no no to caffeine!

Hi friends, I read some articles on caffeine last weekend and I find it is very important to share with friends are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, or suffering from premenstrual syndrome. Let me show you the top reasons that kicking the coffee habit can protect your health and your baby.

1. Caffeine Decreases a Woman’s Ability to Become Pregnant
In one research, caffeine has even been linked with increased rates of miscarriage when caffeine consumed in high doses.

2. Caffeine Affects Fetal Development
Caffeine reduce iron availability up to 50%, which may contribute to iron deficiency anemia. It also interferes with your body’s ability to absorb calcium, magnesium and potassium. During pregnancy, these nutrients are absolutely essential to your fetus’ growth.In fact, drinking caffeine during pregnancy can cause babies to be born with weak bones because of poor calcium absorption. Caffeine consumption can also lead to future osteoporosis and inflamed gums for both you and your baby.

Caffeine is a diuretic. When you drink a can of caffeinated soda, you’re losing more fluids than the amount you drink. Caffeine flushes precious fluids and essential calcium out of your body. So, preggie women should drink water instead of sodas. You’re body needs extra fluids to supply your baby with amniotic fluid and your baby’s ever-building blood supply.

Caffeine passes through your placenta and is absorbed by your baby. Adults are able to break down/digest the caffeine fairly quickly. However, your developing baby can’t do this as efficiently. This means that caffeine will be stored inside of his blood for longer periods of time even after the baby is no longer receiving all of its nourishment from you. The baby can become dependent on the drug. See, how pity is your baby? Your baby is forced to take drug!

Caffeine alters the baby’s heart rate and respiration, and these effects can last throughout infanthood. Babies of women who consume large amounts of caffeine (more than 500 mg/day) may be more likely to have faster breathing and heart rates and to sleep less in the first few days of life. Arggh... that would be new mummy's nightmare as you can't have enough rest after the exhausted labour but to keep an eye on your awake baby most of the time.

Another effects is lower baby birth weight. Low infant birth weight is associated with an increased risk of birth defects and infant mortality.

3. Coffee Drinking Is Associated with an Irregular Heart Rate During Pregnancy
An irregular heartbeat can often occur during pregnancy. The amount of time that caffeine circulates in the blood stream before being detoxified in the liver of a pregnant woman is tripled in the last two trimesters. This further intensifies caffeine withdrawal symptoms in infants after birth.

4. caffeine is digestive discomfort
Pregnant women are especially prone to heartburn should avoid further aggravation from caffeine.

5. Caffeine Affects Breastfeeding Babies
What a woman eats and drinks while breastfeeding influences her child’s health as substances pass from her bloodstream into her breast milk. Coffee consumed becomes part of the breast milk and it has been detected in breast milk even days after a woman has ingested it. A baby’s liver before the age of 6 months does not have enough liver enzyme capacity to detoxify caffeine efficiently and thus caffeine stays in a baby’s system for 80 to 100 hours in comparison to a typical adult who can process caffeine in 4-8 hours. Breastfeeding babies of women who drink more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day may become irritable or have difficulty sleeping. So, this is one of the reason why you have difficult baby when you consume caffeine while breastfeed to your baby! So, to make your new mummy life easy and happy, you can try to avoid caffeine in your daily food.

6. Caffeine Increases Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Studies shows the more caffeine you drink, you will experience some of these symptoms include anxiety, irritability and depression. Got such symptoms mey? I'm not sure wor but I feel more energetic if I drink coffee ley.

Most experts agree that small amounts of caffeine (equal to about one to two 8-ounce cups of coffee a day) appear safe during pregnancy. High caffeine intake (equal to about 3 or more cups of coffee a day) may increase the risk of miscarriage and of having a low-birth weight baby (less than 5½ pounds).

I don't think we are possible to totally eliminate caffeine in our daily food as most of our daily food contains bit of caffeine nowadays. However, I would say women should limit or control their caffeine intake during pregnancy in order to have a healthy baby lor. I know you can!