than coffee. If you want your tea to taste stronger without the caffeine, you can brew a 2nd cup with the same tea bag. Almost all the caffeine will end up in the first cup.

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what you are drinking is absolutely fine... dont' worry .. to be honest i was drinking 1 cup of coffee or something like a ice blended mocha everyday while i was pregnant... i was still in school... unti l10 pm sometimes... and grad school is not somewhere to mess up..so when i had finals i needed it so bad... to get the work done... and you know what.. my daugher is totally happy and healthy!

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You are doing fine. I did the same thing with my second. It IS hard. I HAVE heard something about tea and some bacterias??? Can't remember the whole story, sorry. I did a cup of coffee about every day too and my son didn't have 3 arms...he's just fine.

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Hi J.! I do think it is. You shouldn't have caffeine at all. If you are having trouble getting through the day, supplement. We have a product called coQuinone that deals with production of atp in your cells --your energy source! Validate that you can trust our nutritionals by going to your doctors office and looking it up on the Physician's Desk Reference.

USANA HEALTH SCIENCES - my site: www.globalsynergy.usana.com

I hope that you do cut the caffeine out! hehe. Take care.

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My very-excellent OB told me that the caffeine deal is not such a big deal. He said I could have a few cups of coffee a day, even.. So I think you are OK with the tea. National Geographic wrote a really interesting article about caffeine a while back and it said that coffee like Folgers has a high amount of caffeine compared to fresh ground. AND that tea has over 50% less than ground coffee. So, enjoy your tea!

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One cup a day is fine...try organic black or even green tea..which has caffeine. Good for you that you cut down from what you were drinking before. i understand..I have twins that are 4 and a 2 year old... you just need something to get ou going...enjoy and try to get as much rest as possible....

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I think you're doing great, I have a three yr old that doesn't nap - and I start my day with a cup of black tea too... I also sneak a pepsi every once in a while! With my first pregnancy I stressed out about everything and made myself give up all caffine and anything else that might remotely be bad for my baby... I was tired and stressed and really didn't enjoy my pregnancy. This time I decided to do the best I could without killing myself over every little thing, and to enjoy this short time with my baby so close to me - I have enjoyed the past 25 weeks more than anything!

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Hi, J. -

I'm not a doctor but it seems to me that you have almost entirely eliminated the caffeine, which is great. Congratulations! Of course no caffeine is the best but at such a small amount, I think people will advise you that it is better to have that tiny amount with that necessary cup in the morning than to add any further to your stress by worrying and feeling guilty about it.

Best of luck!

B.

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Hi J.,
You might want to check out a recent article just published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology on caffeine and miscarriage risk: http://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(07)02025-X/fulltext

Basically the data from this large-scale study suggests there is an increased risk of miscarriage even at 200mg or less, compared to no caffeine intake. not to freak you out - and certainly one cup of black tea is not a huge amount. btw, did you know most of the caffeine from tea actually comes out in the first 30sec-1min of steeping? so if you like the taste of tea and want to de-caffeinate, you can actually steep the bag for 30 sec in a different cup, then take the bag out and use it.

i feel you - i have been pretty much caffeine-free for 3 years because of my first, then breastfeeding, and now pregnant again (in my 9th month)! I basically had to conduct and write my dissertation caffeine free, and that too in evenings since i am with my toddler till about 2-3pm every day! the one thing i can tell you is that if you just let yourself clean out, you might be miserable for a few weeks, but then you won't even need it, SERIOUSLY. i do have a decaf cup of chai every morning, more for the ritual. i'm a chai snob but tazo decaf chai (with a little added cardamom, soy milk and agave nectar) really rocks!

hang in there, more energy is approaching :o)
S.

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Girl, let yourself have the cup of black tea!!! I think the amount they say is "okay" is 300mg of caffeine. Black tea yeilds 40-100mg so you are totally fine! I drank coffee throughout my second pregnancy (one large cup in the morning) and lord knows I needed it desperately considering I got pregnant when my first was only 4 months old. Didn't affect him through the breastmilk either...he slept just fine.
Hope that helps...

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When I was pregnant with my first son I really tried to stay away from caffeine. With my second son Starbucks was the only way I could make it through the day. I work full time as a 6th grade teacher and then had the toddler at home so I was TIRED!
My son was born in April and is just as healthy as my first son (if not more so since he is a MUCH better eater!) So I say what you are doing sounds fine to me.

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Relax and have the tea or even your coffee for that matter. You deserve it and if you are concerned that it will harm your baby, try not to think about the pesticides in our food that are a thousand times more harmful for your baby. I have seven healthy children who never see the doctor, rarely get sick and have done well in school etc. The four oldest are off in college and I drank my coffee after the first trimester of each pregnancy. I am more concerned with many other things that we get in our diets and that we feed our children after they are born. Have your tea/coffee and stay away from foods with hydrogenated oils.
And go easy on yourself.

1 mom found this helpful

i have a 3 month old and what i would do is have regular coffee about half the time and the other half try decaf. sometimes just having the ritual of a warm beverage in the morning is good enough. your mind is a strong thing. let your mind tell your body you are having a coffee even though it is decaf. it is a mind set....have a decaf. it is still fun.

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My doctor told me the less the better, but to keep it around 200mg per day, which equals about 2 cups of coffee. Black tea tends to be lower in caffeine than coffee, and the shorter the steeping time, the less caffeine. That would put you WELL under the 200mg. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

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If you are that dependent on caffeine to stay awake during the day because you are miserably tired all day you may want to have your adrenal glands tested. I had mine tested and they were shot. I'm not a caffeine drinker but all the reading I have done about adrenal fatigue says that a lot of ppl with adrenal fatigue rely on caffeine to keep them awake which further stresses the adrenal glands. If your adrenal glands are fatigued and you are drinking lots of caffeine you will hurt them even more. Our adrenal glands are what wake us up in the morning and keep us awake during the day. They are also responsible for pumping adrenaline into our bodies for fight or flight response. I could'nt even take a shower without having to take a nap after, it was that bad. I strongly suggest you have them tested.

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Hello J.....
One thing you have to remember is that COFFEE is a Diuretic..It DEHYDRATES you, as well, as, they say you lose about 60mg of Vitamin C with each cup. Coffee and Red Bull is Very Acidic.. You would need about 25 glasses of water to bring your bodies PH back up to NORMAL after consuming a Red Bull. (Thats why you get Fatiqued)...
Check out my website, www.xooma.ca and you will read about a product that is dubbed "NATURES SPORT DRINK"...This product has a PH of 9.9...It also consists of ALL the electrolytes you require for more ENERGY. Calcium, Magnesium and over 70+trace Minerals...There is Nothing else on the planet that is remotly close. Proffesional Sports teams are using this, as well as Olympic Athlets, Doctors, Therapist, etc...Hey, If its good for them, its GREAT for US!
If you want a "NATURAL BOOST", without any side effects, this is it..
If you are Breast Feeding, your body NEEDS these Minerals, to pass onto your little one...Every action and reaction in the body revolves around Minerals.
For people that are BOTTLE Feeding, they should be incorporating this product into their formula, as there are only 11 or 12 minerals in Baby Formula...This, Like I said, contains over 70 trace Minerals......
Check out my website, www.xooma.ca and read all about it's bennefits...If this dosn't make sense, nothing will....
Send me an e-mail, and I'll send you out a free book!

1 mom found this helpful

I think having a tea is fine! My OB said that a cup of coffee won't hurt baby. I gave coffee up (I was also an addict) because just the smell of it made me nauseous in my 1st trimester. But I think what you are doing is just fine! :)

1 mom found this helpful

I've been assured by 2 obstetricians and my GP that there is absolutely no reason to think that moderate caffeine is a problem, while there is plenty of evidence that stress *is* a problem.

I'm pregnant for the second time, and like the first, I'm allowing myself one small coffee or tea a day.

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I am pretty sure you are fine! Tea was the hardest thing for me to give up, and about halfway through my pregnancy I gave in. I had tea once a day (a pretty big one, I will admit!) and now I have two beautiful nine week old twins who are perfectly healthy. I did ask my peri when I was pregnant about the tea and he said it was fine as long as I kept it to 1-2 cups a day.

1 mom found this helpful

Caffeine is a pretty powerful drug actually - so well done for cutting down so much! It's good for asthma attacks but not for anything much else, so i would tend to avoid it and advice that it's OK. Check with medical pregnancy expert? A cup of tea a day sounds reasonable.
Can you start you day wtth 5 mins of yoga?
Gentle stretch for 1 min - a little effort in 4 poses for 2 mins and more vigourous standing and lunging say, for 2 mins?

1 mom found this helpful

Bless you for being concerned about your litle one and like previous posters everything in moderation after our son and before my daughter I drank a pot or more of coffee a day lol working graveyards and rasing a child will do that to you. Cold turkey was not an option as I would get horrible headackes and very sick(from lack of caffine). I have a wonderful Dr. who explained how unhealthy the majority of the american public (my self included) really was. Caffine was okay in moderate amounts as long as I did a few things, a. had a moderate intake for me one cup of coffee in the morning to get going and i had a tea part way threw my very very long days. b. took in more water as coffee and caffine are a diertics(sp) they dehydrate you and we all now how important hydration is and c. i had a healthy diet, took my vitamins and excersised. I feel your doing great better than me lol and my daughter is wonderfully healthy and ultimatly a happy mom is a healty mom and if it takes a cup of tea to help achive that, thats okay.

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I was told by my certified natural birthing instructor that one cup of coffee a day wouldn't harm your growing baby. The ammount of caffeine in a cup of coffee is much more that the tea that you're making. Check with your obgyn if you're still not feeling comfortable with all the variety of advise you get from us moms. By the way, I'm proud of you for cutting back all the caffeine that you were use to. It's obvious that you want to have a healthy pregnancy.

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It certainly doesn't sound like much, but have you heard on the news in the last month or so the talk about caffeine? They've found it's even more harmful to baby than they previously suspected. It'd be a good idea to eliminte it completely if you can. You've done an awesome job of cutting waaaay back so far, I know you can do it! Try some herbal teas---part of it might be missing that steaming cup in your hand? Good Earth makes a spicy, sweet herbal tea blend that I loved when I was PG. Good luck with this.

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Congratulations on your new baby!! I know how you feel, J. - I had a hard time giving up caffeine for my pregnancies, too. I discussed it w/my OBGYN, and she told me that 1 caffienated drink per day is not a big deal & to not beat myself up about it if I choose to do this. Everyone has their own opinion on this issue, but if you are still concerned talk w/your OBGYN.

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If you are having only one or two cups a day, I would not worry! Think of all the prego's downing all the chocolate cake, brownies, cookies, etc.. without looking back! (Hey, I can say that, I was a cookie-a-holic when I was pregnant with my first). I know I know the latest reports say no caffeine... what will we be told next year and the year after? It is always something new. Everything in moderation!

Enjoy your pregnancy. Get out and move everyday if you can, eat well and the rest will come easy.. ha ha, easier said then done! I'm tired just thinking about you at home pregnant with a 2 and 3 year old! How do you do it!?

Congratulations!
M.

1 mom found this helpful

i drank caffine throughout both of my pregnancies and my babies are perfect! i'm not a doctor, but i have read and heard of recent studies that say there are no adverse affects related to caffine intake while pregnant. of course, nutrition is important, so as long as you are taking your pre-natals and eating well and hydrating yourself, drinking a couple cups of coffee and or tea during the day should be fine. also, my mother-in-law told me that everyone drank coffee in her day-it wasn't even an issue....

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That does not sound like too much caffeine to me. When I was preg. I went down to one cup of coffee a day, and my Doctor said that was just fine. It sounds like you are doing amazing.
H. B.

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No, absolutely not. I drank a latte everyday throughout my pregnancies, and they did not harm my girls at all. My OB/GYN approved this....

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I drank a two-bag brewed cup of tea with lemon everyday that I was pregnant with our twins and everyone turned out healthy. Don't worry and remember, everything in moderation... with the obvious exception of cigarettes, alcohol, and drug abuse.

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Hi J.,
You're fine. You're not having much caffeine at all. Coke was my thing, and I drank one can a day when I was pregnant. Once in a while I drank 2 cans if I was feeling really sick. My son turned out fine (but he loves to steal my coke from me now!)

Check out babycenter.com. They give specific information about how much caffiene is in each drink and what you can safely have each day.

Good luck!

L.

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they just did a 20/20 on how they've found that any caffeine is bad for pregnant and breast feeding moms. So Try Try! It's psychological anyway... so try doing something else like taking a couple of vitamin c's every morning. You can take as much of that as you want, because your body will automatical get rid of what it doesn't need. Vitamin C is healthy, will boost your immunity and energy. Plus... your baby will like it!

1 mom found this helpful

I think you're fine with the caffeine, but the worrying about the caffeine might make you sick, and drain your energy. If you super really want to quit caffeine, keep in mind that water will give you more energy than caffeine anyway. Maybe drink the water first and go for a 10 minute walk to get your blood flowing, then see if you still need the tea. And if you do have it, I would say go ahead and really enjoy it. Maybe Green Tea or decaf black might make you feel less guilty?

1 mom found this helpful

I love tea. With my first, I had to cut from 3-4 mugs of tea a day down to one. So I went with decaf black tea and green tea. Green tea is really much better for you because it has a quarter of the caffeine and antioxidants so don't feel bad for enjoying it.

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J.,
I think you are probably just fine. I drank a cup of coffee every morning during both of my pregnancies and continued to do so while breastfeeding. As long as you're sticking to your one cup per day and avoiding caffeine in other drinks my guess is that you are doing just fine by your growing baby. Good luck!

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I personally think you are ok. I have two girls (4 &2) and i drank 1 cup of coffee and 1 soda a day w/ both (the dr. told me it was ok too!!!) and they both turned out just fine...ask your Dr. but if it was up to me I'd say you were just fine :)
P.S. CONGRATS on your pregnancy!!!!!!

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Some doctors will say not to have any at all - like mine, but all of the books refer to an amount that's acceptable, and with only one mild cup a day, you're well under that amount. In fact, what you're doing is EXACTLY what I did my last pregnancy - one tea a day - short steep, sometimes I could go without, and lots of times I had a small drive thru ice tea. It's extremely difficult to get through a day when pregnant without - when it's so tiring!!

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I wouldn't worry, but if it makes you feel better, run it by your dr. Everything I have read and been told is 2 cups of coffee a day is fine. I eliminated my Starbucks fix for the first 6 mo, then after that would do 1/2 shot nonfat lattes instead of a regular full shot latte. I also drank decaf teas...my son is very healthy at 2 months and had no complications at birth.

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I don't think you need to worry. One cup of coffee or tea I was told was okay. I definitely needed it when I was pregnant with number two. I can just imagine what it might be like to be prego with number three! :) Best of luck to you!

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Hi J.,
Have a cup of tea. There are conflicting studies on caffeine and affects on pregnancy. I wonder how countries that are rich in caffeine as part of their culture (Italy, France, England) have much more healthy infants and pregnancies than here, where we listen to the latest study. Anyway, a happier Mom makes for a healthier Mom, so have your cup of tea! I cut back my coffee to nothing when I was pregnant, but living in the misery for the first trimester and seeing the then newest study that 1-2 cups of Joe in Italy was thought okay during pregnancy allowed me to reconsider and have 1 cup a day, even when I was breatfeeding!
M.

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No caffeine is probably better. Your body has conditioned itself to be dependent on caffeine for a boost and has stopped producing its own stuff to get you going. You are still early in your pregnancy and you are tired because you are older this time, and you have two kids to deal with. I am not sure that it has a whole lot to do with caffeine at this point. Exersize and relaxing may be just what you need to get your body back to feeling good. good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I was told by my OB/GYN that the testing they did regarding caffeine was on lab rats and that the equivalent of what caused birth defects in their case (my issue was soda) would be me drinking 80 cans of soda per day! So I would guess your little bit of tea is fine!

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J.,

I am no expert on caffeine, but I have read several articles where it says that you don't have to give it up Completely. However, I also remember that black tea is to be avoided. I'm not sure which is worse. Since you are not using it at full strength, you're probably ok, but best to check with OB. Maybe one cup of Java is the better of the two evils or vice versa. Either of these have got to be better for you than the Red Bull or drinks of that type!

I am not one that has ever needed the caffeine boost in the morning, but if you do, and especially having two little ones already, then I think you are being very responsible in the way you have really cut back. Of course the best thing is to talk to your OB and make sure you let him/her know what a big change you have already made. Maybe h/s can give you pointers on how to quit completely if it's required.

Really, Kudos to you for being so conscientious. Good luck to you!

1 mom found this helpful

I'm at the end of my pregnancy (one day to go before my C-section) I have an almost three year old and worked up unitl a week ago. I used to be an 8 cup a day individual before my daughter. I cut back greatly with my first child although on those tough days I would still drink a cup of instant (not the same level of caffine as brewed). However it was much harder to avoid with my second pregnancy as I was much more exhausted due to the fact I already had a two year old. the books all say that two to three cups a day are not an issue and that's what I've used as a guideline.

I say cut yourself some slack. You've cut right back and that's awesome. Sometimes it's better to be a sane mommy though and if that cup in the morning allows for that to happen then have it and don't feel guilty about it. The thing to watch for are the sweetners though. stick to sugar or splenda in your coffee as other types of sweetners may be dangerous.

I've been drinking 1-2 coffee's a day depending on the difficulty of the day and I've had a relatively normal pregnancy...as normal as any pregnancy gets that is.

Stop beating yourself up as that is worse for the baby than anything a little caffine could ever do. Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

I wouldn't worry...I drank 1 coke a day with my 2nd PG and all was fine.

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The caffiene in tea is released in the first few seconds of steeping. Steep the tea for 30 seconds and then dump the water and re-steep for reccommended.

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Hi Jaimie,

I don't think it's too much at all. As a matter of fact, I used to drink coffee in the morning when I was pregnant (27 years ago) and there were no concerns because moderation is the key. Sadly, there are much worse things (like drugs) that many mother's to be ingest during their pregnancy, and the babies are little fighters and survivors. I have never heard of a baby being born with problems from mom having a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but then again, I'm not a doctor. Good luck on your new arrival, and try to get some respite care for the other two kids so you can rest up and have some alone time. Don't worry, it sounds like your doing a great job.

1 mom found this helpful

Everything in moderation is the key. A little coffee or fully brewed tea isn't going to hurt your baby. I have 3 kids 12, 10 and 5...drank coffee, just a cup or two every day while I was pregnant and they are all perfectly fine. The two oldest are GATE students and the youngest who is in kindergarten is one of the brightest in his class.

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Dear J.,

Try green teas. Green tea has less caffeine than black, and it has a kind of "delayed-release" effect that gives you a smooth, even energy boost instead of a roller-coaster up-and-down.

There are a gazillion types of green tea with other flavorings available in health stores and even Starbucks. Some of my favorites are Green Tea Honey Ginseng from Republic of Tea and the Green Ginger variety from Tazo Teas (at Starbucks).

Best to you!

S. Ihrig, L.Ac.

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Limited caffeine is fine. Just stay away from artificial sweeteners.

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I'm sure you will get a lot of different opinions on this one, but my dr. said 2 cups of coffee
a day are fine, I did one shot of expresso daily, which is equiv. to 1 cup of coffee, so in my opinion you are fine

K.

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Have you tried green tea? There's less caffeine & easier to metabolize. Good luck!

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J.,
I think you have taken good steps. I started drinking coffee daily 6 months before getting pregnant so I stopped right away when I found out. My doctor told me there was no need to stop as long as it was only 1 cup. I also read in a pregnancy book that if you do drink one cup make sure to drink extra water since coffee is a diuretic. There are days when I just cannot get going and I do drink a cup of coffee so I just make sure to drink more water. So I would suggest drinking more water daily with the other steps that you have already taken.

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I think you should focus more in food that increases energy. and sleep more! I suffer from the same addiction. Oddly I didn't even crave it or miss it during my pregnancy however. One of the first things taht made me suspicious that i WAS pregnant :)

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Being your 3rd pregnancy I'm sure you are well aware how tiring the 2nd trimester is. I took a nutrition class both times I was pregnant b/c I was diabetic. They didn't seem to concerned about my caffiene intake. Well, as long as it wasn't a 12 pack of Coke a day. You are just fine with that cup of tea in my opinion. Caffiene is not bad for you in small amounts, it actually boosts energy (as we know) and prevents muscle fatigue.

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I don't think one cup of weak tea is going to hurt you or your baby. I'd give up the Sugar-Free Red Bull, if you haven't yet--more for the artificial sweetener than for the caffeine (I don't know how much caffeine is in there).

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Hello J. M,

When my friend's girlfriend was pregnant, I gave her an Acupuncture treatment, and her energy improved. Have you thought of trying acupuncture and herbal medicine? Those types of treatments are effective in what you need right now... it will benefit the baby as well as you. If you want some more information, please feel free to call us at Rhee's Acupuncture Clinic, here in Las Vegas. We can be reached at ###-###-####.

RE: Caffeine use... it is recommended that you do not take any caffeine during pregnancy. Even de-caffeinated tea has some caffeine, so maybe try switching to de-caffeinated black tea and then going off caffeine completely. Best wishes, O. R.

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I don't think it's too much. I was a Diet Coke addict during all 3 of my pregnancies. Some will tell you any is too much but I say in moderation it's OK. Hey Momma, you need all the perks you can get!
N.
3 kids and tired too!

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I was like you very addicted to caffeine when I got pregnant. My doctor had told me not to worry that you can have 1 to 2 cups of soda a day. My baby is a year and a half and is just fine.

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Hi J.,
I am Italian, and for us a cup espresso is simply part of our daily life. I usually have three small cups at day. I live back and forth, between here and Italy. When I got pregnant my American OB said, among other recommendations... NO COFFE! Recommendation reinforced in books, discussion boards, etc…even my university’s mentor (not in the medical field) told me…if you have caffeine your baby is going to be colicky… I was so convinced than when I went back to Italy, five months pregnant, and I saw my pregnant girlfriends happily sipping espresso, I was astonished… YOU DRINK COFFEE? I asked alarmed… they looked at me with that expression: What is wrong with you? I soon found out that all pregnant women drink their espresso and tea, and it is not a big deal. I asked my Italian OB, and he was a little surprised of my question… he almost laught at my excessive worries. He said to feel free to have some coffee, just not to exaggerate. One or two cups of espresso where OK. I guess because in the United States, people drink more soft drinks that are caffeinated, not only coffee and tea, there is a risk of a greater daily intake.
Don’t worry too much about your cup of coffee or you cup of tea… just make sure not to exaggerate, like my doctor said. PS. my baby girl was born healthy and she was not colicky… ;-)

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Drs. say two cups of coffee / day are okay. Black tea has much less caffeine than coffee, so you are okay. It is most important during the first tri anyway.

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J.,

I too am addicted to coffee/tea. My ob told me that there are reports that caffine has shown to cause low birth weight in babies. Since then I have stopped drinking caffinated drinks and only decaf to "psych" myself out in thinking that I am actually drinking the real thing. So far, I am doing well. Baby is due in July and last OB check up, everything is on schedule.

Jennifer

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