Can I drink coffee for pregnant women?

Invigorating aromatic strong coffee made from the fruits of the coffee tree has become an indispensable attribute of the life of a modern person. The fashion for the use of coffee drinks has been forming for many centuries. Today this drink has become so loved and widespread that for many people it is an integral and even necessary part of their daily diet. Coffee is drunk at any time of the day, milk, cream, ice cream, sugar and various syrups are added to it. The tonic properties of this unique drink are that it contains a fairly large amount of a substance called caffeine.

Cultural traditions associated with the use of coffee in each country were formed individually. As a result of such a long process today there is a great variety of different recipes for the preparation of this flavored drink. Drinking a cup of coffee, a person feels a surge of strength and vitality, drowsiness and a feeling of fatigue passes, mental activity increases and physical performance is activated. However, despite the positive, which bears in our life a drink from coffee beans, it can not be taken by everyone and not always. Today we will talk about whether or not to make coffee during pregnancy.

In order to understand the question of whether it is possible or not to use coffee for pregnant women, it is worth finding out what the benefits for the body are when using this drink. Taking just one small cup of coffee, the female body gets an extensive range of flavoring and aromatic shades, thanks to tannic and essential oils, and in addition, a portion of alkaloids - this is the name for tonic components, one of which is caffeine.

The caffeine content largely depends on the type of coffee, its further processing and roasting methods, as well as on the method of preparation. On average, one teaspoon of coffee powder accounts for about 0.3 grams of caffeine. Determined that instant drink contains less caffeine than ground brewed natural coffee.

In addition to alkaloids, the composition of the coffee drink contains amino acids, carbohydrate components, minerals and vitamins. Most of all coffee contains vitamins B and D. It is believed that 100 grams of ground coffee beans 50% fill the daily need of the body not only in these vitamins, but also in the mineral salts of iron and phosphorus. In addition, the coffee drink is enriched with sodium and calcium - their amount is about 20 percent of the daily human need.

Studies show that during roasting grains, some alkaloid compounds are converted into vitamin PP, called nicotinic acid, which is an indispensable substance in the human body and actively influences the stimulation of the central nervous system.

On the body of a woman preparing to become a mother, coffee has the following effect:

• gently helps to raise arterial blood pressure in case of hypotension;
• invigorates, tones and helps to improve the overall tone of the body;
• removes the feeling of anxiety, normalizes the psychological background, improves mood;
• stimulates the endurance of the body, improves brain function;
• activates intestinal motility, being the prevention of stagnant processes;
• improves gastrointestinal secretion;
• it has a diuretic effect, removing excess water and preventing the appearance of puffiness;
• promotes the dissolution of cholesterol in the bloodstream;
• normalizes the condition and improves health in vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• stimulates the heart and activates the respiratory center of the brain, so that the body is saturated with oxygen.

The coffee displays its positive properties already after the first cup drunk, however, a pregnant woman is not recommended to abuse this drink and take it more than three cups per day. According to research data of the World Health Organization (WHO), a woman can consume up to 200–300 milligrams of caffeine daily during pregnancy. It should not be forgotten that this dose can be taken not only from a coffee drink - the same number includes tea drink, cocoa, chocolate products, coca-cola and other similar products or medical preparations.

Besides, When deciding whether to use coffee, one should take into account the general well-being of a woman and the presence of concomitant diseases. Sometimes, women who have a pregnancy, fearing the negative effects of a coffee drink on their future baby’s health and well-being, resort to using its substitutes or add milk, water, cream to coffee. Recently, the so-called decaffeinated coffee has become fashionable.

This type of drink is prepared from grains that have undergone special industrial processing, as a result of which they significantly reduce the content of alkaloids, including caffeine. Even despite this fact, it is not recommended to take more than 2–3 coffee cups of drink per day for the future mother.

The reason is that coffee beans contain the substance Kafestol and this substance is not eliminated in the process of decaffeination, and its effect on the human body is in many ways similar to caffeine. therefore Uncontrolled use of decaffeinated coffee is just as dangerous as a drink that has caffeine in its composition. In addition, coffee beans are processed using a special technology called ethyl acetate to eliminate the caffeine in them. Therefore, processed coffee beans, even after the subsequent cleaning procedure with water or steam, can leave traces of this chemical, which is not beneficial to human health.

If you add milk or cream to a coffee drink during the cooking process, this will reduce the tonic and stimulating effect of the caffeine contained in the coffee beans. In addition, when diluted beverage decreases its concentration. This method is indeed the most benign option for pregnant women, as well as in situations where a person suffers from diseases of the stomach, liver, kidneys or other health problems in which caffeine should be restricted.

Instead of coffee, in certain cases, doctors recommend taking chicory. The taste of a drink from chicory, of course, is far from the aroma and taste of coffee, but slightly bitter reminds him somewhat. The composition of chicory does not contain caffeine, however, the drink soothes the central nervous system and stops the rapid heartbeat.

In addition, chicory improves blood circulation, but it does not have a stimulating and stimulating effect on the heart muscle. Drink lowers blood glucose, improves metabolic processes, as well as the immune properties of the body. Chicory may be a substitute for coffee, but their principles of action on the body are different.

During pregnancy, especially at the very beginning of its development, the body of the expectant mother is subjected to quite serious loads and trials. Often, toxicosis develops in the first trimester of gestation. To cope with its manifestations a woman resorts to the help of a coffee drink, trying to eliminate dizziness, nausea, lethargy and drowsiness. However, coffee not only has positive properties, but also threatens the successful development of the fetus in the womb.

Under the action of caffeine, spasm of the blood vessels can occur, disrupting blood circulation not only in the female body, but also in the place of children, the placenta, which in turn leads to anemia and hypoxia of the fetus.

It is especially harmful to take low-grade coffee, which is quite often done by women who suffer from hypotension. Different types of cheap coffee, which are abundantly filled with counters of retail outlets, as a rule, have an attractive appearance, but carry in their composition residues of chemicals that are used to impart attractive consumer properties to coffee raw materials.

The systematic use of such beverages during pregnancy is harmful, as it can cause premature birth or missed abortion, and also contributes to the development of defects in the fetus. Perinatology doctors have identified the following conditions in which it is categorically impossible to use coffee for pregnant women:

• heart rhythm disorders (tachycardia);
• hypertension and the tendency to hypertension;
• toxicosis of pregnant women;
• uterine hypertonus, the threat of miscarriage, placental abruption;
• frequent and persistent headaches;
• irritability and instability of the psyche;
• sleep disturbance and the process of falling asleep;
• low hemoglobin level;
• abnormal forms of development and attachment of the placenta;
• diseases of the liver, kidneys, pancreas;
• hypersecretion of gastric juice and gastritis.

It is scientifically proven that caffeine, getting into the mother's bloodstream, through the placenta enters the body of the developing fetus. Low-grade coffee with traces of chemical components disrupts the formation of the child's liver, kidneys, and bone system. Often, on the background of taking such a product, a metabolic disorder is formed in a child and diabetes mellitus develops. In addition, it was established that the development of the central nervous system is disrupted in the fetus and anomalies of the development of the heart appear.

There is a direct link between the amount of coffee drunk by the future mother and the increase in the heartbeat of the fetus. Quite often, uncontrolled use of coffee leads to spontaneous miscarriage or childbirth ahead of schedule, and children with a body weight below the physiological norm can be born against the abuse of a drink.

More recently, doctors categorically forbade the use of coffee for pregnant women. However, now their opinion has become less categorical, because, despite the prohibitions, some women still continued to use it, but in limited quantities. Today there is an opinion that the decision on whether to drink or not to drink a coffee drink can only be solved individually, taking into account the health of the mother and her developing fetus.

In addition, each trimester of pregnancy has its own characteristics and possible negative consequences associated with the use of alkaloids. It is necessary to consider in detail the positive and negative sides of drinking coffee at different stages of pregnancy.

This period is considered the most important, since the developing embryo is subject to any external and internal influences. Right now, an unborn child is laying down all the organs and systems of his life-support. In addition, the embryo itself has a very small height and weight. Once in the mother’s blood, caffeine penetrates through the placenta to the embryo - there is almost no chance of coping with large doses of this substance. As a result of caffeine exposure in a baby, the heart rate increases. But that's not all - caffeine can provoke vascular spasm and impair placental blood supply. In this case, the baby will feel a lack of oxygen and nutrients, so necessary for his life.

In addition, under the action of a coffee drink, the general condition of the mother may be aggravated, and especially if she suffers from early toxicosis. The fact is that coffee can increase the feeling of nausea and increases the acidity of gastric juice, which manifests itself in the form of heartburn. There are statistics showing that with daily use of 5–7 cups of coffee a day, pregnancy can be interrupted, as caffeine increases the muscle tone of the uterus. The doctors' verdict is unequivocal - it is in the first trimester of pregnancy that it is necessary to limit the amount of coffee used by mom as much as possible, if there is absolutely no way to refuse it.

At this period of pregnancy, the bone tissue that makes up the fetal skeleton is actively formed, therefore the presence of calcium ions in the maternal organism is the most important condition for the successful completion of this stage. Sometimes it happens that mom's calcium reserves are consumed rather quickly, which is manifested by fragility of nails, hair and teeth. If during this period of development of the baby, the mother actively uses coffee, her child’s calcium is guaranteed to be missed. The reason is simple - coffee washes nutrients from the woman’s body, including calcium. Against the background of violation of water-salt balance, not only the baby suffers, but also the mother.

In the middle of pregnancy, all systems and organs of the future child are already formed, but doctors do not recommend uncontrollably taking alkaloids. If a woman does not suffer from edema and high blood pressure, her kidneys and liver function normally, and there are no pathologies from the development of the baby and the placenta - a pregnant woman is allowed to drink one cup of coffee drink diluted with cream or milk. You can drink this drink in the morning or afternoon hours, but no later than 15 hours. After drinking the coffee, it is necessary to drink two glasses of simple boiled or mineral water within an hour - this should be done to prevent dehydration and preserve the mineral balance.

At the final stage of pregnancy development, the baby has a skeleton and the entire system of internal organs. Now the fetus is growing and gaining mass, preparing for the difficult and crucial moment - the process of childbirth. The success of the generic process will largely depend on how much the baby gets stronger during this time. However, even in the third trimester, the fetus is vulnerable to exposure to caffeine.

Penetrating with blood flow through the placental barrier, caffeine inhibits the process of weight gain in a child, as a result of which the fetus may lag behind in physiological parameters compared with children whose mothers did not abuse coffee drinks during pregnancy.

Excessive mobility of the child causes him to consume a much larger amount of oxygen, and sometimes this amount, which is transmitted through the placenta with blood flow, is not enough, and in this case, the baby experiences hypoxia.Severe forms of fetal hypoxia can have far-reaching consequences after delivery - the child takes the breast poorly, tears and is hyper-excitable, it is more difficult to adapt to its new environment.

Too large doses of alkaloids entering the mother and fetus, can trigger the onset of premature labor, as a result of which the child is born prematurely, which also has a number of adverse effects in the postpartum period and affects the further development of the baby. Considering the above factors, doctors allow the use of a coffee drink diluted with milk only for women who, by the end of the gestation period, have not revealed any pathological changes in their health status, as well as on the condition of a full-fledged development of the baby.

In modern conditions, coffee is so tightly entered into the life of some people that without this drink, they consider their life not to be comfortable enough. Absolutely well known and there is scientific evidence that coffee is addictive, which is equally susceptible to both men and women. Year after year, such addiction can change the human body for the worse.

Therefore, doctors advise all women who are coffee lovers and consume it in large quantities, when planning pregnancy reduce the amount of drink taken, as well as conduct a thorough medical examination of your bodyto correct the problems found before conceiving a child. Any doctor, guided by the concern for the health of the baby developing in the mother’s body, will advise the woman in the process of carrying a pregnancy to stop drinking coffee and other products containing caffeine, or to significantly reduce the concentration and volume of consumed drink. This recommendation is relevant in pregnancy not only in the early but also in the later stages of development.

Of course, a complete rejection of the use of coffee would be ideal. However, there are situations in which the choice of coffee is the safest means compared to other, for example, medical drugs. Such a case may be persistent or chronically low blood pressure in a pregnant woman.

During pregnancy, hypotension can bring a lot of unpleasant moments concerning the future mother's state of health, especially if this condition is combined with toxicosis. In this case, drinking a cup of coffee would be a justified measure taken to increase blood pressure to the physiological norm. But there are nuances - the fact is that only a doctor will be able to correctly determine the daily dose of caffeine necessary for the mother and safe for the babytherefore, it is unacceptable to carry out independent experiments or uncontrolledly drink coffee a cup by cup.

A well-known pediatrician, Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky, in one of his television programs, addressed the issue of drinking coffee during pregnancy. In his opinion, the decision on the admission of a coffee drink should be made on the basis of each specific situation, and the woman should do so after consulting with the doctor, since it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons very carefully. However, the ideal case, according to O. E. Komarovsky, would be an absolutely complete rejection of the use of products containing alkaloids, including caffeine. Generations of our mothers and grandmothers did not have the opportunity to use the “overseas” drink, which is unusual for the Russian human organism. After all, everyone knows that initially the love of coffee was cultivated as a tribute to fashion and belonging to a secular society.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that the harm from drinking coffee is not only contained in caffeine.Coffee tree grains contain proteins that are foreign to our body. To assimilate these proteins, the liver functions with increased stress, and during gestation, a woman's body, including liver cells, already experiences maximum loads and stress. But this is not all yet - proteins alien to the organism of our compatriots also enter the body of a developing child, causing an allergic reaction in his mother's womb. Therefore, often after birth, children suffer from atopic dermatitis, which can later provoke the development of bronchial asthma.

Covering the question of the possibility of drinking coffee by a pregnant woman, Dr. Komarovsky cites the example of a study by Danish scientists. The experiment involved almost 90 thousand pregnant women for six years. All these women were addicted to drinking coffee and could not give up their habits even while carrying their child. During the experiment were obtained such impressive results as:

• with daily consumption of up to three cups of coffee per day, fetal death occurred in three percent of women;
• when drinking from 3 to 4 cups of coffee, pregnancy was interrupted in 13% of subjects;
• those women who drank from 4 to 7 cups per day lost a child in 33% of cases;
• the worst addicts of coffee drank more than 8 cups of coffee per day, while 59 percent of the subjects lost their baby in early pregnancy.

One cannot but agree that these figures are very impressive and speak for themselves. In addition, in the course of the experiment, scientists found that mothers who abused coffee had children who were not only lagging behind in terms of weight, but also lagged in mental development.

If the woman’s health is excellent and the doctor allows her to take coffee drinks in small dosages, it is best to give preference to coffee beans. At the same time, the coffee beans should not be strongly roasted, nor should they be processed with artificial flavoring substances. Freshly ground coffee, in contrast to freeze-dried soluble concentrate, has no impurities and its effect on the body is less aggressive. With regard to the choice of coffee - this issue is also important for a pregnant woman. The most famous varieties around the world are considered to be Robusta and Arabica.

Robusta has a low cost, but contains from 1.7 to 3.0% caffeine. In Arabica, the caffeine content is less - only from 0.5 to 1.6%, but this variety costs more. It is important for pregnant women to consume as little caffeine as possible, so it is preferable for them to be Arabica. Often both of these varieties are mixed in different concentrations - this is how different varieties of coffee drinks are made. Pure Arabica, without the admixture of Robusta, is called the Premium variety. Experts believe that only the premium variety can be consumed by a woman during pregnancy.

There is an opinion that the most useful drink recommended for pregnant women is plain clean water. However, everyone understands that it is quite difficult to survive for 9 months of carrying a pregnancy in such a strict framework.

Pregnant women often want to diversify their drinking diet. Most of all, natural freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, decoctions and extracts of medicinal herbs, berry compotes, and even honey-based drinks are suitable for this purpose. If there is a very strong craving for coffee, you can try to replace this drink with green tea or chicory. Black tea also contains a lot of caffeine, like coffee, so it is also not recommended to use it often during pregnancy.

When completely refuse to accept coffee is not possible, you should try to take it in the morning, avoiding drinking a drink in the evening. Coffee, drunk in the morning, will show all its properties for the day and by the evening its action will be minimally pronounced, thereby protecting it from insomnia and irritability.

It is best to drink a cup of coffee once every 2-3 days. This approach will help reduce craving for the drink and minimize its negative effects on the pregnant woman and child. Using coffee in her diet, a woman should remember that after drinking a portion of a drink, she needs to fill up the volume of fluid and mineral salts in her body.

When taking coffee, a woman needs to carefully monitor the reaction of her body. When dizziness, heartburn, nausea or vomiting occurs, the body signals that it is necessary to immediately stop taking this drink and seek medical advice in order to ascertain the reasons for such well-being. Often, future mothers, especially at the very beginning of gestation, are attracted to seemingly unusual products - there is a desire to eat chalk, pickles, raw cereals, and sometimes even earth.

It happens that a pregnant woman has a desire to drink coffee, and earlier, before pregnancy, a woman could be completely indifferent to this drink. Such traction should cause caution, since iron deficiency anemia can often be the cause of changes in food preferences and taste sensations. To make sure of this and not to miss anemia, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible and also to have a blood test for hemoglobin level.

In the process of making coffee, you need to remember that there are many varieties of its forms of serving. For example, there is an espresso, latte, americano, cappuccino and other types of drink. A woman should know that one cup of espresso will contain as much caffeine as a cup of cappuccino or latte. To taste, these drinks will not be as concentrated as they are diluted with milk or water, but the amount of coffee concentrate is the same everywhere.

See whether you can drink coffee during pregnancy, see the video below.