High levels of caffeine in your diet can cause your baby to have a low birth weight. It may also increase the chance of miscarriage.
High caffeine levels are also associated with increased blood pressure, heart rate and may cause dehydration.
Foods and drinks containing caffeine include:
- coffee
- tea
- chocolate
- soft drinks (cola, fizzy orange, fizzy lemonade)
- energy drinks
- some herbal teas like green tea
You don't need to cut caffeine out completely, but you should limit how much you have to no more than 200mg a day.
Try decaffeinated tea and coffee, fruit juice or water. Limit the amount of energy drinks you have, as they can be high in caffeine.
When ordering coffee in a café or restaurant, caffeine levels can vary from 80mg to 300mg per cup.
Here is a guide on the estimated amount of caffeine in common drink and snack options:
Food or drink | Amount of caffeine |
1 mug of tea | 75mg |
1 mug of instant coffee | 100mg |
1 mug of filter coffee | 140mg |
1 can of cola or diet cola | 40mg |
1 energy drink | 60mg |
1 x 50g bar of milk chocolate | 25mg |
1 x 50g bar of plain chocolate | 50mg |
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