Would U Stop Drinking Coffee and Alcohol If There Was a Chance U Were Pregnant?

Updated on January 29, 2010
M.B. asks from Colorado Springs, CO
21 answers

I'm not referring to prenatals, of course those are taken, but do you alter your lifestyle - i.e. no drinking alcohol or caffeine - before you get a positive test (like a few days past ovulation)?

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A.G.

answers from Pocatello on

As soon as I decided that I want to start trying for another baby I change my eating habits. I stop drinking caffeine and all those others no, no foods. I also start taking the prenatals right away. I just feel better knowing that I'm being the healthiest I can from the very start.

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M.K.

answers from Provo on

Yes!!!!
Especially on the alcohol. Maybe just cut back on the caffeine. If I even thought I was pregnant I would start acting like I was. If you are not no big deal, no big loss, but if you are you will be soooo grateful.
Plus I have gotten a negative when i just knew that i was pregnant. Later i finally got a positive, but i felt like I knew right away. If you are planning or hoping to be pregnant then its good to start getting into good pregnant habits now anyway.
that's what i would do anyway.

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C.B.

answers from Provo on

How would you feel if you continued those things and then found out you were in fact pregnant? There's your answer.
Go with your gut-live a healthy lifestyle. Don't shut your life down (someone mentioned they quit running and skiing and doing normal things? not sure why you'd do that unless you did them all to an extreme level...), but be smart about the things you take into your body. Ironically most women take great care of themselves when pregnant, but never bother to otherwise. Just make healthy choices, all things in moderation, and if you feel like you might be pregnant be a little more conscious of what you put in your body.

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A.N.

answers from Grand Junction on

i would probably cut back on drinking, like maybe to one OR two drinks a day, it's takes quite a bit of alcohol for FAS, fetal alcohol syndrome. as for coffee, no, coffee is perfectly fine when your knocked up. and, as any doc would tell you, it fine to have some wine, like a glass, at most at a time. and i would take a preggo test as soon as ur period is late to confirm you are or aren't preggers. happy new year!

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M.R.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Yes! Don't take any chances!

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K.E.

answers from Denver on

If you are trying, then perhaps avoid the alcohol, but dont sweat the caffeine. Even then its up to you. I was past the point of thinking of ever getting pregnant, so I drank occasionally and had caffeine on a daily basis before I got pregnant and knew I was pregnant. I also know tons of people that had their cup of coffee every day when pregnant and we all had healthy normal babies. Good luck.

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C.E.

answers from Provo on

i probably should avoid chocolate during pregnancy, but the cravings sometimes get too strong. i do, however, avoid caffeinated sodas and even some with additives like certain colorings.

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

Yes, definitely if I think there is a chance, however when we were trying I usually avoided them anyway so I could be in optimum health before the pregnancy started as that affects baby's health, too. Now I just avoid them period for good health.

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T.W.

answers from Denver on

The ideal way to do it is, if you want to conceive you should stop all things that could inhibit your chances of getting pregnant or could potentially harm the baby. So yes, if you want to become pregnant, treat your body as though you already are.

Good luck!

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J.N.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Caffiene I've never really worried about a whole lot during pregnancy. Alcohol, on the other hand, can cause a whole spectrum of disorders and it starts affecting the fetus very very early. My advice is that, if there is even a chance of you being pregnant (even if you havent missed a period yet) avoid alcohol altogether. While it is true that the more exposure baby gets to alcohol the more likely FAS is going to be severe, there's a lot of little variations. I wouldn't risk it.

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A.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I'd avoid if I wanted to get pregnant, why take chances?

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M.L.

answers from Denver on

Hi. It took me 15 mos. to get preggo last time which would've meant spending 7 1/2 months without a glass of wine or coffee. Just do so in moderation and running and exercising are fine as long as you currently do them. I actually got pregnant right after a miscarriage when I wasn't expecting too and had gone to my company x-mas party. I had totally over-imbibed and then found out I was pregnant right after that. I now have a very healthy 4 month old son! Good luck!

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L.A.

answers from Reno on

I did because it's easier than worrying after the fact if you are and it's no real hardship to go without for a week or two til you find out:)

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E.B.

answers from Boise on

While it's always best to be as healthy as possible before trying to conceive, I would not worry about small amounts of caffeine or alcohol. Of course, you should cut down if you are a major coffee addict, and avoid binge drinking. But based on an understanding of embryonic development and the risks that caffeine and alcohol pose to the unborn baby, moderate amounts of either cannot cause harm in the few weeks between ovulation and a positive test.

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K.K.

answers from Great Falls on

When I was thinking about getting pregnant or trying to get pregnant one of pieces of advice that I really heard was to treat your body as if you already were pregnant. So yes, I was coffee reduced (don't drink alcohol anyway) well before I was ever pregnant, gotta say, I felt great too and my husband says it was the happiest he's ever seen me.

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J.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I agree with Nicki's OB: "Don't act like you are pregnant until you know you are."

I fortunately had quit smoking about a month before I got pregnant (we weren't trying, I just couldn't afford the habit anymore), but I drank beer and coffee up till the day I found out I was pregnant. My OB said anything I did that early would have very little effect on my child, and we now have a very healthy and happy little boy.

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G.P.

answers from Boise on

I was one that stopped when I started trying. This time though, we weren't trying. I didn't think anything of the sips, or even the glass of white wine I had, but would definitely avoid anything hard. My husband and I were going to celebrate our anniversary early with a really nice bottle of red, and before opening it, I wanted to make sure that I really wasn't pregnant - just in case, since I knew I would have more than a glass. Turns out I was, so that bottle went back to the cellar.
When pregnant (and other times too), I do avoid caffeine, fake sweetners, and alcohol, so, depending on what you plan to stop if you do find out, what is two weeks without? If you are truly trying to get pregnant, then again, that is up to you to decide what you will/won't give up. I would drink during my cycle, and then abstain the rest of the month, but that was just me.

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M.F.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Absolutely. Actually, whenever there is a time that we aren't using birth control, I stop both the day we stop. You only get one chance to do pregnancy right by each child, and if there were problems, big or small, I wouldn't want to be second guess MY behavour.

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D.M.

answers from Billings on

I would not take any risks. I know it's probley hard,but if pregnate I would want baby to be healthy.

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N.L.

answers from Denver on

Well, after 1 1/2 years of trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant, and not drinking caffeine or alcohol, not skiing, not running, etc. And being really ticked off every time I started my period, especially after altering my lifestyle so much. I said "No more!" I am back to my regular life and we will see what happens. I started drinking again with friends, planning big trips and back on coffee! That is of course, when we got pregnant! I have an OBGYN, that said "Don't act like you are pregnant until you know you are." I didn't believe her, until I finally got pregnant. I think altering your lifestyle so much those two weeks is too stressful. Maybe keep it in the back of your mind and pass on the tequila shot, but my advice is the same as my OBGYN, don't act like you are pregnant until you are!
Good Luck!

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S.H.

answers from Hartford on

Yes - of course there is a two week window from conception to when the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus - translation: what you consume during those two weeks aren't transmitted directly to the baby. Caffeine intake, as you probably already know, increases the chances of miscarraige.

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