Caffeine and pregnancy don't mix. Learn how caffeine affects yours and your baby's bodies while you're pregnant. The long-lasting side effects may surprise you.
You’re pregnant! Congratulations! You’ve probably heard lists and lists of things to avoid during your pregnancy : alcohol, cigarette smoking, marijuana, other illegal drugs, sugar substitutes, hot tubs, cats, and more. What about caffeine ? Will a cup or two of coffee in the morning really affect the health of your unborn child ?
It just might. And in the long run, daily caffeine consumption will likely affect your own health. Before we discuss how your baby is affected by caffeine, let’s talk about your own body’s response.
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant. It’s a chemical substance that occurs naturally in about 60 different plants. The caffeine you consume through soft drinks, coffee, medications, and chocolate may be naturally extracted from plants or synthetically manufactured, but either way, it has detrimental side effects.
One of caffeine’s most noticeable side effects is sleep deprivation. Within an hour of drinking one cup of coffee, caffeine usually reaches its peak in your bloodstream, and it stays in your bloodstream for four to six hours. Those who abstain from caffeine fall asleep quicker and sleep more soundly.
Researchers in Japan conducted a study to determine the effects of caffeine on quality of sleep. Eight subjects ingested 150 mg of caffeine (the average American consumes 200 mg every day). Those who took the caffeine fell asleep in 126 minutes on average compared with an average of 29 minutes for those who did not take the caffeine. Also, the caffeine users slept for an average total of 281 minutes while the non-caffeine users slept an average total of 444 minutes.
As you well know, sleep is scarce and restless while you’re pregnant. Adding caffeine to the equation makes sound sleep even more fleeting. Allowing your body to follow its own sleep rhythms without interference from stimulants such as caffeine will give you a better chance at a good night’s sleep.
Another common side effect caused by caffeine is digestive discomfort. Caffeine stimulates the secretion of acid, which can irritate the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Pregnant women are especially prone to heartburn, so it’s important to avoid further aggravation from caffeine.
Caffeine acts as a diuretic, flushing precious fluids and essential calcium out of your body the more you ingest. When you drink a can of caffeinated soda, you may temporarily quench your thirst, but you’re actually losing more fluids than you intake. Drink water instead of sodas while you’re pregnant. You’re body needs extra fluids to supply your baby with amniotic fluid, which constantly refreshes itself, and your baby’s ever-building blood supply.
Because caffeine flushes calcium out of your body, it has been linked with osteoporosis. A study printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that “there was a significant association between [drinking more] caffeinated coffee and decreasing bone mineral density at both the hip and the spine, independent of age, obesity, years since menopause, and the use of tobacco, estrogen, alcohol, thiazides, and calcium supplements [in women].”
All of these side effects to your body are reason enough to shun caffeine while you’re pregnant, but don’t forget the effects on your unborn baby’s health.
Since the placenta does not block caffeine from the baby, the baby can become dependent on the drug. Current research also indicates that the equivalent of one and a half to two cups of coffee daily may double the risk of miscarriage.
Caffeine also alters the baby’s heart rate and respiration. Besides the risk of miscarriage, researchers have found that heavy caffeine consumption during pregnancy can significantly increase the baby’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Caffeine depresses the baby’s respiratory system, and these effects can last throughout infanthood, even after the baby is no longer receiving all of its nourishment from you.
How do you break the caffeine habit ? Caffeine addiction is powerful. Consumers can become addicted after only three consecutive days of caffeine intake. The withdrawal symptoms (lower blood pressure that leads to headache, irritability, and fatigue) can be bothersome or even severe, but they won’t last long. And the following tips can help you through them as you wean yourself from caffeine :
- Keep your blood sugar up. This will keep your energy level up. Eat frequent, small meals rich in protein and complex-carbohydrate foods. Also, make sure you’re taking a prenatal vitamin.
- Get some exercise every day.
- Get enough sleep.
- Replace caffeinated beverages with something healthier : herbal tea, juice, or (best of all) water.
Ridding your diet of caffeine may seem tedious and difficult, but you and your baby will reap the rewards and live healthier, happier lives.
By Rachel Tolman Terry
