Can you drink coffee while pregnant? Let’s find out!
Welcome to your Morning Pour! ☕️
If it wasn’t obvious already, I love a good cup of coffee! It’s a daily ritual, whether I’m sipping one before heading into the office or enjoying it during a slow moment off the clock. My go-to? An iced oat milk vanilla latte (bonus points for a medium roast and house-made vanilla).
But let’s talk about the concerns you’ve probably heard:
Caffeine increases miscarriage risk.
Coffee harms baby’s development.
Even small amounts lead to low birth weight.
Good news is, many of these claims are overstated or misunderstood. You don’t necessarily have to give up coffee during pregnancy.
Let’s start with the numbers. Most guidelines, including those from the FDA, suggest keeping caffeine intake around 200 mg per day or less for healthy pregnancies. For non-pregnant and healthy adults, up to 400 mg is generally considered safe.
So what does that actually look like during pregnancy?
8 oz brewed coffee: ~95–165 mg
1 oz espresso shot: ~63–75 mg
(A typical latte with 2 shots = ~120–150 mg)8 oz cold brew: ~100–200 mg (can be higher depending on strength)
8 oz instant coffee: ~60–90 mg
8 oz decaf: ~2–8 mg (yes, still a little caffeine!)
Caffeine content isn’t always consistent. It can vary based on the roast (lighter roasts tend to have more caffeine), brewing method, and even how your favorite coffee shop prepares drinks. That’s why it’s helpful to know how many shots or ounces are in your go-to order, especially if you switch between cafés.
Once you have a general sense of what you’re drinking, it becomes much easier to stay within a comfortable range, whether that’s enjoying one cup or spacing out a couple throughout the day.
As always, my goal with this blog is to convey that it’s never about fear, but rather awareness. Understanding your caffeine intake can help you make informed choices, so you (and I 🙋🏻♀️) can continue enjoying the little rituals that bring us joy! 💛
Sources:
Bech BH, Obel C, Henriksen TB, Olsen J. Effect of reducing caffeine intake on birth weight and length of gestation: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2007;334(7590):409. doi:10.1136/bmj.39062.520648.BE
Editor. Caffeine during pregnancy. American Pregnancy Association. February 23, 2026. Accessed April 9, 2026. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy/caffeine-intake-during-pregnancy/.