Caffeine and ttc... Stop now!

lianyla · 11-23-2006, 06:41 AM

Just thought I'd tell everyone what I really wish I would have known before. Caffeine drastically lowers your chances of conceiving and increases your chance of miscarriage by 3 times!! A naturopath I know said that even having ONE can of caffeinated soda decreases your rate of conception by fifty percent!

I myself, had only ONE vice.... coffee. I had 2 cups per day (by cups I mean MUGS). I always heard it was not good for you but found scientific proof/studies that state that it is truly NOT GOOD to drink any coffee. I quit 2 days ago and it was hard. I got reallly sick but I know that it will be worth it.

Caffeine lessens eqq quality, cervical mucus and interferes with implantation by "firing off" bad chemicals into the uterus!! Just thought I'd share. I know that we are all willing to do anything to get pregnant!!

Paeta · 11-23-2006, 08:13 AM

I would second this. I gave up caffeine while TTC after being advised by a naturopath as well.

**BC-Tabithalyn** · 11-23-2006, 09:56 PM

Okay, okay I"m willing to buy it but do you have any links, articles, direct quotes about the "firing off" of bad chemicals...??? are we sure that one to two cups a day isn't just the norm and so many women get thru prgs. with smoking, caffiene, crack cocaine!!

I mean really caffiene is the taboo for just being a mild uterine stimulant or what???

I still can't get it into my head how it is bad for purposes of conceiving altho' I understand the concept of it potentially causing m/c if taken in large quantities during prg.???

any help here would be appreciated.. I know I can quit easily enuf -just switch over to yoghurt from coffee -yoghurt boosts intestinal health with the probiotics and actually gives a greater energy kick than coffee ; and then straight fruit juices or blender mixes will also do the same for the energy high feeling... once you get over the first day or so of feeling grumpy... you could even go to flavoured decaf coffee for a treat right???
thx for this amber alert though... I'm thinking hard of making it my goal...
Ally

**BC-Alexandra** · 11-23-2006, 10:54 PM

i always blamed my mc on drinking coffee. i had no idea i was pg and mc at 10wks. alex.

lianyla · 11-24-2006, 06:36 AM

I feel the same way that you do re: giving it up. Believe me. I am soo sad to have quit. It was the only 'drug' I had left!! Ha ha. I mentioned before, I don't drink, smoke, gamble or do anything. My joy was coffee. Now it's gone! I was unwilling to give it up despite warnings from my doctor and RE. I kept drinking it. I would have a mug in the morning and then a flavored coffee/mocha in afternoon. No big deal... right? WEll, I am a kindergarten teacher and have mothers who have had their kids (my students) thru IVF. They all know that I am going through all of this because of my absences. ANyway, one of the mothers who is a psychiatrist pulled me aside during my 2ww (last month..) and asked me if I am a coffee drinker. I said, "YES, why?" and she proceeded to tell me about all of the conferences she attends and speaks on for women going through infertility. She speaks on PCOS also.. anyway, she is a very smart, wise woman who went thru 8 IVF cycles herself. She told me to stop and that there is scientific proof and it has a serious effect on some women. (ME?) Ya, there are plenty of women who get pg smoking crack and getting drunk all night but it isn't me!! I feel now that IF I am going to go to all of these lengths to get pregnant, why not control the ONE thing I can.. My addiction!! I have soo many ailments I have NO control over (endo, pcos) that I will do anything. Punch it in on google and read about 10 articles. It was enough to convince me. And believe me... I LOVE COFFEE. It was a lifestyle for me. The withdrawal was TERRIBLE. But I'm past that part. I still miss it, (it's only been 4 days), but I will get through it. I don't "buy into" things like this easily. I sat and thought about it though and it truly does make sense to me. Good luck to everyone. I know we are searching for anything!!

lsmariev · 11-25-2006, 03:50 AM

thanks for sharing...

I'm not drinking caffeine since 2 months. Though, I got be honest a couple of times I have drink a soda, but is not the norm. And I don't know if it is the caffeine, but my follicles had increased in size and amount with the clomid. So maybe that helps...

cs1984cs · 11-25-2006, 10:46 AM

I enjoy coffee for its taste so I always have a good decaf. on hand. My RE told me to avoid caffeine, to be exact, he put me on the diet of a pregnant woman. Know that teas (from most to no caffeine: black, green, oolong, white and herbal) and chocolate also contain caffeine but not as much.

chasesmommy · 11-26-2006, 08:18 AM

I drink about 2-4 cups in the morning and some days have an iced coffee in the afternoon...is decaffinated o.k...because I don't mind the taste and I still enjoy the coffee flavor...After this I will quit coffee, but I will switch to decaf...

lianyla · 11-26-2006, 10:18 AM

Yes, you can have decaf... If you like the taste. Some of it is "chemically" decaffeinated so I don't know if that's okay or not. Decaf has 97% of the caffeine eliminated. (it's the law). So there is still some caffeine. I think having a cup of tea, chocolate etc in moderation is fine. It's the hard core coffee drinkers like myself who have to give it up. There is caffeine in a lot of things that I cannot avoid entirely. ANd shouldn't have to But the coffee for sure!! Good luck to everyone.

rachel_va · 11-26-2006, 12:23 PM

I would rather follow the advice of an RE than a naturopath...and most RE's are ok with some caffeine both during ttc-ing and pregnancy. There has been some data recently (according to my RE) that links high amounts of decaf to m/c.

Having more than 600 mg of caffeine daily is a problem according to most of the literature. Most ttc-ing and pregnancy books recommend 300 or less.

I don't have caffeine "issues", never been that wild about anything caffeinated, but funnily enough, was "prescribed" caffeine by my ob/gyn to help with my pregnancy migraines. I'm supposed to drink caffeinated beverages (again, less than 300 mg in a day) every time I get a headache to try to stave off a migraine. If the caffeine doesn't work, I get to try Tylenol. After that, I'm supposed to go to a barbituate or narcotic safe in pregnancy. I'll take the caffeine!

Here is a link to how much caffeine in which beverages that I found helpful:
http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm

Rachel (38) and dh
lining issues/male factor
ttc-ing > 2 years
4 IUI's BFN
IVF #1 BFN
IVF #2 ER no ET (lining issues)
FET #1 BFP!

11-23-2006, 06:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
lianyla 1000-4999 post queen of hearts Join Date: May 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,027	Caffeine and ttc... Stop now! Just thought I'd tell everyone what I really wish I would have known before. Caffeine drastically lowers your chances of conceiving and increases your chance of miscarriage by 3 times!! A naturopath I know said that even having ONE can of caffeinated soda decreases your rate of conception by fifty percent! I myself, had only ONE vice.... coffee. I had 2 cups per day (by cups I mean MUGS). I always heard it was not good for you but found scientific proof/studies that state that it is truly NOT GOOD to drink any coffee. I quit 2 days ago and it was hard. I got reallly sick but I know that it will be worth it. Caffeine lessens eqq quality, cervical mucus and interferes with implantation by "firing off" bad chemicals into the uterus!! Just thought I'd share. I know that we are all willing to do anything to get pregnant!!

11-23-2006, 09:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
BC-Tabithalyn 1000-4999 post queen of hearts Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, CANADA Posts: 3,526	Okay, okay I"m willing to buy it but do you have any links, articles, direct quotes about the "firing off" of bad chemicals...??? are we sure that one to two cups a day isn't just the norm and so many women get thru prgs. with smoking, caffiene, crack cocaine!! I mean really caffiene is the taboo for just being a mild uterine stimulant or what??? I still can't get it into my head how it is bad for purposes of conceiving altho' I understand the concept of it potentially causing m/c if taken in large quantities during prg.??? any help here would be appreciated.. I know I can quit easily enuf -just switch over to yoghurt from coffee -yoghurt boosts intestinal health with the probiotics and actually gives a greater energy kick than coffee ; and then straight fruit juices or blender mixes will also do the same for the energy high feeling... once you get over the first day or so of feeling grumpy... you could even go to flavoured decaf coffee for a treat right??? thx for this amber alert though... I'm thinking hard of making it my goal... Ally __________________ TTC #1 for 5 + yrs (multiple losses) -IMMUNE ISSUES -used IVIg/Heparin&BA/Prednisone -SUCCESS: DS Travis-James born Jan 2/03 -TTC #2 - 2 more angels -Feb/06 had LIT immune tx. - now... :

11-25-2006, 03:50 AM	#6 (permalink)
lsmariev 1000-4999 post queen of hearts Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Fort Stewart, GA Posts: 1,592	thanks for sharing... I'm not drinking caffeine since 2 months. Though, I got be honest a couple of times I have drink a soda, but is not the norm. And I don't know if it is the caffeine, but my follicles had increased in size and amount with the clomid. So maybe that helps... __________________ Loyda (28) Dh (28) TTC#1 = 4 yrs / 7 clomid cycles = all BFN Natural BFP ~ Jun.06.07 ~ 8 weeks

11-26-2006, 12:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
rachel_va 1000-4999 post queen of hearts Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: VA Posts: 3,177	success ment. I would rather follow the advice of an RE than a naturopath...and most RE's are ok with some caffeine both during ttc-ing and pregnancy. There has been some data recently (according to my RE) that links high amounts of decaf to m/c. Having more than 600 mg of caffeine daily is a problem according to most of the literature. Most ttc-ing and pregnancy books recommend 300 or less. I don't have caffeine "issues", never been that wild about anything caffeinated, but funnily enough, was "prescribed" caffeine by my ob/gyn to help with my pregnancy migraines. I'm supposed to drink caffeinated beverages (again, less than 300 mg in a day) every time I get a headache to try to stave off a migraine. If the caffeine doesn't work, I get to try Tylenol. After that, I'm supposed to go to a barbituate or narcotic safe in pregnancy. I'll take the caffeine! Here is a link to how much caffeine in which beverages that I found helpful: http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm Rachel (38) and dh lining issues/male factor ttc-ing > 2 years 4 IUI's BFN IVF #1 BFN IVF #2 ER no ET (lining issues) FET #1 BFP! Last edited by rachel_ca; 11-30-2006 at 05:15 PM.

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11-23-2006, 08:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
Paeta Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 442	I would second this. I gave up caffeine while TTC after being advised by a naturopath as well.

11-23-2006, 10:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
BC-Alexandra Parenting After Adoption Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Virgina Posts: 4,606 Blog Entries: 7	i always blamed my mc on drinking coffee. i had no idea i was pg and mc at 10wks. alex.

11-24-2006, 06:36 AM	#5 (permalink)
lianyla 1000-4999 post queen of hearts Join Date: May 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,027	I feel the same way that you do re: giving it up. Believe me. I am soo sad to have quit. It was the only 'drug' I had left!! Ha ha. I mentioned before, I don't drink, smoke, gamble or do anything. My joy was coffee. Now it's gone! I was unwilling to give it up despite warnings from my doctor and RE. I kept drinking it. I would have a mug in the morning and then a flavored coffee/mocha in afternoon. No big deal... right? WEll, I am a kindergarten teacher and have mothers who have had their kids (my students) thru IVF. They all know that I am going through all of this because of my absences. ANyway, one of the mothers who is a psychiatrist pulled me aside during my 2ww (last month..) and asked me if I am a coffee drinker. I said, "YES, why?" and she proceeded to tell me about all of the conferences she attends and speaks on for women going through infertility. She speaks on PCOS also.. anyway, she is a very smart, wise woman who went thru 8 IVF cycles herself. She told me to stop and that there is scientific proof and it has a serious effect on some women. (ME?) Ya, there are plenty of women who get pg smoking crack and getting drunk all night but it isn't me!! I feel now that IF I am going to go to all of these lengths to get pregnant, why not control the ONE thing I can.. My addiction!! I have soo many ailments I have NO control over (endo, pcos) that I will do anything. Punch it in on google and read about 10 articles. It was enough to convince me. And believe me... I LOVE COFFEE. It was a lifestyle for me. The withdrawal was TERRIBLE. But I'm past that part. I still miss it, (it's only been 4 days), but I will get through it. I don't "buy into" things like this easily. I sat and thought about it though and it truly does make sense to me. Good luck to everyone. I know we are searching for anything!!

11-25-2006, 10:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
cs1984cs Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,198	I enjoy coffee for its taste so I always have a good decaf. on hand. My RE told me to avoid caffeine, to be exact, he put me on the diet of a pregnant woman. Know that teas (from most to no caffeine: black, green, oolong, white and herbal) and chocolate also contain caffeine but not as much.

11-26-2006, 08:18 AM	#8 (permalink)
chasesmommy 700-799 post 9 of hearts Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 785	I drink about 2-4 cups in the morning and some days have an iced coffee in the afternoon...is decaffinated o.k...because I don't mind the taste and I still enjoy the coffee flavor...After this I will quit coffee, but I will switch to decaf...

11-26-2006, 10:18 AM	#9 (permalink)
lianyla 1000-4999 post queen of hearts Join Date: May 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,027	Yes, you can have decaf... If you like the taste. Some of it is "chemically" decaffeinated so I don't know if that's okay or not. Decaf has 97% of the caffeine eliminated. (it's the law). So there is still some caffeine. I think having a cup of tea, chocolate etc in moderation is fine. It's the hard core coffee drinkers like myself who have to give it up. There is caffeine in a lot of things that I cannot avoid entirely. ANd shouldn't have to But the coffee for sure!! Good luck to everyone.