Is caffeine safe while trying to conceive?

What does the evidence say about caffeine while trying to conceive?

1. Most experts suggest limiting caffeine to 200 milligrams a day or less in pregnancy, and while high intake above 300 milligrams a day might make it harder to get pregnant, MotherToBaby describes those findings as not proven. 1
2. In a North American cohort of 2,135 people planning pregnancy, total caffeine intake among male partners rather than female partners was linked to fecundability, with a ratio of 0.72 for 300 milligrams a day or more versus under 100. 2
3. Moderate caffeine consumption under 200 milligrams a day does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth, and no firm conclusion can be drawn about higher intakes because two large prospective studies reached opposite results. 3
4. For most adults, 400 milligrams a day is an amount FDA has cited as not generally associated with negative effects, and FDA advises anyone pregnant or trying to become pregnant to talk with a clinician about whether to limit intake. 4
5. Common sources vary widely: about 137 milligrams in 8 ounces of brewed coffee, 235 milligrams in a 12 ounce Starbucks coffee, 48 milligrams in 8 ounces of brewed tea, and 67 milligrams in a Red Bull. 1

What to know about caffeine while trying to conceive

• The practical move while trying is to settle at the pregnancy number now, so nothing has to change the week a test turns positive. MotherToBaby puts that at 200 milligrams a day or less. One 8 ounce cup of brewed coffee is about 137 milligrams, so a single daily cup leaves room and two large ones do not.
• Hold the same 200 milligram ceiling. Caffeine adds up from places that do not feel like coffee: brewed tea runs about 48 milligrams per 8 ounces, a 12 ounce cola about 46, and a Red Bull about 67. Chocolate and some pain relievers contribute too.
• No change to the limit. If caffeine has started to disrupt your sleep more than it used to, moving your last cup earlier in the day is usually a better lever than cutting the amount further. Flag persistent insomnia to your provider rather than self-medicating around it.