Posts Tagged ‘pregnancy’

When I became pregnant a common issue/topic that arose between friends and other pregnant women was the drinking of caffeine. I think it is important for pregnant women to consider this very carefully. Here’s an article for you to begin your research with…

Is it OK to drink caffeine during your pregnancy? This is a common question when women begin to consider pregnancy and especially once they find out they are pregnant. If you’re taking a naturally holistic approach to pregnancy, the answer is most commonly no, it is not OK to drink caffeine while pregnant. Ultimately the choice is yours so, be sure to research the topic well.
Believe it or not, caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world and you do not need to be a doctor to know that coffee is not the best drink for you. However, I do agree with the thought that it is less harmful than most other things that people drink, like regular soda, diet sodas, juices and Gatorade-type products. The caffeine question is not a new one, as early as 1980, the FDA began publishing a warning advising pregnant women to restrict or eliminate their intake of caffeine because of its ability to cause birth defects. [READ MORE HERE]

I went without caffeine throughout my pregnancy, once I found out I was pregnant. I do admit the week before knowing I was attending an intense convention and drank more coffee than I would have in a normal week. But once we knew I was indeed pregnant, all liquid caffeine consumption ended.
[I did have the occasional 'piece' of dark chocolate here and there.]

I have a history with coffee. I love, LOVE coffee. My addiction started midway through college and became much worse a few years later when I began graduate school and then began working a high stress job. At my worst I was drinking 3 to 4 20oz cups a day with cream and sugar. Not as bad as others I knew, but not a healthy amount for anyone.

Once I started eating properly I cut my caffeine intake to two 8 to 10oz cups a week. The break with it was difficult at first. Going through withdraws and dealing with the cravings was quite an experience; especially when you’re surrounded by it at work everyday.

Then, once I found out I was pregnant I began trying coffee alternatives. I didn’t want to drink decaffinated coffee…the chemicals and processes they use to decaffinate the coffee are terrible for you and there’s still a trace amount of caffeine remaining in the drink. Most of the alternatives were chickory and nut based and tasted nothing like coffee to my great frustration. But then around my 5th month of pregnancy I found a coffee alternative called Teeccino and I love it! First of all it actually smells and tastes like coffee. It’s ingredients are simple: organic carob, organic barley, organic dates, chicory, organic chicory, almonds, natural amaretto flavor, and organic figs. That’s it. No chemicals or other harsh substances. To me it tastes like a flavored coffee something with a hint of cherry, but it’s probably the figs that I’m tasting. I highly recommend it. If you want to try it, I buy it from iHerb.com and if you’ve never ordered from them before, use my $5.00 off coupon code: OMA603. It usually sells for around $8.00 for an 11oz bag of loose grinds.

If you do try it, please come back and let me know how you liked it. I don’t normally push products in my articles as you can see by going through the archives, but I firmly believe you should eliminate your coffee intake while pregnant [and breast feeding] and this was the only coffee substitute I was happy with. Now, you soda drinkers…sorry, your on your own finding a substitute for that.  Good luck everyone!