Energy drink alternatives during pregnancy

How do the options compare?

Each option carries the caffeine it actually delivers, measured against the 200 mg pregnancy figure, plus whatever else is riding along in the can.

• Reviewers of energy drink safety state plainly that these products should not be consumed by pregnant women, alongside children, adolescents under 18, and breastfeeding women. 1
• A 250 mL energy drink carries about 80 mg of caffeine and a 500 mL can about 160 mg, and systolic blood pressure rises by roughly 6 to 10 mmHg in the one to two hours after drinking one. 1
• Most experts suggest keeping caffeine to 200 mg or less a day in pregnancy, and a can of Red Bull contributes about 67 mg toward that against 137 mg for an 8 ounce brewed coffee. 2
• Children exposed to more than 500 mg of caffeine a day in the third trimester were more likely to have faster heart rates, shaking, increased breathing rate, and more time awake in the days after birth. 2
• Pregnancy raises the daily iron requirement to 27 mg because blood volume increases, and too little iron causes weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, and trouble with concentration and memory. 3

Which option makes sense?

Energy drinks are the one category safety reviewers tell pregnant adults to skip outright, and a single coffee or a couple of teas covers the same gap with a number you can actually count.

Disclosure: Pregnancy Smart is a supplement maker. The options compared above sit outside our own product line; this page describes their pregnancy evidence on its own merits.