Pregnancy

Impact and implications of coffee on pregnancy

• Caffeine raises blood pressure and heart rate
• Caffeine can lead to dehydration due to its diuretic properties
• Caffeine crosses the placenta to the baby, who will not be able to properly metabolize the caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant, and therefore raises both blood pressure and heart rate. This can have harmful implications in pregnant women. As a stimulant, caffeine can also disrupt both the mother and baby’s sleep patterns. Caffeine has diuretic properties and therefore causes frequent urination. This can lead to dehydration. Another problem with drinking caffeine during pregnancy is that it passes to the baby across the placenta. The baby’s metabolism is not fully developed and therefore cannot properly metabolize the caffeine.¹

Sources

              ¹ American Pregnancy Association - Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy