Is Coffee safe during pregnancy?
One 12-oz cup a day generally fits ACOG's under-200 mg caffeine limit. Count lattes, tea and soda too.
What the sources say
ACOG says moderate caffeine — under 200 mg a day from all sources — is not linked to miscarriage or preterm birth. ACOG equates 200 mg to about one 12-oz cup of coffee. Brewed coffee varies: about 96 mg per 8 oz (Mayo Clinic), 137 mg per 8 oz (MotherToBaby), and 113–247 mg per 12 oz (FDA). Coffee-shop sizes can be much larger — MotherToBaby lists 235 mg in a 12-oz Starbucks coffee. While breastfeeding, CDC considers up to about 300 mg/day (2–3 cups of coffee) low to moderate; newborns and preterm babies clear caffeine slowly, so less may be better.
Common alternatives
Also listed as
brewed coffee, drip coffee, filter coffee, pour over, americano, iced coffee, instant coffee, starbucks coffee, dunkin coffee, latte, cappuccino, flat white
Sources
- ACOG: How much coffee can I drink while I'm pregnant?
- MotherToBaby: Caffeine
- Mayo Clinic: Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more
- FDA: Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
- CDC: Maternal Diet and Breastfeeding
- NIH LactMed: Caffeine
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.