Caffene and Diet Drinks

jenmgo

jenmgo

Cathlete
Are these safe to drink while you are pregnant? I just got a positive pregnancy result and will be making a doctors appointment when they open up. In the meantime i had the following questions:

- can i still have coffee and will it be safe? I drink the Light coffee, which is half caff/half decaf. I usually have 1-2 cups almost everyday but i cut down to one. Is this safe?? Everything i read says differenty..

- how about diet pepsi/diet coke and other things? THings with splenda? Crystal Light?

I normally only drink coffee or diet drinks. I wll have to get in more water and milk i think. I just wondering how safe these were

and finally, can i still take centrum? Or is that not good.

I have a HEADACHE right now...all i have in the home is excedrine..i dont even know if thats safe! Arg...
 
I think there are mixed messages about caffeine out there. I think that most doctors say that you can drink up to 500 mg of caffeine a day. There are mixed messages about artificial sweeteners, too. Most say they're OK, but some people say there's no way of knowing. Most doctor's offices have direct lines to the nurses where you can at least leave a message, so I'd just call and ask all of your questions now, it will help with your peace of mind. As for excederine, I think that the only thing they say you should take when you're pregnant it Tylenol. I think Excederine has aspirin in it and I'm not sure that that's OK to take.

Personally, I chose to cut out caffeine and artificial sweeteners all together. My thought process was that if something goes wrong, I won't be able to blame it on what I ate or drank. I know that these things have very little to do with miscarriage, but I know myself and wouldn't want to wonder if something I did was the cause (although it's usually that the chromosomes didn't line up properly).

Good luck!
 
Like the poster above said, a lot of it is really more of personal opinion. I can share what I did and why, which may or may not be right for you.

I did not cut out caffeine at all (then again, I usally don't have more than a cup of tea/day anyway...I like water).
For the sweetener issue, my doctor did suggest avoiding it. HOwever, after more research, you'll hear mixed messages on which kinds to avoid. Basically, they haven't been tested through a pregnancy, so rather than do that, they're suggesting to avoid them.

I've been having Splenda all along, and have had a very healthy pregnancy and baby.

As for pain meds - yes, that one is a bigger deal. Tylenol is pretty much all that's approved as safe for the baby. I was also told I could take Benadryl and Sudafed for other symptoms.

Vitamins are usually fine, although you'll likely want to switch to one that's prental, so you can get all of your folic acid in.
 
Jen pretty much ditto what was posted above. I never drink coffee or use artificial sweeteners, pg or not. I would think your Centrum would be *okay* to take but you'll prob. want to get on a prenatal vitamin. It has the extra folic acid and iron that your body needs right now. Your iron levels are esp. taked in the 2nd half of your pg. I also take an Omega3 - I know I don't eat enough of that. I don't know about Excedrin either - never have taken it.
 
I always found coffee gross in the first trimester, but in trimesters 2 and 3 I drink one tall starbucks a day (usually don't finish it). I was always worried my kids would be caffeine addicted or something at birth, but so far so good.

as for sweetener, I also found it gross in trimester 1. I found myself drinking tea with real sugar for nausea.

for pain relief, tylenol.

Now, I have to go make myself some coffee. I need it.
 
I switched from coffee to tea in the mornings. I just drink a decaf hot tea and have really grown to love it. I did miss my coffee at first, though.

As for Splenda, I use it every morning in my tea and on my strawberries. I probably use one of those small packets, plus a third of another every day. Though I didn't use it in the first trimester because I couldn't stomach strawberries then.

I wouldn't take anything for pain except for tylenol.

Start making a list of questions now to take to your doc with you with every conceivable question you may have until next month. That's what I've done all three times.

Congrats and good luck!!! :)
 
THank you everyone for your replies. On work days I am going to skip coffee all together. Usually at work i stop by a convenience store and get a fountain drink of diet coke, usualy 20-32 ounces. I just didnt know if that was safe

I guess my light coffee will be ok. Thanks for the input on tylenol. I will pick some up since everyone says that is safe.

I just called my doctors office and i go july 16 for the ultrasound and check up! Everyone sounds so happy when you tell them you are pregnant.

I did Imax 3 this morning and i got a little winded I'm only about 4 weeks along (if you count the week of my period) so i dont know if im just tired (had family in town for a week). I remember reading something about heartrates but i dont have a heart rate moniter and i dont know whats too hard.

I would like to maintain my current level of fitenss and keep active. Any suggestions or links to threads that talk about exercising/heart rate?

thanks everyone. i will make a list of questions for the doctor. i was hoping to get in sooner so i can get a list of do's and don'ts..but i have to wait until mid july
 
Jen, Counting down the hours til your first appt, I'm sure! Imax makes EVERYBODY winded!! As far as level of fitness.... you'll just know. Don't start anything new, *try* to maintain your current level but do NOT stress about it. Some days you'll feel great, others not so much. I don't have a HRM either, never have and I don't intend to. I know when I'm working hard. As your belly gets bigger you'll HAVE to modify because it gets in the way and that in iteslf keeps your HR down! I was doing 4DS KB this AM and my belly really made the hammer-punch lunges really uncomfortable so I modified. You'll prob. find your doc knows NOTHING about fitness while pg - that's why we have eachother here!:7 Call your ob's nurse line ANYTIME, they're usually very happy to help.
 
I'm amazed that you finished Imax 3 when even a little pregnant. Before I knew I was pregnant, I had to lower my step to the floor during body max 2. As I progressed into my first trimester, I got sick if I exercised (I found this out by doing low impact circuit - I could only finish two of the circuits, decided I was exhausted, fell asleep on the couch and threw up about an hour or so later). Some people, however, don't have this problem at all. I'm just sharing my experience, so you know that you should really listen to your body. If you're tired, don't push yourself.

I forgot to comment on the vitamin question before. I take a prescription prenatal vitamin, in addition to the extra folic acid and other vitamins, it has DHA in it. I'm not sure if it's conclusive, but they say that DHA is good for brain and eye development. More importantly, it acts as a stool softener, so I have had no problems with constipation. You can call your doctors office and request a prescription for it or even see if they have samples you can pick up and try. They all have about the same amount of stuff in them, they just vary by taste, smell and size.
 
Hi,

Congrats!!!

No to excedrin-tylenol and sudafed are okay when pregnant.

As far as caffeine I was told I could have 100 mg a day while pregnant. I am not a coffee drinker but I do like an occasional soda and needed an occasional soda to get thru the afternoon at work!

I avoided sweetners for most of my pregnancy but then I ended up w gestational diabetes in the 3rd trimester and was put on a special diet and was told Splenda was okay for pregnancy. The yogurt I had to eat had splenda in it.
 
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