I love to have a cup of coffee in the morning. I’ve even been known to indulge in a little Starbucks rendezvous on a rainy afternoon.
Of course, it’s not really earth-shattering news that pregnant women are supposed to cut back (or out) caffeine. Research has found that a higher amount of caffeine is linked to miscarriage and low birth rate – so I figure as part of my three-part system to create a clean, mean baby-making machine, I should work on cutting back the bean consumption now. But what is a “higher amount of caffeine”?
An article in the NY Times says that “pregnant women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day — the amount in 10 ounces of coffee or 25 ounces of tea — may double their risk of miscarriage.”
The American Pregnancy website says that a pregnant woman should have no more than 300mg of caffeine (three 5oz. cups of coffee) a day.
Compound these conflicting numbers with the fact that the amount of caffeine in any given cup can vary by bean and brewing method. So, to play it safe I’m considering going decaf. It’s an easy enough option at the local coffee house, but since I share my morning pot o’ joe with a groggy husband I’m thinking I will have to take a bit sneakier here at home.
The decaf coffee experiement continues tomorrow.
