I was a caffeine addict and consumed almost 7-8 cups of tea
and coffee throughout the day. However, when I was trying to conceive, one of
the first things my fertility specialist told me was to cut down on the caffeine
intake. Shocked to hear that, I wanted
to find out how much I needed to cut back, but my doctor and RN both told me
that it was best if I didn’t take it at all , and at the most 1 cup a day! Well
I knew for sure that that wasn’t going to happen. There was no way I could
survive on JUST ONE CUP a day.
I decided to do some research as to how much caffeine is
alright for consumption during fertility treatment and pregnancy. I came across
articles and blogs all telling me that caffeine was not the best thing to take
during pregnancy, but there was no consensus of what quantity was safe. Most
researches though show that the total caffeine intake should not exceed 200 mgs
or 12 oz a day.
So what was the reason that caffeine should be avoided?
First and foremost is that excess caffeine reduces your chances of fertility
and particularly when you are going through invasive fertility procedures like
IVF, then you want to do everything to increase your chances. Excessive caffeine
intake also increases the mother’s chances of miscarriage. If you are pregnant, then more than the recommended
amount of caffeine can cause birth defects including:
- Low birth weight
- Faster heart rates
- Increased breathing rates
- Un-descended testes in boys
After finding out how negatively caffeine can impact
conception and then the child’s growth, I was more than happy to cut down on
the intake!