Along with the great happiness that a woman experiences as soon as she learns about her new position, she quite rightly begins to ask many questions related to the prohibitions and restrictions imposed on some familiar products. And one of the most pressing and troubling questions for expectant mothers who are coffee lovers is the question: “Can pregnant women drink coffee?”

Is coffee harmful for pregnant women?

Data on the dangers and benefits of coffee are quite contradictory, and even among doctors there is no clear opinion on this issue. Some say that pregnant women can drink coffee, but little by little and in the absence of contraindications; others place a clear taboo on the aromatic drink, claiming that caffeine is dangerous to the health of the mother and the pregnant baby. Who to believe?

According to some studies, drinking no more than 3 cups of coffee per day does not lead to earlier births or the birth of a low birth weight baby.

Other data indicate that coffee is truly dangerous even in small doses, and the more a pregnant woman drinks, the worse it is for the child and for herself. An effect on the nervous system of the fetus, the risk of miscarriage, and a deterioration in the health of the expectant mother herself were noted.

When you really want something, you are tempted to believe those who allow this very “something”... But still, let’s understand in detail what the risks of coffee are for a pregnant woman.

Why shouldn't pregnant women drink coffee?

Caffeine, whose invigorating effect many people enjoy, is far from safe. You may not know, but it is included in some medications (for example, for headaches). And any medicine is not harmless and has a list of side effects. The mechanism of action of caffeine is similar to the effect of narcotic drugs, which is precisely why many people become addicted to coffee.

Caffeine carries the following dangers for the baby in the womb:

• Heart rate and breathing increases;
• Caffeine travels through the placenta to the fetus;
• Any amount of caffeine received by the fetus affects the development of its nervous system and skeleton;
• When consuming more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, the risk of miscarriage or premature birth increases by 2 times;
• The diuretic effect of caffeine helps reduce blood flow to the placenta.

Future mom is also negatively affected by coffee:

• Blood pressure increases, this is especially dangerous for hypertensive patients and women at risk for gestosis in pregnant women;
• The acidity of the stomach increases, so for those suffering from gastritis with high acidity and ulcers, this is an additional contraindication;
• The diuretic effect of caffeine increases the urge to urinate;
• Cofestol, a substance contained in coffee, when consuming more than 5-6 cups of the drink per day, contributes to the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels. Women over 35 years of age should be especially careful.

Don’t forget that the quality of coffee entering our market leaves much to be desired. It is mostly grown using pesticides, which make the natural product completely unsuitable for consumption by pregnant women.

Can pregnant women drink weak coffee or coffee with milk? How much coffee can pregnant women drink?

Ideally, pregnant women should avoid coffee. Replace it with other, healthier drinks: fruit tea, herbal decoctions, juices, compotes, fruit drinks. For those who need an invigorating effect, green or weak black tea, a drink made from chicory root, and cocoa are suitable.

But if life without coffee is a catastrophe on a universal scale for you, and no risks stop you, doctors recommend limiting its consumption to at least 3 (or better, 1-2) cups a day. The coffee should be weak and always have milk or cream added. This condition is caused by the fact that coffee leaches calcium from the bones, and during pregnancy the need for this mineral increases.

Can pregnant women drink decaffeinated coffee?

You shouldn’t deceive yourself - the name “decaffeinated” is a good marketing ploy, since these types of coffee still contain caffeine, albeit in smaller quantities compared to regular coffee. It is not advisable for pregnant women to indulge in such drinks.

Can pregnant women drink coffee in early pregnancy?

The shorter the gestational age, the less protected the fetus is from external influences. The effect of coffee at the beginning of pregnancy is aggravated by the fact that the placenta is just forming, which means that all substances from the mother’s body directly reach the baby. In addition, it is not without reason that the first trimester is the most dangerous in terms of termination of pregnancy - it is during this period that all the organs and systems of the tiny body are formed. Given all the risks associated with drinking coffee, it should be avoided in early pregnancy.

Can pregnant women drink 3 in 1 instant coffee?

It would seem that 3 in 1 instant coffee contains less caffeine compared to coffee beans, and even milk - perhaps it will help a pregnant woman compromise with doctors’ restrictions? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is negative. In addition to harmful caffeine, 3-in-1 sachets contain artificial additives that are not at all useful during pregnancy, and the cream there, to put it mildly, is far from natural in composition.

Can pregnant women drink coffee with low blood pressure?

Perhaps, increasing blood pressure in women prone to hypotension is the main advantage of coffee as a drink for pregnant women. But even if low blood pressure is typical for you, don’t get carried away; the dangers of caffeine do not disappear in this case. Green tea, which contains a number of microelements that are useful during pregnancy, would be preferable for raising blood pressure, as an option - drinks made from chicory or cocoa. However, if you can’t do without coffee, remember: drink no more than 1-2 small cups a day, with the addition of milk or cream, and under no circumstances at night.

Can pregnant women drink green coffee?

Green coffee contains less caffeine than regular coffee because it is not roasted. However, no studies have been conducted to confirm its safety during pregnancy and lactation, and therefore experts recommend that pregnant women avoid this type of coffee drink.

Pregnancy is always a time of change, because now you also need to take care of a little helpless person. And, perhaps, someday you will thank him for some adjustments in your diet and drinking. Avoiding coffee during pregnancy is justified, and there are many reasons for this. If you can’t do this, still limit your favorite drink, and also consult with your doctor managing your pregnancy. Perhaps he will calm you down and give the go-ahead for moderate coffee consumption in your particular case.

We wish you health and an easy pregnancy!

I took the article from the Internet

especially for coffee lovers who are interested in such questions))

How does coffee affect pregnancy?

Everyone knows that coffee has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Excessive excitability can adversely affect the expectant mother’s sleep, mood, as well as the functioning of internal organs and systems. Drinking coffee leads to increased urine output due to accelerated kidney function (and therefore to dehydration), increases gastric secretion of hydrochloric acid five times and doubles the secretion of the salivary glands, irritates the gastrointestinal mucosa, increases breathing and heart rate, increases blood pressure. Coffee removes calcium and other essential microelements from the body (iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium), and not only removes it, but interferes with its absorption.

Undoubtedly, a pregnant woman does not need such influence at all. But what's even more concerning is coffee's ability to affect reproduction. It has been proven that consuming this drink in large quantities is directly related to difficulties in conceiving. More than three cups of coffee a day can act as “contraceptive.” That is why couples planning pregnancy are advised to avoid drinking coffee. This applies to those who are already pregnant in the sense that regular consumption of coffee provokes uterine tone and, therefore, increases the risk of miscarriage.

We hasten to reassure you that 2-3 or more 150-gram cups of coffee daily have this effect. So if you drink a couple of sips once a week for pleasure, don’t worry too much. However, if you can resist, doctors strongly recommend, then it is better not to drink it at all. And it is difficult to single out the most undesirable weeks or months of pregnancy for this. Some scientists say that you should absolutely not drink coffee in the first trimester, others - after 20 weeks and beyond. And there are studies that prove that the third trimester is especially dangerous in this sense, when the child’s nervous system becomes very sensitive to caffeine. In any case, remember this: like any other liquid that gets inside a pregnant woman, coffee penetrates through the placenta to the baby. At the same time, the placental vessels narrow, it is more difficult for oxygen to reach the fetus (like all nutrients in general), and hence hypoxia. In addition, there is evidence that drinking coffee during pregnancy can cause diabetes in the unborn child.

Another not so dangerous, but still undesirable property of coffee during pregnancy is appetite suppression. This is quite filling (especially with cream and sugar), but absolutely not a nutritious drink, because of which a woman may refuse the necessary “normal” food intake.

So, coffee has a negative impact on the health of the woman and the developing fetus, provokes complications during pregnancy and childbirth, and affects the condition of newborn children. Because coffee's metabolism slows down during pregnancy, it circulates in the blood longer and takes longer to act. But what is noteworthy is that not all of the above is caused by the influence of caffeine. Some studies prove that consuming, for example, tea with the same caffeine equivalent does not cause a number of complications. This suggests that other caffeine-containing substances have yet to be studied harmful effects in humans. Although it should also be taken into account that many women always drink coffee with a cigarette, and this increases all the risks significantly.

Instant coffee during pregnancy

In general, drinking coffee during pregnancy is not so bad, as long as you don’t abuse it. And in some cases it can even be useful, because it also contains substances that have a beneficial effect on our body and its systems. But the same cannot be said about instant coffee - only a natural drink made from ground beans can be useful.

Instant coffee, which many people prefer mainly because of the speed and convenience of its preparation, contains no more than 15% coffee beans, experts say. The rest are chemical components that are used to enrich the future drink after it is processed into a soluble form. One can only guess how far instant coffee is from naturalness and does not bring any benefit to a pregnant woman, her child or any person in general. Therefore, it is better to refuse to drink such a drink, regardless of your situation.

Decaf coffee during pregnancy

So-called decaffeinated coffee is also chemically processed. So-called because, although it is a small dose, such a drink also contains caffeine. However, this substance is not the most dangerous in this case. After all, some teas, Coca-Cola and other drinks contain an order of magnitude more caffeine than black coffee.

In the process of “removing” the invigorating substance from coffee beans, they can be processed, after which they become many times more potentially unsafe for our health. If we talk about future offspring, drinking such coffee can cause the development of allergic reactions in a child, and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in a mother.

The dangers of decaffeinated coffee have not yet been sufficiently studied, but scientists do not advise anyone to drink it, especially women expecting children. It is better to choose a drink made from chicory root as an alternative to black coffee. If for you it turns out to be an unworthy substitute, then from all types of coffee you should choose only natural ground coffee, drink it freshly brewed and add milk to the drink.

In a word, you can drink coffee during pregnancy. The question is different: is it necessary and what kind of coffee is better to choose, and is it worth the risk for a cup of this controversial drink? Meanwhile, many women use coffee to save themselves from fainting and weakness with very low blood pressure. But in this case, experts recommend brewing natural ground grains, preparing a weak drink and diluting it with milk: you don’t need any more now.

Some facts

• The alkaloid caffeine (1,3.7trimethylxanthine) is a substance of plant origin that has a stimulating effect on the nervous system.
• Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, cola, as well as chocolate and cocoa.
• When a pregnant woman drinks 4 to 7 cups of coffee per day, the risk of fetal death is 33%.
• British scientists have calculated that consumption of 100 milligrams of caffeine per day during any trimester of pregnancy, which is equivalent to one cup of coffee, leads to an average weight loss of a newborn by 50 grams, and consumption of more than 300 milligrams of caffeine leads to a weight loss of 70 grams. Such “underweight” can affect the health of babies in the first days of life.
• If it is still difficult to give up, then the amount of caffeine consumed should not exceed 200 milligrams per day, which corresponds to 283 grams of coffee or 700 grams of tea. That is, two cups of coffee a day is the limit.

A long-awaited and anxious event for every woman is the news of pregnancy. It brings great joy, but at the same time it turns your usual life upside down, even changing your diet. From this moment on, the woman becomes responsible not only for her health, but also for the intrauterine development of the baby. Pregnancy entails many prohibitions and sometimes you have to give up even your favorite drinks. The pressing question remains: can pregnant women drink coffee, because it has many positive properties, but at the same time it can be harmful to the health of mother and baby.

The effect of coffee on the body of the expectant mother

Coffee is known, first of all, for its tonic effect - it helps many people wake up and cheer up due to the hormone serotonin, which is part of the hormone. Pregnant women often lack energy, so a cup of aromatic drink becomes a real salvation. Most doctors believe that if a woman was an avid coffee drinker before conception, then it is not necessary to completely give up coffee - it is enough to reduce the frequency of consumption.

Coffee affects blood pressure, increasing it, and at the same time constricts blood vessels, which can be harmful to hypertensive patients. High blood pressure can cause the development of a dangerous complication - gestosis. Therefore, if pregnant women show signs of such a problem, drinking the drink is strictly prohibited. For hypotensive people, this property is not dangerous, but even in them, frequent pressure surges lead to increased stress on the cardiovascular system.

Not only does the expectant mother have unstable hormonal levels, but caffeine also leads to mood swings

Another reason why pregnant women should not drink coffee is its diuretic effect. When carrying a baby, the uterus begins to grow and puts pressure on the bladder, which naturally leads to an increase in the frequency of urination. Drinking coffee in large quantities, the urge to go to the toilet becomes even more frequent, which threatens to disrupt the water-salt balance. In addition, this drink quickly removes calcium from the body, which is so necessary to maintain the health of the mother and the formation of the correct bone skeleton of the baby.

The harm of coffee also manifests itself in increased stomach acidity. In general, this drink should not be drunk on an empty stomach without first having breakfast. In Russia, it is fashionable to start your day with an invigorating cup of coffee. Such a habit can lead not only to disruption of the digestive process, but also to the development of peptic ulcers. For pregnant women, drinking a cup of drink on an empty stomach can increase toxicosis and heartburn.

Harm from coffee for a baby

The baby receives intrauterine nutrition from its mother. When caffeine enters her body, it is instantly absorbed not only into her blood and internal organs, but also into the placenta. This substance leads to a narrowing of the placental vessels, which means the baby will experience oxygen starvation and a lack of nutrients. A woman should understand that drinking coffee during pregnancy can be done in strictly limited quantities, and excessive consumption of the drink threatens to delay the development of the child.

Some studies show that drinking the drink during pregnancy leads to the birth of babies with a weight loss of 100-200 grams. Apparently, this is directly related to the lack of intrauterine nutrition, which is caused by caffeine entering the placenta.

You should not drink coffee because it stimulates the nervous system. This negatively affects not only the mother’s body, but also the formation of the baby’s nervous system.

The leaching of calcium from the body by caffeine has a detrimental effect on the formation of the fetal bone skeleton

Coffee in early pregnancy

Particular attention is paid to studying the effects of coffee in early pregnancy. During this period, the formation of the child’s internal organs, as well as the systems of his body, occurs. Caffeine increases contraction of the heart muscle, which can lead not only to developmental delays, but also to fetal death.

A seemingly harmless drink increases the tone of the uterus, which means a threat to pregnancy and a 60% chance of miscarriage. And even if there is a successful outcome, coffee during early pregnancy can cause the following harm:

• Lack of calcium during the formation of the child’s skeleton.
• Risk of developing diabetes.
• Tendency to nervous overexcitation.
• Intrauterine heart rhythm disorder.
• Lack of nutrients.

Scientists also confirm the fact that it is harmful to drink the drink during preparation for conception. Studies have shown that among those women who cannot get pregnant for a long time, a large percentage are avid coffee drinkers.

When preparing for pregnancy, it is better to give up coffee altogether or at least reduce the number of cups per day to a minimum.

However, despite the obvious “cons”, there is no single point of view among doctors on the question of whether it is possible to drink coffee during pregnancy. After all, both the quality of the drink consumed and its quantity are of great importance. Danish scientists, after conducting research, made a clear conclusion that a woman can drink 2-3 small cups of coffee a day without harm to her health. However, it is important to understand exactly how much caffeine is acceptable in a daily dose.

What dose of coffee is acceptable?

The World Association of Gynecologists has concluded that a safe dose of caffeine for a healthy woman is 200 mg. The difficulty is that the content of this substance varies greatly depending on the type of coffee and the type of drink being prepared. Therefore, it cannot be said with certainty that you can limit yourself to drinking two cups a day.

Black coffee contains the most caffeine, and the amount depends on the type of bean. One cup of prepared Arabica contains from 45 to 60 mg of the substance, while Robusta will give the drink 170-200 mg of caffeine.

Instant coffee is generally contraindicated during pregnancy. Although the caffeine content in it varies from 60 to 80 mg, it has an increased concentration and acidity, which negatively affects the digestion of the expectant mother. In addition, low-quality grains are used for the soluble analogue, and to enhance the taste properties, the manufacturer is forced to add synthetic flavors.

Green coffee can be a good alternative. Since its grains are not processed, they retain maximum benefits, including essential fatty acids. By preparing coffee beans, you can adjust the degree of roasting and, accordingly, the amount of caffeine in the future drink.

Please note that caffeine is also found in other products: cocoa, chocolate, Coca-Cola, teas

To find out how much coffee a pregnant woman can drink, remember the permissible amounts of the following drinks:

• 94 ml espresso.
• 1 liter of black tea.
• 200 ml cappuccino.
• Two Americanos.

Coffee with milk

The strength of the drink can be minimized using additives. For example, make it a rule to drink coffee with milk. These two components combine perfectly with each other. Milk is a source of protein and calcium, which are needed for the formation of the baby's bone skeleton, and coffee, in turn, helps the body digest lactose. Therefore, coffee with milk during pregnancy in reasonable quantities is not contraindicated.

Decaffeinated coffee

Some people resort to cunning and use it during pregnancy. In fact, such a drink is a marketing ploy. It still contains caffeine, just in smaller quantities - from 9 to 12 mg.

On the one hand, decaffeinated coffee is more preferable during pregnancy, but to extract this substance from it, chemical compounds are used that can negatively affect the health of the pregnant woman.

Which drink do you prefer?

The desire to drink a cup of coffee is not accidental. Often, such cravings indicate a lack of minerals in a woman’s body:

• Gland.
• Phosphorus.
• Sulfur.

Don’t ignore your desire, just replace the coffee drink with alternative ones:

• Chicory is the most similar in taste and color to coffee. It is not only not harmful, but also beneficial for a pregnant woman. Chicory increases hemoglobin, cleanses blood vessels and the liver, and calms the nervous system.
• Herbal teas – these can be combined with lemon and honey. Rose hips, lingonberries, mint, and raspberry flowers are perfect for preparing it.
• Cocoa - unlike coffee, contains a minimal amount of caffeine, but perfectly restores strength, improves mood and has a beneficial effect on the digestive system.

As a result, it is impossible to give a clear answer to the question of whether coffee can be consumed during pregnancy. It all depends on many factors, including the health of the mother herself. But you should definitely limit the number of cups per day and consume only high-quality varieties in order to receive only benefits from the drink.

As soon as two strips of a pregnancy test tell a woman good news, she immediately begins to reconsider her lifestyle and eating habits. A fairly strong maternal instinct from the very first days makes you think that from now on you need to take care not only of yourself. Now the condition of the growing baby directly depends on the mother’s health. But what should a expectant mother do with habits without which she cannot imagine herself? How, for example, can you give up your favorite cup of coffee in the morning? Let's figure out whether a compromise is possible between pregnancy and caffeine.

Of course, any woman tries with all her might to avoid all sorts of risks that could one way or another affect her new position. And any expectant mother understands that the issue of optimizing nutrition and avoiding foods potentially dangerous to the fetus must be resolved already in the first weeks of pregnancy. Naturally, all products containing “synthetics”, odor and taste enhancers, and stabilizers are banned. Thus, in caring for the well-being of the baby, every product that a woman is used to seeing on her dining table is subject to close analysis.

Is it possible to drink coffee during pregnancy?

This question is inevitably asked by all lovers of an invigorating aromatic drink when they find out that they are expecting a child. Natural coffee is indeed a very tasty and healthy product if consumed in moderation, however, many doctors convince avid fans of this drink to reduce the number of coffee breaks per day. So what's the catch? What convincing arguments do experts have to explain to us why coffee is not allowed during pregnancy?

To understand everything, let's first look at the effect of coffee on the human body as a whole.

So, the main active ingredient in coffee that makes us open our eyes in the morning is caffeine. This substance pulls us out of the embrace of Morpheus thanks to its high tonic properties. After drinking one cup of coffee, blood pressure rises, a boost of energy and a desire to act appear.

When there is demand, there is also supply - store shelves amaze with the variety of forms of this drink. Bean, ground, instant, in “2 in 1” and “3 in 1” sticks, coffee with minimal caffeine content... Agree, each of us has long ago found what he likes.

Coffee lovers’ “relationship” with coffee is also different: for some, 1–2 cups of the drink before lunch are enough, while others drink an invigorating drink all day long. Doctors strongly recommend that those who like to drink up to 8 servings of coffee a day give up this habit, because jumps in blood pressure under the influence of caffeine will not lead to anything good. In this case, not only the heart is under greater stress - coffee also increases the acidity of the gastric environment, which can subsequently result in severe attacks of heartburn. This is why drinking caffeine-containing drinks on an empty stomach before breakfast is strictly prohibited.

In addition, constant abuse of coffee poses a great danger to female beauty: under the influence of caffeine, the skin becomes thinner and dries out, losing its beautiful natural shade, and tooth enamel gradually darkens. It is no coincidence that in every “correct” coffee shop, coffee is served along with a glass of regular drinking water.

But it would be wrong to mention only the negative consequences of drinking coffee. In defense of this drink with a bright taste and aroma, let’s say that coffee stops the development of caries (despite the yellow plaque on the teeth), and is also able to prolong youth thanks to the antioxidant substances in its composition. In addition, more and more researchers agree with the idea that caffeine stimulates areas of the brain responsible for sexual desire and thereby increases libido.

Features of drinking coffee during pregnancy

We have already drawn the attention of our readers to the property of coffee to increase blood pressure. As pregnancy progresses, the volume of blood in the body that circulates through the veins and arteries increases, therefore, the load on the cardiovascular system of the expectant mother increases. It is clear that changes in blood pressure caused by coffee can make the situation even worse. But for pregnant women suffering from hypotension, a few sips of coffee will come in handy.

Also, expectant mothers who are unable to give up their favorite drink should definitely take into account the property of coffee to stimulate and excite the nervous system. If a pregnant woman drinks too much coffee during the day or drinks it in the evening, she can easily get insomnia or nightmares, while she absolutely does not need either. By the way, all drinks and products that contain caffeine have a similar effect: Coca-Cola, chocolate (especially black), strong tea.

But these are not all the remarkable features of coffee that are relevant for pregnant women - this drink has a pronounced diuretic effect. It is known that with the onset of pregnancy and right up to childbirth, women experience severe discomfort due to the increased frequency of the urge to go to the toilet “in a small way.” The reason for this lies in the constant increase in the size of the uterus, which every month puts more pressure on the bladder. It is quite obvious that coffee during pregnancy will only make trips to the restroom more frequent, and this is fraught with serious consequences in the form of dehydration of the body and disruption of the water-salt balance.

According to recent studies, coffee components can penetrate the placenta to the fetus, affecting its growth and development. For example, there is an assumption that the reason for the birth of children with a weight loss of 100 - 200 g is the regular consumption of coffee (in moderation) by their mothers during pregnancy. And by drinking about 8 - 10 cups of this drink a day, the expectant mother completely risks the well-being of her baby: in this case, he is at risk of hypoxia and developmental delays. Due to the fact that coffee increases the tone of the uterus, pregnancy can end in miscarriage or stillbirth.

However, according to the results of other studies initiated by Danish scientists, coffee is not such a dangerous drink for an expectant mother. A pregnant woman can drink 2 - 3 small cups of not very strong coffee a day without any particular risk to herself and the health of her child. Moreover, there is no talk at all about the likelihood of premature birth or insufficient body weight. That's how widely independent studies vary.

That is why doctors always insist that the expectant mother discuss such controversial issues with a competent specialist. Having studied individual data and the clinical picture of the development of pregnancy, the doctor will be able to understand whether a pregnant woman can afford this drink or whether it is better to refuse it while carrying a child. And please, do not listen to those who drank coffee during pregnancy without any unpleasant health consequences, and therefore consider caffeine to be an absolutely safe substance - all pregnant women have a different reaction to an invigorating drink. While in an “interesting” position, carefully monitor your well-being: if while drinking coffee you suddenly feel uneasy (for example, your heart is beating strongly or an unpleasant pulsation appears in your temples), immediately put away the cup of coffee and forget about this drink for a while pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Features of drinking coffee in different trimesters of pregnancy

The issue of coffee consumption by an expectant mother cannot be considered without taking into account the intrauterine age of the fetus. The effect of caffeine on the body of a growing baby varies at different stages of pregnancy.

So, in the first weeks after conception, the child is especially vulnerable - the formation of all his organs is just beginning, and therefore it is still difficult for the small body to get rid of the coffee components that come to it. It is quite obvious that during this period the influence of the stimulating drink on the fetus is very pronounced: a minimal dose of caffeine accelerates its heart rate several times.

Coffee as a diuretic will help expectant mothers avoid edema in the second trimester of pregnancy, but will do a poor job in the first. The removal of large volumes of water from the body under the influence of an invigorating drink automatically worsens the rate of blood flow from the mother's body to the placenta, in which the fetus lives, and, accordingly, worsens the quality of its nutrition. In addition, frequent consumption of coffee in the early stages of pregnancy can affect the formation of the baby's skeleton. That is why at this time the optimal amount of coffee for a pregnant woman is 1 cup every 2 to 3 days.

As your pregnancy progresses, you can increase the frequency of drinking your favorite drink, provided that the serving size and concentration are adequate.

How to combine pregnancy and coffee

“I drink coffee during pregnancy, and I can’t do anything about it, although I feel guilty” - gynecologists constantly hear this phrase from their patients in different variations. Indeed, it is very difficult for a pregnant woman who cannot control her addiction to a stimulant drink to remain calm. However, a competent doctor will definitely offer the expectant mother some alternative to strong coffee.

To begin with, we note that there are a number of absolute contraindications to drinking ground and instant coffee during pregnancy, and there can be no compromises here. We list the factors that place a taboo on the aromatic drink:

• tachycardia, heart rhythm disturbance;
• toxicosis;
• high nervous excitability, tearfulness, frequent mood swings;
• daily headaches;
• gastritis;
• stomach ulcer;
• chronic inflammation of the pancreas;
• insomnia, problems falling asleep;
• anemia;
• improper development of the placenta.

If a pregnant woman has noted at least one of the listed factors, it is better for her to forget about her addiction until the birth of the baby.

Practice shows that all the serious consequences of drinking coffee are real if during pregnancy a woman drinks a rich drink often and in large quantities. The conclusion suggests itself: in order to minimize the risk of negative effects of coffee on the condition of the pregnant woman and the fetus, you just need to drink it in reasonable quantities, monitoring its concentration.

First of all, reduce your consumption of the aromatic drink to 1 – 2 servings per day. By the way, coffee with milk or cream can not be drunk very often during pregnancy, even for those women who have unstable blood pressure with a tendency to increase.

Adding milk and cream to coffee will protect the expectant mother from another serious problem. The components that make up coffee, when entering the body, actively wash calcium from its tissues, and this microelement, as you know, is of paramount importance during pregnancy. Dairy “supplements” partially compensate for calcium deficiency and also smooth out the negative effect of coffee on the gastric mucosa.

We also note that in addition to coffee during the day, you need to drink a sufficient amount of regular water per day, which will protect the body from dehydration. A pregnant woman should also drink coffee exclusively in the first half of the day, so as not to encounter the problem of insomnia and difficulty falling asleep at night.

If a pregnant woman continues to worry about her baby even with occasional coffee drinking, her doctor may advise her to replace the caffeinated drink. For example, chicory root has no less tonic and taste qualities. However, the chicory drink also has contraindications, which the doctor will definitely take into account. Another option for replacing coffee is cocoa. This delicious drink has been familiar to us since childhood. By the way, cocoa with milk is a valuable source of calcium and vegetable protein for the expectant mother.

In general, all recommendations regarding drinking coffee during pregnancy boil down to the following: if the desire to drink a cup of your favorite drink is so strong that it displaces all thoughts from your head, you should give in to it. Nothing bad will happen if the expectant mother drinks a small portion of weakly brewed coffee in the morning after a delicious breakfast. But this little “prank” will provide her with a good mood and a boost of energy for the whole day!

Is it possible to drink coffee during pregnancy? Let's ask the doctor! Video