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Caffeine Alternatives for Pregnant Women

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Whether or not a pregnant woman should consume caffeine, particularly in her first trimester, is up for debate. Most doctors will tell you that one cup of coffee a day is just fine. But if you are one of those women who say “better safe than sorry,” you might be struggling with giving up your daily buzz. It’s hard to give up caffeine when your body is used to it. Personally I think it’s easier to do before you are pregnant, while you are trying to conceive, that way you can slowly wean yourself off. Once your body gets used … Continue reading →

The Link Between Caffeine and Miscarriage

By now you have probably heard that caffeine should be avoided, or at least greatly reduced during pregnancy. A new study gives one more good reason to eliminate caffeine from your diet if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the near future. A study published in the current issue of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows a link between caffeine and miscarriage. Earlier studies alluded to this, but what is interesting in this study is the amount of caffeine that is said to increase the risk of miscarriage. According to this study conducted at Kaiser Permanente … Continue reading →

Are You A Caffeine Addict?

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Does your family avoid you until you’ve had your first cup of coffee in the morning? Do you have trouble functioning without that morning jolt of caffeine? If you’re worried about your dependence on caffeine, you aren’t alone. Caffeine is quite possibly the most commonly used drug in the world. It alters mood and energy levels and can cause problems for your sleep patterns — and can be very hard to quit! You may not need to give up your beloved caffeine entirely, but there are lots of ways to cut back and still get your brain going in the … Continue reading →

The Pregnancy Blog Review April 11-21

A sick, cranky baby kept me from doing the week in review last week. If you are pregnant, you will soon know what this is like! I’ll combine the past two weeks into one review. April 11 Infertility Testing: The Post Coital Test discusses this common infertility test and what to expect if you need the test. April 13 How to Use a Home Doppler offers tips for learning to use a doppler to monitor your baby’s heart rate at home. Who Will Be Present at the Birth? offers some suggestions for choosing who will witness the birth of your … Continue reading →

Weaning off Caffeine

Consuming a lot of caffeine during pregnancy has been linked to problems such as low birth weight. In addition, babies born to mothers who consume large quantities of caffeine have been found to show symptoms of withdrawal after birth. For these reasons, women are advised to limit their intake of caffeine during pregnancy. Let’s face it; caffeine is a huge part of our culture. Some people drink cup after cup of coffee throughout the work day. These people often suffer withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop drinking coffee cold turkey. Headaches are common when caffeine is totally eliminated from … Continue reading →

A Day In The Life Of A Pregnant Woman

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1am – Wake up, search for the body pillow that fell to the floor. Spend five minutes getting comfortable. Drift back to sleep. 1:06am – Your eyes fly open. You run to the bathroom. 2:30am – Wake up to carefully roll over and adjust the pillow between your knees. 6:15am – You realize you cannot lay in bed another minute because your back is aching. Even if your back didn’t hurt, your bladder is about to explode. 6:30am – While reaching for the bag of coffee beans, you remember you kicked the caffeine habit and begrudgingly reach for the apple … Continue reading →

Should You Drink Diet Soda?

Whether or not pregnant woman should consume caffeine or artificial sweeteners is controversial. Caffeine has been blamed for miscarriages by some, and deemed safe in small quantities by others. Artificial sweeteners, such as the popular aspartame, which is usually found in diet soda pop, have not been found to have any adverse affects on pregnant women, or anyone else for that matter. The FDA has stated that artificial sweeteners are safe for anyone to consume. Some still shy away from them, however, due to the fact that in the past certain artificial additives were declared safe and then suddenly the … Continue reading →

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

If you are pregnant, you have likely heard or read that alcohol should be avoided in pregnancy. There is a good reason to abstain from the adult beverage during these nine months, your baby’s health. Babies born to mothers who drink during pregnancy are at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome. According to the Centers for Disease Control, drinking during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of birth defects in the United States. An astonishing 1 in 750 babies is born with symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome. Tens of thousands more suffer from fetal alcohol effects, a less severe side effect … Continue reading →

Dealing with Drug Addiction in Pregnancy

If you take drugs and are pregnant, the greatest gift you can give your baby is to quit. There are really no safe drugs or no safe amount to take when you are pregnant. It is best for the health of your baby for you to quit. In fact, his life may depend on it. When you discover you are pregnant, you will find that you think of yourself less and your baby more. This makes it easier for some women to quit drugs than at any other time in life. Take advantage of this natural maternal instinct to help … Continue reading →

Changes to Make in Your Diet Now

When you discover you are pregnant, you become more aware of the foods you eat. Some women naturally begin to crave healthier foods and develop aversions to things like soda and cigarettes. The rest of us have to make a conscious effort to change unhealthy habits. Here are some changes to make now: Cut out Caffeine: For most women one cup of coffee is thought to be safe. Larger amounts of caffeine can result in low birth weight. Cutting out coffee may not be enough. Soda and ice teas are an added source of caffeine. The other problem with caffeine … Continue reading →