Do Women Have to Avoid Coffee and Tea During Pregnancy?

Pregnant women do not have to completely avoid caffeine. In moderation, coffee, black tea, and cola are not harmful to pregnant women and unborn children. However, because there are only a few studies on this topic to date and the data situation is correspondingly sparse, no conclusive recommendation for “safe coffee consumption” can be given. Up to three cups (150 ml each) of coffee or 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily during pregnancy are currently considered safe for mother and child. On the other hand, we do not recommend so-called energy drinks, in which the caffeine is often particularly high in doses.

The reason caffeine is restricted during pregnancy is that caffeine can freely cross the placenta, which means that the concentration of the substance in the blood plasma of the fetus is the same as in the mother. The heartbeat increases and the nervous system is activated, but the organism of the unborn child breaks down the caffeine much more slowly. In addition, the risk of a miscarriage or a low birth weight of the baby can be increased. The latter, in turn, can lead to health problems.

For this reason, women should reduce their consumption of tea, coffee, and cola during pregnancy. For example, drink decaffeinated beverage variants, caffeine-free herbal, fruit or rooibos teas. The caffeine content in tea and coffee can also be reduced, for example by using less coffee powder or by adding more water to the tea.