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Coffee, Cola and Other Questionable Quenchers

Should You Cave in to Your Cravings?

By Kelly Burgess

Dr. M. Kelly Shanahan, a physician at the Emerald Bay Center for Women's Health in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., says that while nothing is better than water, water and more water, other types of non-alcoholic drinks are acceptable in moderation. "We do recommend limiting caffeine to no more than the equivalent of two small cups of coffee per day, which is a normal 8-ounce china cup, not a huge mug," says Dr. Shanahan. "If you can't live without your pop, do try to limit it to one can of pop per day, without any other caffeinated drinks in addition to that."

This goes for energy drinks as well. Currently, energy drinks are becoming a hot seller. Coming from many mainstream companies, they often promise health, vitamins and energy in a bottle. What they often contain, however, is herbal supplements that Dr. Shanahan says have not been shown to be safe in pregnancy. They're also often high in caffeine. Even healthy energy drinks may have more caffeine than would be recommended in pregnancy, especially for women suffering from edema or blood pressure issues.

The average 12-ounce can of soda has 140 to 200 calories and contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. Nutritionally, it has no value. Since a pregnant woman initially needs only about 300 additional calories per day, it would be easy to gain weight if too much soda was included in the diet. Sodas also cause spikes in insulinresponse, which may result in an increased risk of gestational diabetes.

Want to see more?

• Pregnancy Diet Don'ts: Foods to Avoid While You're Expecting
• Liquid Health: Smart Nutrition for Thirsty Moms
• Caffeine Calculator
• Talk about it!

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