Tea and coffee during pregnancy: effects, benefits and harm. Tea and coffee during pregnancy

Black and bitter, but so tasty and aromatic! Coffee has captivated the hearts of many people across the planet. It is of not only gastronomic, but also scientific interest. Scientists around the world have been trying for many years to unravel all the secrets of this mysterious drink, but in vain. Every time coffee discovers something new about itself, it leaves many more mysteries unsolved.

Even the question about the benefits and harms of this drink still remains without a clear answer. It has been reliably established that coffee is both healthy and harmful at the same time. But it’s hard to say which side of the scale weighs. However, hardly anyone would argue that any harm during pregnancy is extremely undesirable, even something as tasty and sometimes healthy as coffee.

If you are used to waking up to a cup of aromatic coffee, and not a single meeting of yours - be it business or personal - takes place without drinking coffee, then this news is disappointing for you. From the moment of pregnancy, you should significantly reduce the amount of coffee you drink per day, and to be honest, it is better to completely eliminate it while bearing and feeding the child. And that's why.

How does coffee affect pregnancy?

Everyone knows that coffee has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Excessive excitability can have a bad effect on mood, as well as work internal organs and systems. Drinking coffee leads to increased urine output due to accelerated kidney function (and therefore to dehydration), increases gastric secretion of hydrochloric acid five times and doubles the secretion of the salivary glands, and irritates the mucous membranes. gastrointestinal tract, increases breathing and heart rate, increases. Coffee removes from the body other microelements it needs (iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium), and not only removes it, but interferes with its absorption.

Undoubtedly, a pregnant woman does not need such influence at all. But what's even more concerning is coffee's ability to affect reproduction. It has been proven that consumption of this drink in large quantities directly related to difficulties in conceiving. More than three cups of coffee a day can act as “contraceptive.” That is why couples planning pregnancy are advised to avoid drinking coffee. This applies to those who are already pregnant in the sense that regular consumption of coffee provokes and, therefore, increases the risk of miscarriage.

We hasten to reassure you that 2-3 or more 150-gram cups of coffee daily have this effect. So if you drink a couple of sips once a week for pleasure, don’t worry too much. However, if you can resist, doctors strongly recommend, then it is better not to drink it at all. And it is difficult to single out the most undesirable weeks or months of pregnancy for this. Some scientists say that you should absolutely not drink coffee in the first trimester, others - after 20 weeks and beyond. And there are studies that prove that the third trimester is especially dangerous in this sense, when the child’s nervous system becomes very sensitive to caffeine. In any case, remember this: like any other liquid that gets inside a pregnant woman, coffee penetrates through the placenta to the baby. At the same time, the placental vessels narrow, making it more difficult for oxygen to reach the fetus (like all nutrients in general), and hence - . In addition, there is evidence that drinking coffee during pregnancy can cause diabetes in the unborn child.

Another not so dangerous, but still undesirable property of coffee during pregnancy is appetite suppression. This is quite filling (especially with cream and sugar), but absolutely not a nutritious drink, because of which a woman may refuse the necessary “normal” food intake.

So, coffee has a negative impact on the health of the woman and the developing fetus, provokes complications during pregnancy and childbirth, and affects the condition of newborn children. Because coffee's metabolism slows down during pregnancy, it circulates in the blood longer and takes longer to act. But what is noteworthy is that not all of the above is caused by the influence of caffeine. Some studies prove that consuming, for example, tea with the same caffeine equivalent does not cause a number of complications. This suggests that other caffeine-containing substances have yet to be studied harmful effects in humans. Although it should also be taken into account that many women always drink coffee with a cigarette, and this increases all the risks significantly.

Instant coffee during pregnancy

In general, drinking coffee during pregnancy is not so bad, as long as you don’t abuse it. And in some cases it can even be useful, because it also contains substances that have a beneficial effect on our body and its systems. But the same cannot be said about instant coffee - only a natural drink made from ground beans can be useful.

Instant coffee, which many people prefer mainly because of the speed and convenience of its preparation, contains no more than 15% coffee beans, experts say. The rest are chemical components that are used to enrich the future drink after it is processed into a soluble form. One can only guess how much instant coffee is far from natural and does not bring any benefit to a pregnant woman, her child or any person in general. Therefore, it is better to refuse to drink such a drink, regardless of your situation.

Decaf coffee during pregnancy

So-called decaffeinated coffee is also chemically processed. So-called because, although it is a small dose, such a drink also contains caffeine. However, this substance is not the most dangerous in this case. After all, some teas, Coca-Cola and other drinks contain an order of magnitude more caffeine than black coffee.

In the process of “removing” the invigorating substance from coffee beans, they can be processed, after which they become many times more potentially unsafe for our health. If we talk about future offspring, drinking such coffee can cause the development of allergic reactions in a child, and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in a mother.

The dangers of decaffeinated coffee have not yet been sufficiently studied, but scientists do not advise anyone to drink it, especially women expecting children. It is better to choose a drink made from chicory root as an alternative to black coffee. If for you it turns out to be an unworthy substitute, then from all types of coffee you should choose only natural ground coffee, drink it freshly brewed and add milk to the drink.

In a word, you can drink coffee during pregnancy. The question is different: is it necessary and what kind of coffee is better to choose, and is it worth the risk for a cup of this controversial drink? Meanwhile, many women use coffee to save themselves from fainting and weakness with very low blood pressure. But in this case, experts recommend brewing natural ground grains, preparing a weak drink and diluting it with milk: you don’t need any more now.

Some facts

The alkaloid caffeine (1,3.7trimethylxanthine) is a substance plant origin, which has a stimulating effect on the nervous system.
Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, cola, as well as chocolate and cocoa.
When a pregnant woman drinks 4 to 7 cups of coffee per day, the risk of fetal death is 33%.
British scientists have calculated that consumption of 100 milligrams of caffeine per day during any trimester of pregnancy, which is equivalent to one cup of coffee, leads to an average weight loss of a newborn by 50 grams, and consumption of more than 300 milligrams of caffeine leads to a weight loss of 70 grams. Such “underweight” can affect the health of babies in the first days of life.
If it is still difficult to give up, then the amount of caffeine consumed should not exceed 200 milligrams per day, which corresponds to 283 grams of coffee or 700 grams of tea. That is, two cups of coffee a day is the limit.

Especially for- Elena Kichak

During pregnancy, a woman is especially concerned about her health: she leads a healthy lifestyle, follows all the recommendations of her doctor, and approaches the issue of diet planning and food selection more carefully.

This one stands out separately important question, as a choice of drink for a pregnant woman. After all, all substances that enter the mother’s body also reach the baby. This article examines and describes in more detail both the harmful and beneficial properties of the most popular drinks among pregnant women.

Coffee and pregnancy

Probably no question has been asked by pregnant women as often as the question of whether coffee is harmful during pregnancy. And, probably, there have not been so many absolutely contradictory answers to a single question as to the question of whether coffee is ok during pregnancy.

Some researchers claim that drinking coffee in early pregnancy does not cause any harm to either the mother or the fetus. Another group of scientists says that coffee and pregnancy are two mutually exclusive concepts. So who should we believe? Who can give accurate information about how coffee affects pregnancy? And is the effect of coffee on pregnancy dangerous?

Recent studies by Russian gynecologists, conducted jointly with neonatologists, have proven that drinking coffee during pregnancy can have the most negative consequences.

Scientists studied hundreds of women who lost their pregnancies as a result of spontaneous miscarriage. More than 90% of them did not stop drinking coffee after learning about their pregnancy. Among women who gave birth to their babies prematurely, 80% also drank coffee throughout their pregnancy.

Women who drank instant coffee during pregnancy were much more likely to experience swelling and heartburn attacks. In addition, this group of women most often develops a disease such as cystitis.

Based on the data obtained, doctors conducted an analysis and came to the following conclusion: drinking coffee during pregnancy increases the risk of developing all kinds of complications, both from the maternal body and from the fetus.

In addition, planning a pregnancy and coffee are also poorly compatible things. If a woman regularly consumes one mug of coffee per day, she will reduce her chances of getting pregnant by about 10%. It would seem that it’s not so scary. What if a woman drinks only one cup of coffee, and what if she drinks 4 – 5 cups? It’s easy to calculate how her chances of becoming a mother are decreasing.

Sometimes it happens that a woman simply cannot bring herself to give up drinking coffee even during pregnancy. In this case, decaffeinated coffee may be the safest alternative. Of course, it differs from the usual taste of natural coffee, but it is still able to deceive the body and help get rid of coffee addiction at least for the period of pregnancy and eliminate the harm of coffee during pregnancy.

Pregnancy and coffee with milk should also be mutually exclusive. There is a misconception that milk neutralizes the negative effects of coffee. However, this is not true - milk only changes the taste of coffee. So it’s better to drink tea with milk, which will not harm your baby and not worry about whether coffee is ok during pregnancy.

Pregnancy and tea

Tea can be a worthy replacement for coffee. However, the choice of tea must also be approached with caution, because not every tea will benefit the expectant mother and her baby. For example, black tea should be drunk with caution during pregnancy, as it contains theanine. Strong tea can harm the baby's health.

Herbal teas, even those as harmless as Ivan tea, should also be consumed very carefully during pregnancy and only with the permission of your gynecologist. This precaution is explained by the fact that some herbs included in herbal tea can negatively affect the development of the fetus, and even provoke miscarriage or premature birth.

Kidney tea during pregnancy should also be drunk only as directed and under the supervision of a doctor. Excessive abuse of kidney tea can lead not only to the removal of edema, but also to the leaching of a large number of useful micro and macroelements from the body, and as a result, metabolic disorders.

In order for you to decide what tea to drink during pregnancy, all the positive and negative properties that they have are described below. various varieties tea.

Green tea during pregnancy, despite its wide popularity, is strictly not recommended. This is due to the peculiarity of green tea, which is that it completely prevents the body from absorbing folic acid, so necessary for a pregnant woman. It is folic acid that is responsible for the proper formation and further formation of the internal organs of the fetus. A lack of folic acid can lead to fetal malformations. This is why you should not drink green tea during pregnancy.
Insti tea is a favorite cold and flu treatment for many pregnant women. Reviews from doctors about this tea are mixed: some doctors believe that its use is absolutely safe, while others argue that this risk is not justified. When making a choice, consult your gynecologist.
Linden tea during pregnancy is an excellent alternative pharmacological drugs from a cold. Linden tea will relieve nasal congestion, relieve headaches, and normalize the functioning of the nervous system. And if you drink linden tea with raspberries, you can achieve a reduction in high temperature. Just remember that raspberries are a strong diaphoretic. Therefore, after you drink tea, you will need to go to bed. And tea with honey during pregnancy is an excellent sedative.
Tea with lemon during pregnancy can be an excellent tonic. In addition, do not forget about the benefits of vitamin C found in lemons.
But chamomile tea during pregnancy, despite its undeniable benefit, should be taken very, very carefully. Chamomile has a pronounced sedative and anti-inflammatory effect, however, in addition, it has a stimulating effect on the production of estrogen on the ovaries. That is why, if there is even the slightest threat of spontaneous abortion, from using chamomile tea must be refused. Those women whose pregnancy proceeds without complications should limit themselves to 0.5 liters of chamomile tea per day. Chamomile tea should only be consumed during pregnancy with your doctor's permission.
Mint tea during pregnancy will help prevent the appearance of edema and eliminate existing ones. And in early stages of pregnancy, mint tea will help eliminate the symptoms of toxicosis. The main thing to pay attention to when choosing mint tea is whether natural mint is used, or just mint flavorings. The recommended amount of tea per day is no more than one liter. Tea with lemon balm has similar properties.
Some women in the first trimester of pregnancy experience severe, debilitating toxicosis, accompanied by constant nausea and bouts of vomiting. Ginger tea can be a real salvation in this situation. Tea with ginger has the remarkable ability to quickly and permanently eliminate nausea. Typically, the effects of one cup of ginger tea last about 10 hours. It is worth taking note of this remedy for those women who get motion sickness in transport.
White tea during pregnancy increases the absorption of calcium, which is very important factor for a normal pregnancy. In addition, white tea normalizes cardiovascular functions. vascular system, reduces vascular permeability and has a restorative effect on the body of a pregnant woman.
Rosehip tea is a real storehouse of vitamins. Rose hips contain almost all the vitamins the body needs. To prepare tea, pour 20 grams of rose hips with a liter of boiling water and let it brew for 5 hours. However, do not forget that rose hips have a mild diuretic effect.
Hibiscus tea has unique property both to increase pressure and to decrease it. If you have low blood pressure, you need to drink this tea cold, but if you have high blood pressure, then drink it hot.
Tea with bergamot has a pleasant taste and aroma, just like tea with jasmine. However, they belong to the category of green tea and their consumption is highly undesirable.
Lingonberry tea also has a diuretic property and quickly relieves swelling. However, it should not be consumed without a doctor’s prescription, since diuretic teas during pregnancy should be drunk only if indicated.
But tea with thyme, beloved by many women, is strictly contraindicated during pregnancy.

For regular use, it is better to choose some neutral tea. Kuril tea has a pleasant taste and smell, and has no contraindications for use during pregnancy. For adherents classic version Rooibos tea is ideal.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and is not a guide to action. For the right choice Consult your healthcare provider.

Pregnant women often become hostages of their situation. They have to limit themselves in certain types of entertainment, refuse bad habits and reception medicines, and finally, scrupulously review your usual diet. The last point is especially controversial, since some women do not consider pregnancy a disease that requires dieting, while others choose their new menu very carefully. And this is where they begin serious problems. If you can easily refuse some products or at least replace them, then what should you do with coffee? After all, many of us simply cannot imagine our morning without the invigorating aroma and unsurpassed taste of Arabica. To dispel all misunderstandings on this matter, we suggest you figure out how coffee affects pregnancy, whether this drink is so dangerous, how doctors scare you, and how to drink coffee correctly in a “delicate” position.

Coffee during pregnancy. How does frequent coffee consumption affect the female body?

By drinking one cup of a fragrant drink made from coffee beans, we fill our body not only with vigor and a pleasant sensation of flavor, but also receive more than 1000 different substances. More than a third of these elements are aromatic compounds, which give coffee its main highlight - aroma.

The second most numerous are alkaloids - tonic compounds that provide a surge of energy after each serving of coffee. Chief among them is caffeine. Its concentration depends on the type of coffee, but on average in one coffee spoon ground coffee contains about 0.2 g of caffeine.

What else makes coffee so beneficial? It turns out that it contains enough vitamins, mineral salts and carbohydrates. In addition, scientists claim that chemical composition coffee beans has not been fully studied and many components have not yet been identified.

100 g of ground coffee contains 50% of the daily requirement of vitamin B2, D, phosphorus and iron, as well as 132% of the daily requirement of vitamin PP, and 20% of sodium, calcium, amino acids and carbohydrates.

Interesting! Coffee beans contain an alkaloid, which during roasting depletes the characteristic aroma and is converted into nicotinic acid. And it, in turn, actively influences the nerve center.

This multifaceted composition makes coffee both beneficial and dangerous to health. But how the drink affects you depends on individual characteristics your body and the amount of coffee you drink.

To briefly describe the beneficial properties of coffee, moderate consumption of the drink (up to 2-3 cups per day) has the following positive effect on health:

provides a good mood;
gives a feeling of a surge of strength for a long time;
increases efficiency and concentration;
stimulates intestinal function;
prevents the appearance of caries;
help stabilize the condition of vegetative-vascular dystonia and hypotension;
exhibits a stable antioxidant effect;
relieves the condition during exacerbation of bronchial asthma;
reduces the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

On a note! Coffee during pregnancy sometimes becomes the most safe means from low blood pressure, which often plagues women in the first weeks after conception.

The main consequences of abuse of this drink are:

urolithiasis disease;
potassium deficiency;
increased cholesterol;
exacerbation of migraine attacks;
dehydration;
hypertension.

Important! Caffeine belongs to the class of mild narcotic compounds, so many coffee lovers are addicted to coffee both physically and psychologically.

Coffee during pregnancy: is it possible or not?

Many women are frightened by the loud statements of experts that coffee and bearing a baby are completely incompatible. Therefore, all pregnant women are advised to abstain from consuming caffeinated beverages until after delivery. But how justified is this? Indeed, there is a lot of reliable research data on the negative effects of caffeine on the fetus and woman.

Official statistical reports they say that drinking coffee during early pregnancy often ends in miscarriage, and in last weeks- premature delivery. But such consequences threaten not women who occasionally allow themselves a cup of weak coffee, but avid coffee drinkers who drink many servings of strong espresso.

To resolve the dilemma of whether coffee can be consumed during pregnancy, Danish scientists conducted an experiment. His results showed that pregnant women can safely drink up to 150 mg of coffee. This is enough for vigor, good health, and complete safety of the baby.

Similar studies were carried out jointly with American, Australian and European scientists. In 2010, they provided recommendations that stated the permissible daily dose of caffeine was 200 g. This amount corresponds to 2 servings.

Important! These recommendations are intended for healthy women whose pregnancy proceeds without complications. If a woman has liver disease, kidney disease, or anemia, then it is better not to drink coffee. Coffee can be especially dangerous during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester if there is highly progressive gestosis.

Coffee during pregnancy. Why pregnant women have different attitudes towards coffee

If a woman was not into coffee before conception, then the question of drinking it rarely arises. And sometimes even intolerance to it can occur, especially during toxicosis. In women, the coffee aroma can provoke a sudden attack of vomiting, mild malaise and even fainting.

Interesting! Berlin scientists have established interesting fact. Women who drink a lot of coffee have a much harder time getting pregnant. Therefore, when planning a pregnancy, it is better to exclude coffee from the list of favorite drinks.

Why can’t other women give up coffee and brew it again and again? There are two reasons for this. The first is the desire to constantly receive energy “recharging”. No matter how unrealistic it may seem, coffee is truly addictive, just like smoking and drinking energy drinks. Caffeine, entering the body, is absorbed into the blood and reaches the brain, where it activates the synthesis of dopamine. This neurotransmitter causes the desired feeling of joy, vigor, and drive. But this effect is short-lived, and after 2-3 hours the body begins to require another portion of caffeine.

The second reason why a pregnant woman wants coffee is iron deficiency in the body. Its lack causes oxygen starvation in the mother and fetus, poor health and loss of strength. But in such a situation, there is no need to give in to temptation and improve your well-being with another portion of coffee. It is better to tell the doctor about the problem, do an examination, and if the deficiency is confirmed, undergo treatment.

Harmful properties of coffee or why you shouldn’t drink coffee during pregnancy

Those women who have no obvious contraindications to coffee can safely enjoy coffee and at the same time receive tangible benefits from it. Pregnant women with hypotension and vegetative-vascular dystonia are recommended to use weak coffee. But the main condition is to use it after breakfast.

Coffee will also be useful during pregnancy from the 2nd trimester if the woman suffers from physiological swelling. This is due to the strong diuretic effects of coffee beans. But this method of getting rid of edema is appropriate only in the absence of gestosis, proteinuria and iron deficiency anemia.

Much to the chagrin of coffee lovers, the list useful qualities during pregnancy this is all it takes. But the list of possible negative reactions is much longer.

Undesirable consequences from coffee abuse can occur at all stages of gestation and be of different nature:

Due to its diuretic effect, coffee can flush vital calcium, phosphorus and potassium from the body. This threatens skeletal development in the fetus and osteoporosis in the mother.
Drinking more than 4 cups of coffee in the second trimester of pregnancy leads to insufficient fetal weight.
Caffeine increases blood pressure, which is accompanied by constriction of blood vessels, including the vascular network of the placenta. This provokes phytoplacental insufficiency and oxygen starvation of the fetus.
All components of coffee can cross the placental barrier and provoke a change in the baby’s heart rate.
An overdose of caffeine causes nervous tension in women: insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and aggressiveness.

Important! Drinking coffee against the background of uterine hypertonicity can result in a miscarriage.

When should you not drink coffee during pregnancy?

Coffee is a conditionally dangerous product during gestation, so if you cannot give it up, you should consult a doctor to rule out any contraindications. These include the following conditions and diseases:

Hypertension.
Diseases of the digestive system.
Tachycardia.
Toxicosis and gestosis.
Sleep problems.
Anemia.
Loss of appetite.
Violation of phytoplacental blood flow.

In such situations, even weakly brewed coffee can greatly aggravate a woman’s condition.

How to drink coffee correctly for pregnant women

To ensure that a cup of an invigorating drink benefits the pregnant woman and does not harm the baby, doctors strongly recommend adhering to the rules of safe coffee drinking:

Coffee is allowed to be drunk only after a meal, since if caffeine enters an empty stomach, it will irritate the mucous membranes and cause nausea, heartburn and stomach pain.
It is better to dilute coffee with milk or natural cream. This will slightly reduce the strength of the coffee and also help replenish your calcium supply.
Coffee contributes to dehydration, so after each cup of coffee you need to drink 3 glasses of mineral water to restore the disturbed water balance.
When drinking coffee, you need to consider the caffeine content of other drinks.

What type of coffee is best to choose during pregnancy?

There is a wide range of coffee, so it is not always clear to a woman which variety is best to drink during pregnancy. There are no clear instructions on this matter, but experts advise buying only natural coffee beans to exclude the presence of third-party additives.

Black coffee during pregnancy

In stores you can buy coffee beans or already ground, of varying degrees of grinding, in the form of a mixture or a specific variety. It all depends on your preferences. But it should be noted that the strength of the drink is affected by the degree of roasting of the beans. The longer they are fried, the more alkaloids are formed. Therefore, it is better for women to choose lightly roasted coffee with milk during pregnancy.

There is one more important point. All coffee comes in two types: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is distinguished by its noble sourness, delicate taste and aroma, and the weakness of the drink. Robusta is much inferior in taste, but it contains much more caffeine.

On a note! The degree of extraction of coffee is affected by its grinding. The finer the grind, the richer the drink turns out.

Instant coffee during pregnancy

It is mistakenly believed that instant coffee is less dangerous because it contains less caffeine. This is not entirely true, since this type of coffee is made from sorted Robusta beans. And the caffeine concentration may even be higher than that of regular brewed coffee.

Another reason to avoid this type of coffee is its unclear composition. Experts claim that in instant coffee, coffee extract makes up only 15-25%, and the rest is chemical additives. Therefore, it is simply impossible to talk about its naturalness.

The same goes for your favorite 3in1 drinks. In addition to flavoring additives, there are vegetable fats and preservatives.

Decaf coffee during pregnancy

Coffee labeled “caffeine-free” is considered fraudulent. Although the beans are processed to reduce the concentration of caffeine, it still remains in them. In addition, many experts are of the opinion that such coffee is not only useless, but also dangerous. Because various solvents are used to extract caffeine.

A number of studies have shown that coffee after decaffeination leads to the development of atherosclerosis.

Not the best way caffeine extraction also affects the taste of coffee. It becomes flavorless and tastes bland. Therefore, it is better to avoid such processed coffee and use natural varieties with low caffeine content.

Is there an alternative to coffee during pregnancy?

If coffee is absolutely contraindicated for you, but you really want to treat yourself to something aromatic and invigorating, there is a very good way out- brew a plant-based coffee drink.

You may have noticed drinks containing chicory, barley, herbal and berry extracts on supermarket shelves. They can be in the form of a soluble powder or crushed raw materials that must be pre-cooked.

Chicory instead of coffee during pregnancy

An excellent coffee substitute is chicory root. After preparation, a drink based on it is very similar to the taste and smell of instant coffee. Chicory has many beneficial properties and is not contraindicated during gestation:

It stabilizes blood glucose levels.
Raises hemoglobin.
Has a cleansing effect.
Improves appetite.
Shows a sedative effect.

Chicory should not be consumed only if you have stomach diseases and varicose veins.

Chicory has a diuretic effect, so you should not drink more than 3-4 cups a day. Prepare the drink according to the instructions on the package. In most cases, it is sold in powder form, which must be mixed with sugar and poured with boiling water. To improve the taste, you can add cream, condensed milk or milk.

Barley instead of coffee during pregnancy

The barley drink is also caffeine-free and rich in vitamins and minerals. It is very different from coffee, but still has a pleasant taste and fresh aroma. Unlike chicory, this product has no contraindications.

A barley drink is prepared in the same way as coffee. It can be a stand-alone drink or part of combined coffee mixtures containing chicory, herbs, rose hips, and berry powder.

"Kurzeme" instead of coffee during pregnancy

This is another well-known coffee drink. It contains fried and finely ground chicory and cereals (oats, barley, rye).

This is a real lifesaver for pregnant women. It is even served in perinatal centers and maternity hospitals as a general tonic. Kurzeme defends cardiovascular system, increases appetite, supports kidneys.

This drink can be combined with milk, cocoa, hot chocolate, and juices.

Ultimately, whether to drink coffee or not is up to the pregnant woman to decide. But you should always remember that in large quantities even vitamins can become poison, and vice versa. Therefore, if you drink only 1 cup of coffee, you can recharge yourself with positivity without harming your baby. And if abused, you can face many problems during pregnancy. Be attentive to your health!

Video “Coffee and Pregnancy”

Many modern women are accustomed to drinking in the morning. strong coffee, and some do this even several times during the day. During pregnancy, you need to give up this habit. Coffee, like alcohol, has harmful effects both on the woman’s body and on the developing fetus. The fact is that the alkaloid caffeine (1,3.7trimethylxanthine) contained in coffee, when entering the body, has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, increases motor activity, excitability, increases urine output (the kidneys begin to produce and excrete almost twice as much urine), increases gastric secretion of hydrochloric acid five times and doubles the secretion of the salivary glands, affects intestinal activity. With frequent consumption of coffee, the heart rate and breathing increase, and the gastrointestinal mucosa becomes irritated. Therefore, during pregnancy and even when breastfeeding, you should avoid drinking this drink.

Tea is much healthier for a pregnant woman(can be with jam), rosehip decoction and drinks, recipes for which are described in the chapter on nutrition for nursing mothers. We recommend consuming these drinks also during pregnancy.

Preference rosehip favored solely because of its high content of vitamin C (1100 mg per 100 g of dry berries, with most of it going into the decoction), iron (25 mg per 100 g of dry rose hips), as well as vitamins B and PP.

Tea deserves special attention, since it is the most widespread drink, long used by Russians (in Ukraine they began to drink it since 1628) and at the same time a medicinal remedy. The wide popularity of tea and its value (including for pregnant women) are determined by the theine it contains, chemical structure which is similar in structure to coffee caffeine (C8P10N4O2); but in tea infusion it is combined with the tannin substance tannin. Thanks to the complex with tannin, theine acts longer and softer and, unlike coffee and cocoa, does not cause depression after stimulation. The tea also contains theobromine, theophylline, vitamins P.B, B„PP, K, C and pantosnic acid, minerals - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and fluorine.
Green tea even prevents deficiency in the body of vitamins such as P, K, PP and B2. Among tea vitamins, vitamin P is especially important, which is necessary for the processes of cellular respiration and strengthening the walls of blood vessels. Therefore, weak tea, especially green tea, which contains more vitamins P and C than other varieties, has a noticeable effect on the elasticity and permeability of blood vessels and can be successfully used for high blood pressure, often observed during pregnancy.

It should be noted that tea has bactericidal properties, is able to adsorb and neutralize toxic substances and harden tooth enamel, which is extremely important during pregnancy. Chewing dry tea helps relieve nausea and vomiting in pregnant women. You can drink tea with milk, but be sure to pour tea into hot milk, and not vice versa.

Homemade tinctures and liqueurs should be excluded from a pregnant woman’s diet, as they contain alcohol, the consumption of which is contraindicated during this period.

The course of pregnancy is quite often complicated by constipation, and to combat them we recommend, along with the indicated products, also the use medicinal plants, which are mild laxatives. These are aloe, anise, budra, black elderberry, valerian, watch, knotweed, sweet clover, oregano, fumes, centaury, hoofed ungulate, buckthorn, kelp, flax, burdock, lemon balm, mint, dandelion, rhubarb, chamomile, rowan, licorice, caraway seeds, dill, fennel, celandine. The composition of fees that have a laxative effect is given below.

Collection 1
Alexandria leaf - 3 parts, budra - 3 parts, watch - 5 parts, oregano - 3 parts, St. John's wort - 3 parts, centaury - 2 parts, kelp - part, lemon balm - 3 parts, rhubarb - 2 parts, licorice - 3 parts, fennel - 3 parts.

Collection 2
Black elderberry - 3 parts, anesthesia - 4 parts, gossamer - 4 parts, hoofed grass - 4 parts, mint - 2 parts, chamomile - 5 parts, cumin - 2 parts, celandine - 3 parts, flax (seed) - 2 parts.

Collection 3
Anise - 2 parts, valerian - 2 parts, sweet clover - 4 parts, St. John's wort - 3 parts, kruishna - 3 parts, burdock (root) - 5 parts, dandelion 4 parts, rowan - 2 parts, dill - part, horse sorrel - 4 parts.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the collection with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 20-30 minutes. Strain and drink 1-2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day between meals.

If you are lucky and you find yourself in a family of fans healthy image life, then, most likely, you will be offered green or fruit tea, and if coffee, then it will definitely be natural; less often they will offer juices from packages.

What should a pregnant woman choose from this entire list? To the disappointment of many women, during this period some of their usual drinks are not recommended, and a number of drinks should be significantly limited.

Drinks to limit

Coffee - contains caffeine. Moreover, a cup of instant coffee contains even more of it than a cup of natural coffee. Plus, instant coffee contains chemicals that make it soluble. Regular consumption of more than 5-6 cups of coffee per day is the same drug addiction as cigarette addiction. Using any drug during pregnancy, even something as innocent as coffee, will inevitably lead to the same addiction in the child.

That is why coffee consumption during pregnancy should be reduced and kept to a minimum. However, you can drink it in small quantities (1 cup of natural coffee per day). Not regularly, but in those cases when you really want it, or when a cup of natural coffee replaces medicine for low blood pressure.

Tea - also contains caffeine, and a cup of strongly brewed tea contains no less of it than a cup of coffee. Therefore, a pregnant woman needs to drink it very diluted, which usually affects the taste of the drink. Many people prefer not to drink tea at all than to drink it in this form.

Some people mistakenly believe that if they replace black tea with green tea, they will get less caffeine. This opinion is wrong. A cup of green tea contains no less caffeine than black tea, so the same restrictions apply. On the other hand, green tea is rich in microelements and bioactive substances, so if a pregnant woman drinks tea, then green is better than black, but do not forget about its strength.

Fruit tea, which has become fashionable in Lately, can be divided into regular tea with fruit additives, and a purely fruit or herbal drink. Of course, such tea is healthier than regular tea if it is brewed directly from dried leaves and fruits, and not from bags. However, we should not forget that tea with fruit and herbal additives remains the same tea, and we will again have to remember its strength.

Cocoa is a fairly strong allergen; allergies to cocoa are much more common than to coffee or citrus fruits. In addition, cocoa (like coffee) helps flush calcium from the body.

Sparkling water - promotes excessive gas formation and flatulence. Sweet carbonated drinks, such as Coca-Cola, contain a lot of synthetic chemicals, the use of which is not recommended for everyone, especially pregnant women. In addition, cola and other drinks interfere with the absorption of calcium. Mineral water rich without gas mineral salts and can pose a serious burden on the kidneys of a pregnant woman, especially if she periodically has salts in her urine or has a tendency to edema.

Juices - of course, much more useful. However, it is better to drink freshly squeezed juices rather than from packages. The latter do not always contain safe and harmless substances: companies often add vitamins, taste improvers, preservatives, etc. to their juices. In addition, many of them contain a large number of Sahara. If you choose among packaged juices, you should give preference to those intended for baby food.

What can you drink?

What can a pregnant woman drink to quench her thirst? During pregnancy, it is better to learn how to quench your thirst clean water . Spring water (tested by experts), bottled water, and simply filtered boiled water will do.

This becomes especially relevant in the second half of pregnancy, when the activation of water-salt metabolism and an increase in the total volume of circulating fluid can lead to increased thirst. During pregnancy, you should drink as much as you need, unless your doctor limits your fluid intake. If a pregnant woman gets used to constantly carrying water with her and drinking it in small sips at first, attacks of thirst manifest themselves much less frequently.

Pure water should become the main and main drink for a pregnant woman and make up at least 2/3 of all fluid entering the body.

What to drink besides water:

Firstly, natural juices And fruit drinks . Preference should be given to freshly squeezed juice rather than packaged juice. IN winter time It is better to use a fruit drink made from homemade preparations. Fruit drinks can be prepared from jam, marmalade, compote, dried and frozen fruit. Such drinks are rich in vitamins and microelements.
Secondly, herbal teas . However, it is better not to use ready-made bags, but to prepare tea directly from dry herbs, leaves, flowers, dried fruits, brewing them like tea, at the rate of 1 teaspoon per glass of boiling water. Any herb that does not have strong odor and unpleasant taste, and does not affect the endocrine system. It is also good to use raw materials from those plants that grow in the same area where the pregnant woman herself lives. IN middle lane In Russia, such teas are most often brewed from the leaves of raspberries, strawberries, currants, cherries, blueberries, lingonberries, mint, lemon balm, Ivan tea, linden flowers, calendula, violets, rose hips, hawthorn, rowan, viburnum, etc.

It is especially important during pregnancy not to mix plants with each other, so that you can drink only those teas that you really like, without masking the unpleasant taste. The sensitive body of a pregnant woman will immediately tell you which plant you don’t want to drink right now and what you should give up for a while. If discomfort does not occur, then it is advisable to drink this tea for 2-3 days, then take a break for 1-2 days, and then brew some other plant.

Big choice

By alternating teas in this way, we will get a fairly large set of drinks that will be repeated no more than once a month. This simple recipe from folk experience will help pregnant women combat the lack of vitamins and microelements. If the bulk of a pregnant woman's drinking is pure water, juices, fruit drinks and herbal teas, then sometimes she will be able to treat herself to a cup of coffee and other not very healthy, but more favorite drink. In this case, time restrictions in choosing a drink will not be so difficult for her.