Coffee with milk in pregnancy

Responsible women expecting a child are ready to change their diet and habits based on the only important criterion: is it good for the child and their own body? Coffee with milk during pregnancy is one of those products that may raise doubts about its usefulness. What is the real situation?

Is it possible to drink coffee with milk during pregnancy?

The question of whether it is possible to drink coffee with milk during pregnancy is asked by many lovers of the invigorating drink with which they are accustomed to starting every day. And let's face it, pregnant women often act according to the principle: if it is not allowed, but you really want it, then you can. Because "the child demands it." And here is what nutritionists explain about this.

Tasty and aromatic coffee has a significant drawback: it promotes the leaching of calcium from the mother's body, which is needed more than ever during pregnancy - both for yourself and for the baby's skeleton. Calcium enters the body exclusively with food - milk and dairy products, fish, nuts, vegetables.

If the mother's body does not receive enough calcium, it is at risk of osteoporosis, and in the future - bone pain, fractures and other problems. Therefore, it is necessary to drink coffee with milk during pregnancy - to compensate for the loss of calcium with milk or cream.

Pregnant women should not drink coffee on an empty stomach, but only after breakfast, preferably with a minimum of caffeine and no more than two or three servings per day. Remember also that evening coffee can cause insomnia.

When is coffee not recommended during pregnancy and what can replace it? The drink is contraindicated:

• at high pressure;
• in case of toxicosis;
• for gastritis with high acidity and peptic ulcer disease.

In such cases, the coffee drink can be replaced with cocoa or chicory, which are considered more beneficial because they contain calcium and vegetable protein.

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Benefits and harms of coffee with milk during pregnancy

Although the entire planet has been drinking the black drink for hundreds of years, the question of the benefits and harms of coffee, including with milk during pregnancy, remains open. In general, the answer is based on the properties of the drink. For those who cannot replace coffee, it is important to know that moderate consumption does not harm either the fetus or the mother. A moderate amount is up to two coffee cups of a weak drink.

Arguments for coffee:

• the tonic effect of coffee is useful for low blood pressure, especially for women who cannot imagine themselves without a coffee ritual in the morning;
• The diuretic effect of the drink eliminates swelling in the legs, but dehydrates the body.

Arguments against coffee:

• Regular consumption of three or more servings per day can cause difficulties with conception. In pregnant women, excessive caffeine intake increases the risk of miscarriage.
• I don’t want to scare women, but there is information on the Internet that 4-7 cups of coffee a day increases the risk of fetal death by a third.
• Scientific data has been obtained showing that caffeine consumption contributes to a decrease in a child’s weight by 100 grams or more, which has an adverse effect on his development and viability.

The drink excessively stimulates the secretion of saliva and hydrochloric acid, irritates the mucous membranes of the digestive system, which provokes an exacerbation of inflammatory phenomena.

Coffee not only removes calcium and other minerals, but also prevents their absorption, and suppresses appetite. Abstinence from coffee is necessary in case of hypertension, headaches, nausea and vomiting.

The stimulating effect of caffeine leads to insomnia, accelerated heartbeat and breathing, and systematic intake of large doses causes the body to become addicted. Without the risk of addiction, a healthy person can drink no more than four standard cups. However, the amount of coffee with milk during pregnancy should be reduced by half.

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Instant coffee with milk during pregnancy

If you don’t abuse it, coffee with milk is a perfectly acceptable product during pregnancy. Some recommend instant coffee with milk during pregnancy – due to its lower caffeine content. Granulated or powdered drink with cream or milk is exactly what is suitable for the expectant mother.

However, other nutritionists, on the contrary, are convinced that if you allow a drink, then only a natural one, without chemical additives that get into the product during processing into a soluble state. It is advisable for all coffee lovers, regardless of their condition, to give up the dubious soluble product.

Those who are sure that the filling but unhealthy drink suppresses appetite also oppose sweet coffee with cream or milk. Due to its absence, a pregnant woman is forced to give up normal food, which is extremely undesirable when carrying a child.

A separate warning concerns the decaffeinated drink, which still contains some of the invigorating substance. When the beans are processed to remove caffeine, a substance is obtained that, according to nutritionists, is even more dangerous than pure coffee. They claim that such a surrogate threatens the future child with allergies, and the mother with atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, the properties of decaffeinated coffee have not been sufficiently studied, but it is better for a pregnant woman to be on the safe side and not risk her health.

Coffee with milk during pregnancy in the 1st trimester

It is better not to drink coffee with milk during pregnancy in the first trimester. This is the categorical decision of doctors, due to the adverse effect of caffeine on the organs and systems of the future child. They are laid down in the early stages and therefore are very sensitive to all substances entering through the placenta. At this time, the fetus is very defenseless and unable to resist harmful factors.

Doctors also cite other reasons why you should not drink coffee with milk during pregnancy (and even more so without milk).

• During this period, the heart is being formed; caffeine disrupts the fetal heartbeat.

Diuretic properties cause dehydration, which worsens the baby's nutrition through the placenta.

• Caffeine washes away calcium, which is essential for the skeleton, and it also negatively affects the development of the nervous system.

More than three servings of the drink per day increases the risk of miscarriage.

• Excessive amounts of the drink can lead to the development of diabetes in a child.

American researchers have experimentally confirmed the fact that pregnant women who drink 200 mg of caffeine per day had a miscarriage in the early stages twice as often as those who do not drink caffeinated beverages.

Much, of course, depends on the individual characteristics of the body and the course of pregnancy. There are cases when the body "does not tolerate" the drink, and yesterday's favorite coffee begins to cause an uncontrollable gag reflex in the pregnant woman. In such cases, the desire to taste the aromatic drink returns to the woman only a few months after giving birth.

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Coffee with milk during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester

The ban on coffee with milk during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester is not as categorical as in the first. Doctors say that a limited dose after the first trimester does not harm at all, and sometimes even brings benefits. But this should be decided on an individual basis to exclude possible contraindications, which include:

• hypertension that manifested itself before pregnancy;
• headache, nausea, vomiting;
• hyperacid gastritis.

In the second trimester, it is recommended to drink up to 2 cups - in the first half of the day, with a break of 2 - 3 hours. Milk partially compensates for calcium washed out by caffeine.

Coffee with milk during pregnancy should not be drunk on an empty stomach, so as not to provoke an increase in acidity. After it, it is useful to drink clean water to replenish its loss due to the diuretic effect.

Some nutritionists believe that women should completely give up coffee when planning to conceive and abstain from it until they stop breastfeeding. Others are not so categorical and consider coffee with milk to be a perfectly acceptable drink. Conflicting assessments, unfortunately, are not always objective. Therefore, a pregnant woman should find a compromise solution to the question of whether or not to drink coffee with milk during pregnancy, taking into account her personal experience.

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