Brendon Bonacci - Feb 17 / 2023
Caffeine and pregnancy – Is it safe to drink coffee?
Pregnancy is one of the most exciting – and challenging – periods of a woman’s life. There are a huge range of creature comforts that must be avoided to ensure the safe delivery of the child, and this list is filled with some pretty tasty delicacies. Certain cheeses, cold meats, shellfish, sushi, raw eggs, and most importantly, alcohol, can all have a huge negative impact on pregnancy.
These foods and drinks are pretty well-regarded as being ‘hard nos’. But there’s another beverage that exists on the outskirts, one that’s safety profile is regularly ummed and ahhed about.
Yep, it’s coffee – or more specifically, caffeine. For many of our readers, the idea of adding your morning latte to the list of ‘do nots’ may be a ghastly proposition.
But before you begin lustfully throwing desperate glances at the freshly-delivered bag of our coffee beans on your kitchen counter, know that all hope is NOT lost.
The answer to whether it’s safe to drink coffee is not as simple as ‘yes or no’. It’s more of a ‘kind of’, or the classic ‘yes… but’.
The currently accepted medical advice regarding pregnant women and caffeine is to avoid consuming more than 150–200mg per day.
So, wipe away those tears and rejoice. Coffee is not completely off the table – but before you go and pour yourself a steaming shot of espresso, there’s a few things we need to think about.
Did you know?
A cup of decaf has below 3-7mg of caffeine.
Compare that to a bar of Chocolate;
Milk Chocolate ~ up to 25mg of caffeine.
Dark Chocolate ~ up to 80mg of caffeine.
How much caffeine is in a coffee?
It has taken every fibre of my being to avoid answering this question with: Well, how long is a piece of string?
Hilarious and totally non-generic jokes aside, the reality is that every cup of coffee you make (or drink) will have a different level of caffeine. Now, this figure may only vary by a couple of micrograms, but it’s worth understanding the different elements that can affect caffeine content.
•Beans: The type of beans you use for your delicious fix will have a varying amount of natural caffeine. Different harvests of the same type of bean may even have a different level of caffeine within them.
•Roast type. The roast of the bean will have an affect on the caffeine content. Generally speaking, darker roasts will have less than their lighter alternatives.
The above elements will certainly play a role in how much caffeine is delivered to your bloodstream with every sip, but for the purposes of this article they are mostly inconsequential. The MAIN factor to consider is the type of coffee you’re consuming.
Now, seeing as you’re reading this article, I can assume that you will not be drinking instant coffee, because that’s obviously sacrilegious. But for the sake of ‘learning’ – instant coffee typically has a lower caffeine content, with about 30-50mg per teaspoon.
Brewed (or filtered) coffee isn’t quite as popular in Australia as it is in America and Europe, but it is a less-vile alternative to instant coffee. Unfortunately for some, it has quite a high caffeine content, coming in at an average of 95mg per cup.
Espresso-based coffee is what most of us are drinking, and I have some good news on that front. A single shot of espresso generally ranges from 30–50ml, which is equivalent to approximately 64mg of caffeine.
Most popular espresso drinks you might find in a café – or that you’ll make in the comfort of your own home – are single-shots. So, cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos and so on usually comprise less than 70mg of caffeine per cup.
Decaf beans, a common choice for those wanting to taste a smooth coffee past midnight 4pm, aren’t actually caffeine-free. That said, they come pretty close to it, usually having below 3–7mg of coffee per cup.
Other caffeine intake
The issue with blindly assuming that you can have 3 cups of espresso coffee a day without encroaching the 200mg caffeine mark is that the psychoactive stimulant is not exclusive to coffee beans.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring compound in quite a few plants and seeds – non-herbal teas, cocoa beans and chocolate and kola nuts. While their profiles are generally less caffeine-rich than coffee beans, a cup of black tea has about 50mg of caffeine, a figure that is comparable to a shot of espresso.
Caffeine generally makes people feel good, and mass food manufacturers aren’t exactly known for their integrity. A huge range of processed goods are inundated with unnatural caffeine, such as energy drinks, coca cola and even chewing gum.
This is why it’s important to be moderate with your caffeine consumption. Even if you think you’re staying well clear of a dangerous caffeine intake, all these lesser-known sources can slowly rack up and push you over the safe limit.
Did you know? We roast our decafs to every style of coffee brewing method!
Why is too much caffeine dangerous for pregnant women?
For starters, studies have shown a high level of caffeine intake – in excess of 300mg per day – are associated with an increased chance of miscarriage.
Additionally, hefty caffeine consumption can have a negative impact on the size of the child at birth. They may end up being small for their gestational age, or at risk of intrauterine growth restriction.
The science is not settled on the cause of this, and what the exact point caffeine consumption transforms from being unimpactful to being dangerous for pregnant women. One theory is that caffeine constricts the blood vessels (being a vasoconstrictor) around the uterus and placenta, causing the foetus to receive less of the blood supply it requires.
Breastfeeding
There’s a bit of a myth around breastfeeding children and caffeine consumption. Some people seem to immediately dismiss it and insist that it’s completely taboo. However, the studies paint a very different picture.
Generally speaking, there’s nothing wrong with drinking coffee while breastfeeding your child. To begin with, you can simply wait for caffeine in the bloodstream to dilute before feeding. Pair this with the fact that not much caffeine passes through the milk ducts anyway, and you don’t have to worry too much about avoiding your morning cup of joe.
With that said, it’s not an invitation to go crazy. The CDC recommends keeping consumption under approximately 300mg, and that heavy consumption (think drinking a somewhat ludicrous 10 cups of coffee a day) will negatively impact their infant’s health. Children are far less able to break down caffeine than adults, so the side effects of the drug (irritability, inability to sleep, shaking) will be far more prevalent.
Some of our incredible decaf options!
What does all this mean?
The best, and safest solution is to switch out the caffeine for decaf during your pregnancy, why take the risk? Sure, your stuck on the road with no decaf in sight, all the research we’ve provided above shows it’s safe to have the odd coffee in moderation. But for the most exciting and fulfilling time in your life, throughout your pregnancy, or even whilst breast feeding, just be safe and switch to Decaf.
Lets break a myth; If you dread decaf because someone told you it tastes terrible or you hear that macho guy saying “death before decaf”, I mean, really? Do I even need to elaborate on that comment?
Let’s be clear, bad decaf from cafes is generally bad because the cafe isn’t grinding it fresh and they’re purchasing the decaf pre ground, which means it’s completely stale. If you see your local barista reaching below the counter for a container of ground decaf, you may as well ask for a refund and leave, you can take my word for this, that decaf is going to taste atrocious.
So we know that the general rule of thumb is as follows:
•No more than 150-200mg of caffeine per day when pregnant
•No more than 300mg of caffeine per day when breastfeeding
But, we also know that caffeine can quickly add up from various sources – especially if you can’t help yourself with that nightly block of dark chocolate (I know I can’t).
A great idea is to switch to decaf when you need a taste of the creamy, comforting consistency of coffee, but you’re concerned about your caffeine levels. The caffeine content of our decaf is pretty negligible, and best of all, the decaffeination process doesn’t mess with the coffee beans’ natural antioxidants.
That means you’re getting the best of both worlds – a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, while not having to stress about how much caffeine you’ve been drinking.
It’s a win/win!