What to Drink And What to Avoid While Pregnant

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

A lot of women worry about what they drink while pregnant. Conflicting information about any number of beverages makes the choices even more difficult. The key is moderation. With the exception of water, any beverage I list below can be harmful during pregnancy if your wife drinks it by the gallon on a regular basis.

What to Drink

Water. Water should be everyone’s primary beverage. And I’m not talking about all of these new vitamin waters or flavoured powder mixes. Just plain old H²O. Get a water filter if you have concerns about what’s in your tap water. Other than that, you should be drinking it as clear as possible.

Tea. Black, green, oolong and white teas are all safe to drink during pregnancy. Depending on the depth of processing and the steeping time, the amount of caffeine in each cup will vary (black teas are generally the strongest, whereas white teas contains almost no caffeine). In case you didn’t know, all tea comes from the same plant. The “color” you see marketed by tea companies describes the level of processing the leaves undergo from plant to cup.

Herbal Infusions. Often incorrectly called “tea”, these are basically some other plant’s leaves or flowers steeped in water. Most herbals are safe to drink, and sometimes contain added benefits. For example, ginger can ease the effects of nausea during the first trimester.  Probably the safest to drink during pregnancy is probably Rooibos, or African Red Bush. Not only is it chock full of beneficial properties, it also contains no caffeine. Be sure that she avoids Rooibos that is blended with other herbs in case there is something harmful mixed in. Be sure to do a little research first before she tries any other herbal infusions.

Soda. While these drinks can contain a ton of sugar (one reason alone to avoid), as an alternative to coffee or cola, soda is an ok option. One can or less a day won’t cause any harm.

Special Note On Caffeine. While many doctors advise pregnant women should stay away from caffeine, just as many say it’s safe. The key thing to consider is quantity. Generally, pregnant women should ingest less than 200mg of caffeine each day – about one 12oz cup of coffee. For comparison, an 8oz cup of black tea contains about 40-60mg of caffeine, while a 12oz can of Pepsi is only about 40mg. Caffeine aside, be sure to consider what other chemicals that are in the beverage when using this figure as a guide.

What to Avoid

Alcohol. This is a no-brainer. Alcohol is bad for anyone, let alone pregnant women. Most women are sensible enough to avoid it. The best part is that my wife has no problem being the designated driver for the next two years.

Herbal Infusions. Yes, I suggest both drinking and avoiding herbal infusions. The reason is that there are certain herbs that may cause problems. Rosemary, thyme, and lavender have all been known to complicate certain stages of pregnancy. Additionally, Chamomile has come under fire as some studies have found that it can have adverse effects on the uterus. While most of the evidence and advice is contradictory, it is probably best that she just avoid it altogether.

Cola. While it contains less caffeine than tea or coffee, colas often contain a whole host of other unnatural ingredients that I certainly suggest you avoid. That said a can of Coke or Pepsi is not going to do much harm. I just suggest she avoid them whenever possible.

Coffee. This one gets a bad rap, and for generally good reasons. By volume, coffee contains a lot of caffeine compared to almost any other drink. Not only that, but the type of caffeine found in coffee produces a stronger effect than tea or cola (often known as the “coffee high”).This can not only cause her higher stress, but can lead to a dangerously elevated fetal heart rate. She should probably kick her Starbucks habit until after your baby is no longer nursing.

While I do make a distinction between drinks to avoid and those that are safe, the important consideration is, again, moderation. Anything is safe so long as she does not drink excessive amounts of it. One night of heavy drinking will immediately convince you of that.

Tagged as:  alcohol · caffeine · coffee · drink to avoid · herbal · tea