Ahh, the great coffee debate – this is one of those topics that keeps coming up year after year, but today I’m taking the battle and pushing it back into the face of every woman who stretches herself way too thin and drinks more coffee than she knows she should. I can do that because I used to be one of those women.
Excessive Coffee Intake and IVF Treatment
You’ve been through every fertility test and pill. Things are just not moving fast enough or at all and you want to conceive. Your doctor suggests IVF and you think that’s a great idea, but you have no idea that your morning coffee addiction could be reducing the chance of success – dramatically.
According to researchers in Denmark, drinking five plus cups of coffee each day can reduce your chances of conception via IVF by 50%. That means you are flipping the coin with tens of thousands of dollars and your chances of becoming a parent.
The great coffee debate is one that has reached both ends of the spectrum. Some studies report miscarriage rates increase in women who drink coffee, but other studies report there is no impact on miscarriage rates at all – but this study is different. This study talks about excess and we all know that excess of anything can cause a problem.
Do NOT Quit Cold Turkey
One of the worst things you can do is stop drinking coffee cold turkey. Caffeine gets in the body and the body likes the effect. If you have consistently consumed five plus cups of coffee each day you need to slow down before quitting. Try switching to half caffeine coffee and continue drinking the same five plus cups every day. You will be consuming half the caffeine!
Also, talk to your fertility specialist about your caffeine intake, even if he doesn’t ask you how much caffeine you consume. Remember, caffeine is present in sodas and other products as well, so look at every label and write down every mg – because your baby is worth it.