Can pregnant women drink coffee occasionally?

Pregnancy is a very special period for female friends. There are many things to pay attention to in daily life. Eating a healthy diet is essential, which will have many benefits for both yourself and the baby in your belly. Coffee is one of the common drinks. Drinking coffee during pregnancy has a great impact on the baby, so it is recommended not to drink it.

Can pregnant women drink coffee occasionally?

We all know that pregnant mothers are better off not drinking coffee. Some have already fallen in love with coffee, and what if they feel uncomfortable without it? Pregnant mothers' bargaining skills have begun, so is it okay to drink it occasionally?

In fact, if pregnant mothers can't help it, it's okay to drink a little occasionally, as long as you pay attention to the amount, you can only drink one or two sips, but remember not to drink too frequently! For non-pregnant women, the general recommendation is not to consume more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, that is, no more than 3 cups of coffee per day (instant small package coffee). The caffeine content of different types of coffee varies greatly. A regular medium cup (250-280 ml) in a coffee shop contains 150 to 200 mg of caffeine.

For those who are already pregnant or preparing to get pregnant, this amount should be even lower, no more than 1 cup (instant small package coffee) per day. And if the pregnant mother drinks coffee, the fetus will react. If the pregnant mother clearly feels the fetus is excited, that is, when the fetal movement increases significantly, she should stop drinking coffee immediately. Moreover, the excitatory effect of caffeine on the baby is easy to observe, which will increase the frequency and amplitude of fetal movement. The actual harm of these effects is still unknown.

Theoretically, caffeine can constrict blood vessels and affect fetal development. Therefore, it is recommended that pregnant mothers reduce their caffeine intake and control their mouths. If they really can't help it, they can just drink it occasionally.

Effects of drinking coffee during pregnancy on the fetus

We all know that the nutrition of pregnant mothers is closely related to the baby, and everything that pregnant mothers eat and drink is related to the baby. Therefore, if pregnant mothers drink coffee, in addition to having some adverse effects on their own bodies, it will also affect the healthy development of the baby!

Studies have shown that if expectant mothers consume more than 500 mg of caffeine per day, their babies' heart rate and breathing rate will be faster, and the baby will be awake longer in the first few days after birth. In addition, caffeine has the risk of causing baby's finger and toe deformities, cleft palate and other deformities. Pregnant women who consume three cups of coffee a day in the first three months of pregnancy are 1.39 times more likely to have a fetus with congenital cleft lip than pregnant women who do not drink coffee, and pregnant women who consume more than three cups of coffee a day will increase the incidence of fetuses by 1.59 times.

In addition, caffeine may damage the DNA of the fetus in the womb, making the fetus susceptible to leukemia, the most common cancer in children. The effect of caffeine in coffee on the fetus is not absolute, and it will only occur when the dose is very high. Therefore, in order to eliminate the possibility of any effect, it is best for pregnant mothers not to drink coffee!

What medical experts say

A study shows that consuming more than 6 units of caffeine during pregnancy can significantly reduce the birth weight of the fetus and also have a negative effect on the height of the fetus. That is, drinking coffee during pregnancy affects the growth and development of the fetus. Other studies have found that the risk of stillbirth increases with the number of cups of coffee a pregnant woman drinks per day. Compared with women who never drink coffee, pregnant women who drink 4 to 7 cups of coffee a day have an 80% increased risk of stillbirth. Women who drink more than eight cups of coffee a day have more than three times the risk of stillbirth. That is, drinking coffee during pregnancy can significantly increase the risk of stillbirth, and the risk of infant death also increases significantly.

A new study shows that if pregnant women drink only two cups of coffee a day, the risk of their fetuses developing leukemia in the future will increase by 60%. That is, drinking coffee during pregnancy can significantly increase the risk of childhood leukemia.

Although the above studies are case-control studies and their conclusions still need to be confirmed by cohort studies, they are enough to show that drinking coffee during pregnancy is one of the risk factors affecting fetal growth and development. In short, drinking coffee during pregnancy can affect fetal intrauterine development and increase the risk of fetal death.

Warm reminder: The effect of drinking coffee during pregnancy on the baby is not absolute. Some pregnant women drink coffee and it has no effect on the baby. In this uncertain situation, if you don't drink coffee, the risk of related diseases caused by coffee is zero. Therefore, for the health of the baby, pregnant mothers should be moderate and quit coffee.

Is drinking coffee harmful during late pregnancy?

1. Some studies in recent years have found that pregnant women who consume more than 300 mg of caffeine per day have a higher chance of miscarriage. 300 mg is the amount of a small cup, and it is easy for people who like to drink coffee to reach this amount. Many surveys and studies have shown that consuming a lot of caffeine during pregnancy may slightly increase the chance of premature birth or low birth weight.

2. If the expectant mother consumes more than 500 mg of caffeine per day, which is a large cup, the heart rate and breathing rate of the baby in the womb will be faster, and even after the baby is born, the baby will be awake for longer in the first few days. It is easy to cause sleep problems for the newborn.

3. Because caffeine is a stimulant, pregnant women drinking coffee can easily cause their heart rate and metabolism to speed up, which may cause insomnia, tension and headaches; and caffeine can also stimulate gastric acid secretion and cause heartburn. These will cause troubles to the health of pregnancy.

4. Caffeine is also a diuretic. Drinking coffee will cause you to go to the toilet frequently, causing the body to lose a lot of water and become more prone to dehydration.

5. In terms of nutritional value, caffeine not only has no nutritional value, but also causes calcium loss in bones. During pregnancy, it is very important to ensure calcium intake. Drinking coffee is simply a hindrance. Moreover, the adverse effects of caffeine are likely to become more serious as the due date approaches. The longer the pregnancy, the slower the body's metabolism of caffeine, and the caffeine content in the blood of pregnant women and babies will be higher.

6. A 250 ml cup of coffee contains about 100-150 mg of caffeine, which can cause the baby to have deformed fingers and toes, cleft palate and other deformities.