You might enjoy having a cup of coffee to get you going each morning. When pregnant, you may find yourself more tired than usual. Most likely, you can still drink a cup of coffee while pregnant. However, you should contact your care provider to find out what they recommend for you.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women do not exceed 200 mg of caffeine per day. One 12-ounce cup of coffee equals 200 mg of caffeine. However, remember that caffeine is also in other foods and drinks. To keep you and your baby healthy, you need to make sure that the foods and drinks you enjoy throughout the day do not add up to more than 200 mg of caffeine.

Why can’t I have more caffeine?

Caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic.

• Stimulants help you to stay awake, but they also increase your blood pressure and heart rate. This can be dangerous during pregnancy.
• Diuretics increase how often you need to go to the bathroom. This can be dangerous in pregnancy as it can cause dehydration.

Caffeine also can pass from you to your baby through the placenta. This means that the effects that caffeine has on your body can also affect your baby.

What should I do?

You should contact your care provider, such as your doctor or your midwife. Ask them if it is safe for you to have caffeine. Your provider knows if caffeine will be safe for you and your baby because they know your specific situation. Overall, avoiding caffeine is the safest option for you and your baby.

Caffeine Amounts in Popular Drinks and Snacks

Coffee: Be careful of the amount and brand of coffee that you are drinking, as the caffeine amount changes by size and brand.

• Brewed, 8 oz: 96 mg
• Brewed, decaf, 8 oz: 2 mg
• Espresso, one shot: 64 mg
• Espresso, decaf: 0 mg
• Instant, 8 oz: 62 mg
• Instant, decaf, 8 oz: 2 mg

Pops and Sodas: Be careful of the size that you are drinking, as the caffeine amount changes by size.

• Dr. Pepper, 12 oz: 37 mg
• Coca-Cola, regular or zero sugar, 12 oz: 34 mg
• Pepsi, regular or diet, 12 oz: 35-38 mg
• Diet Coke, 12 oz: 46 mg
• Mountain Dew, regular or diet, 12 oz: 54 mg
• Barq’s Root Beer, 12 oz: 22 mg

Teas: Be careful of the amount and brand of tea that you are drinking, as the caffeine amount varies by size and brand. Also, be careful of the types of tea that you drink during pregnancy. Only some types of tea are safe during pregnancy.

• Black, brewed, 8oz: 47 mg
• Black, brewed, decaf, 8 oz: 2 mg
• Green, brewed, 8 oz: 28 mg
• Ready-to-drink, bottled, 8 oz: 19 mg

Chocolate: Be careful of chocolate as it comes in different forms like ice cream and cake.

• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar: 10 mg
• Hershey’s Cocoa Powder: 9 mg