Coffee During Pregnancy: What You Should Consider

During pregnancy, you should pay attention to a few things when it comes to nutrition. You should also keep an eye on your coffee consumption before giving birth. Read this practical tip to find out how much coffee is safe for you and your baby.

Coffee during pregnancy – how does caffeine affect your baby?

The caffeine contained in coffee stimulates the cardiovascular system and ensures, among other things, that the heart of the consumer beats faster. In addition, fatigue is suppressed. The hot drink is, therefore, an integral part of everyday life for many people.

• When a pregnant woman drinks coffee, the caffeine passes through the placenta into the bloodstream of the unborn child. As a result, the baby has the same caffeine concentration in the blood as the mother and is therefore also affected by the stimulating effects.
• However, unlike adult humans, unborn babies can only break down caffeine slowly and with difficulty. This is due to the fact that your body does not yet have sufficient amounts of the enzymes required for this.
• So if you drink coffee during pregnancy, your baby will be affected by the effects of caffeine for a very long time.
• Pregnant women themselves also break down the substance more slowly than usual.

What are the risks and how much coffee is actually allowed

Researchers have found that drinking coffee during pregnancy slightly increases the risk of miscarriage and premature birth. Drinking large amounts of coffee also increases the likelihood that the child will be born underweight.

• Nevertheless, the following applies in principle: Coffee in moderation during pregnancy will not harm the baby in most cases.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) advises not to exceed a daily amount of 300mg of caffeine. That’s about three cups of coffee. The European Food Safety Authority, on the other hand, calls a quantity of 200 mg per day harmless.
• If you want to be on the safe side, you can of course simply do without coffee during pregnancy and use alternatives. However, you should also consult your doctor here as to whether consumption is safe for you.