There are a lot of things pregnant women are shamed for doing, many rightly so - like doing drugs or drinking alcohol, but some things not so much. Drinking coffee should definitely fall in the latter category, and a recent study from the University of Queensland has the science to back it up.
Dr. Gunn-Helen Moen said in a statement released by the university:
Current World Health Organization guidelines say pregnant women should drink less than 300mg of caffeine, or two to three cups per day. But that's based on observational studies where it's difficult to separate coffee drinking from other risk factors like smoking, alcohol or poor diet. We wanted to find out if coffee alone really does increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and the research shows this isn't the case.
It is a very common medical practice to advise pregnant women to limit their caffeine consumption to 300mg. In my personal experience, if you ask an OBGYN why you need to limit caffeine, they'll likely say "We're not sure," which is not the most scientific reason to make major changes to your daily routine.
300mg also happens to be less than the average person drinks anyways - unless you're a Gilmore Girl, but those pregnant mom shamers definitely don't care, trust me.
Study Finds summarized the Genetic study:
Study authors used a technique called Mendelian Randomization, which used eight genetic variants that predict a pregnant woman's coffee drinking behavior. From there, they compared these variants to the group's pregnancy outcomes.
The study showed no difference in pregnancy complications between women who did and did not drink coffee.
But despite the fact that no pregnancy complications can be directly attributed to drinking coffee, mark my words, there will still be those busybody baristas who change your Starbucks order to decaf without your informed consent.
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