De-caffeinated

I read in the news today that women in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy should cut out all caffeine because it increases the risk of miscarriage.

A fantastic recommendation if you know you’re pregnant but seeing as you don't find out for a good few weeks after conception, surely this means you could be consuming caffeine while pregnant without realising?

Doesn’t this therefore also mean anyone trying to get pregnant should cut out all caffeine as well? The last thing you want is your cup of coffee to cause you to lose the baby you didn't yet know you were carrying!

This article published in the Guardian today quotes experts as saying ‘200mg of caffeine a day doubled the risk’ of miscarriage. Which leads me to wonder exactly how much I drink right now.

My research leads me to believe there’s 57mg in a standard mug of instant coffee, 47mg in a cup of tea and 34.5mg in a can of full fat Coke. [There’s 70mg in a Starbuck’s Tall Latte but luckily I don’t drink those anymore].

On an average day I drink:
2 mugs of instant coffee – 114mg
2 cans of full fat coke – 69mg
2 mugs of tea – 94mg
total: 277mg [this excludes chocolate as there’s caffeine in there too!]

As I’m doing my best to conceive Baby Number 2 it seems only right, on day 21 of the New Year, to finally do something about sticking to one of my resolutions. Unfortunately my caffeine withdrawal has left me completely exhausted and incoherent so I have to stop writing and head for my bed. Good night.