Passing Caffeine to Your Little One Inside the Womb?

Extreme Caffeine Intakes Result in Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Pregnancy brings joy, happiness and ample restrictions along with it to the expectant mother. All of us wish for the best of things for our little darlings inside our womb and take utmost care to add chopped almonds and fruits to our cereal, drink plenty of milk and eat colorful veggies. But, we should also be taking precautions against foods that must be limited or avoided during pregnancy. You must avoid seafood high in mercury content, alcohol, undercooked poultry and finally limit caffeine consumption. Caffeine intake during pregnancy has been under scrutiny till date and experts have concluded that it is in the best interest of the mother-to-be to reduce it to 200 milligrams per day- the equivalent of two cups of instant coffee.

What is Caffeine?

Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world, is a bitter substance occurring naturally in more than 60 plants including coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao pods, etc. Being a stimulant, people constantly drink caffeine-packed coffee or tea to keep them awake and energized for longer hours.

Why Restrict Caffeine Consumption?

• Caffeine can reach the baby through the placenta and the developing baby is not versatile at processing caffeine which can increase the baby’s stress hormones. Being the baby’s lifeguard, the placenta supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord.
• Increased caffeine intake can result in low-birth-weight babies who are at an increased risk of health problems at later stages of their lives. Sometimes, extreme caffeine consumption can lead to miscarriage too.

The general attributes of caffeine intake include increased blood pressure, heart rate, urination, indigestion problems and trouble sleeping. These symptoms are enhanced during pregnancy as caffeine takes longer time to clear from your body.

       How Much Caffeine is Present in Different Drinks?
       The amount of caffeine present in the most commonly consumed foods/drinks include:

• One mug of instant coffee: 100mg
• One mug of filter coffee: 140 mg
• One mug of tea: 75mg
• One 40g bar of dark chocolate: 30 mg
• One can of cola: 40mg

  So, if you consume two mugs of instant coffee or two mugs of tea and one can of cola, you would   have reached your daily consumption limit of 200mg.

      Caffeine Intake During Breastfeeding

       Caffeine does gets into breast milk and it is always safe to limit caffeine intake during  breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is mandatory for babies up to their sixth month for its very many  nutrition advantages mentioned at www.firsteatright.com. Babies of breastfeeding women who  drink more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day may have trouble sleeping or may become fussy easily.  It is better to breastfeed healthy milk than to feed something to our baby just for the sake of  feeding.

       We don’t know completely about the effects of caffeine during pregnancy and hence, it is best to  limit the amount you consume every day to not more than 200 mg and if you are breastfeeding, to  not more than two cups of coffee a day.