I was recently in a great discussion about caffeine and pregnancy with some mothers, and decided to put all the links I scrounged up for them together in one blog entry. I was not a regular caffeine consumer when I was pregnant with S. I craved coffee the entire pregnancy, however. I worked within a few steps of the cafe’ at the health food store, and I guzzled organic decaf during the pregnancy, only to stop once he was born. Other than one craving for mustard, that was my only food issue with S. I used to joke that he would be a barista or own a coffee farm one day.
I did drink caffeine when I was pregnant with Z, however. I was working full time and commuting almost 2 hours a day at that point. Also, they had coffee pots brewing organic coffee at all times at my workplace. My job consisted of sitting in front of a computer all day (kinda like what I do now, for no money) and that would get boring after a while. Anyway, point is, I did drink coffee occasionally. I drank caffeinated tea every single day, and still do, as anyone who knows me will testify to my omnipresent cuppa.
I followed the recommendations of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who has been lobbying for caffeine labels for years, and kept it under 300 mg a day for the most part. I do agree that the caffeine contents of foods (pdf) should definitely be labeled. (Side comment: Uhhhh, Jolt makes caffeinated gum?)
According to this free journal article entitled Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy and Fetal Growth (pdf) , there are significant associations between low birth weight (LBW) and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and heavy caffeine consumption.
So, consume in moderation.
Watch an informative video on the dangers of caffeine at http://www.CaffeineAwareness.org
It’s the only organization dedicated to informing the public about the dangers of caffeine dependency and intoxication.
I think caffeine was one of the few things I actually cut out of my diet. No booze, nothing raw and no caffeine, except what was in chocolate..