Caffeine During Pregnancy

Caffeine is a natural stimulant that is common in many foods, drinks and over the counter medicines. As a central nervous system stimulant, caffeine’s most noticeable impact is the increased alertness it provides. This increased alertness, and making one feeling more awake, is why eighty percent of American adults consume caffeine every day. For expectant mothers, consuming moderate levels of caffeine during pregnancy is considered safe for the baby and mother.

Expectant mothers are encouraged to limit caffeine intake during pregnancy. The March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption to no more than 200mg per day, or the equivalent of one 12oz cup of coffee.

The challenge for pregnant women is that caffeine is not listed on food labels, so it can be difficult to determine how much caffeine is consumed each day. Brew time and brewing methods affect the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee or tea, so it can also be difficult to know how much caffeine is in a drink from your local coffee shop. The following outlines caffeine levels in some common foods and beverages.

Item, Quantity, Caffeine (mg)

Coffee, 8oz, 95-200

Coffee (decaf), 8oz, 2-12

Tea, 8oz, 40-80

Tea (decaf), 8oz, 2-10

Dunkin Donuts, 16oz, 143-206

Starbucks Espresso, 1oz, 58-75

Starbucks Vanilla Latte, 16oz, 150

Hot Cocoa, 5oz, 1-8

Chocolate Milk, 225ml, 2-7

Mountain Dew, 12oz, 55

Coca Cola, 12oz, 46

Pepsi, 12oz, 43

7-Up, 12oz, 0

Root Beer, 12oz, 0

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, 1.55oz(43g), 9

Hershey’s Special Dark Bar, 1.45oz(41g), 31

Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Health Bar Crunch, 8oz(1 cup), 84

Haagan-Daz Coffee Ice Cream, 8oz(1 cup), 58

Caffeine is a diuretic and as such it makes your body lose water. To prevent dehydration, be sure to drink plenty of water to compensate for the fluid lost after consuming caffeine. Caffeine also increases the release of acid in your stomach, so if acid reflux or heartburn is causing discomfort during your pregnancy, limiting your caffeine intake is recommended. Women should always discuss health and dietary questions with a physician.

Sources for Caffeine Chart: Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and University of Washington