When it comes to pregnancy, it can seem like the rules are endless. Eat this, skip that. Drink this, avoid that. It’s overwhelming to keep up and parse through what’s based on true scientific evidence and what’s just passed down as truth without much research to back it up.

Caffeine is one of those things that has a lot of “is-it-safe” buzz (pun intended) around it. And understandably so, considering it’s often an integral part of someone’s daily pre-pregnancy routine.

Usually, this comes in the form of caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and soda. But it can also be consumed in foods like chocolate. Here are the levels of caffeine in some of the most common sources:

  • 12-ounce cup of drip coffee: 136mg
  • Redbull or similar: 111mg
  • 8-ounce cup of black tea: 47mg
  • 1 shot of espresso: 54mg
  • 12-oz can of Coke: 34 mg and Diet Coke: 46mg
  • One chocolate brownie: ~10mg

The reality is, caffeine is a drug that is rapidly absorbed by the human body and readily transported to most tissues, including across the placenta to the developing fetus. But is it harmful? And at what doses? Let’s break these questions down a little.

How much caffeine is safe during pregnancy?

Most healthcare providers share accepted guidelines for caffeine intake during pregnancy, considering moderate caffeine intake—around 200 mg per day—to be safe for you and your baby during pregnancy. That’s about 1 ½ cups of 12-ounce pours of drip coffee.

This moderate consumption of caffeine does not appear to cause birth defects, preterm labor, stillbirth, poor fetal growth or health problems for babies after they are born. Greater consumption carries an increased risk of decreased fetal growth by a small amount, but that is not conclusive.

Does caffeine affect fertility?

The scientific studies are a little confusing on this issue. Some report a negative effect, but when looking at the data, there is no clear evidence that caffeine consumption affects fertility. With this, the National Library of Medicine still encourages “caution.” So, if you’re a caffeine drinker trying to conceive, consider moderation, not elimination.

In prior years, studies suggested that caffeine could affect egg retrieval numbers for people undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive. However, newer research does not support this. Talk to your provider if you have any concerns.

Can caffeine cause a miscarriage?

Unlikely with low to moderate doses (200mg or less daily). Some reports linking caffeine to miscarriage lean heavily on correlation, not causation. For example, those who experience morning sickness—a potential sign that a pregnancy is progressing as expected—often abstain from caffeine because of the nausea they experience. So that information is then connected to the idea that abstaining from caffeine protects a pregnancy.

Bottom line: 1 to 1 ½ cups of coffee will not significantly increase your risk of miscarriage.

Does caffeine affect the baby while breastfeeding?

Caffeine crosses into breast milk in small amounts, with a peak usually at about one hour after the parent consumes it. But babies only receive a dose of about 1% of what the breastfeeding parent gets.

Again, moderate consumption is safe with breastfeeding. Consuming rather large amounts of caffeine (we’re talking several cups of coffee, plus other forms of caffeine in one day) will increase the amount of caffeine the baby gets and might increase irritability and interrupt sleep.

General guidelines for coffee and caffeine use during pregnancy

When consuming caffeinated foods and drinks, it is important to use moderation at any time—but especially during pregnancy. Most of the high-quality scientific evidence suggests that moderate consumption of caffeine is safe while trying to conceive, during pregnancy and after pregnancy when breastfeeding.

Most providers recommend sticking to around 200mg daily, which will get you a strong morning cup of coffee. Use your best judgment based on this information and always feel free to chat with your provider when you want to learn more about all of these pregnancy “rules.” It can be overwhelming!

Have you just found out you’re pregnant? Women’s Healthcare Associates has OB/GYN physicians and certified nurse midwives who deliver babies at six hospitals in the Portland metro area. Contact one of our offices to schedule an appointment.