Cut Down on the Caffeine!

Proof of my love affair with caffeine in my single years!

If you are anything like me, this one suggestion hits you where it hurts!  I would gladly give up many things to have a baby but NOT my coffee please! Yet if you are thinking of conceiving and the Starbucks barrista knows your order the moment you walk in, you may have to consider reducing the amount of coffee you are currently consuming. This as well goes for those of you who can't function in the mornings without that cup of java, or can't get through a work day without several cups of your french toast.

Along with many other side affects, coffee is known to cause miscarriages and it would also be wise for you to go through its withdrawal symptoms before you actually try to conceive let alone get pregnant!

Even though caffeine is a natural substance that stimulated the central nervous system making you feel more alert; it also has several harmful side affects.  Studies show that an excess amount of caffeine can trigger a fast heart rate, insomnia, anxiety and restlessness.  Abruptly stopping the use of caffeine can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and irritablility.  Yes, caffeine has been proven to boost your memory, concentration and mental health.  Caffeine possibly my even decrease the risk of Alzhiemer's disease and certain cancers.  But have you ever heard about the Caffeine Contraceptive?

New York magazine previously reported: Women generally metabolize caffeine faster than men. Smokers process it twice as quickly as nonsmokers do. Women taking birth-control pills metabolize it at perhaps one-third the rate that women not on the Pill do. Asians may do so more slowly than people of other races. In The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World’s Most Popular Drug, authors Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer hypothesize that a nonsmoking Japanese man drinking his coffee with an alcoholic beverage -- another slowing agent -- would likely feel caffeinated “about five times longer than an Englishwoman who smoked cigarettes but did not drink or use oral contraceptives.”

Doctors don't always agree on how much caffeine is safe once you ARE pregnant.  Some allow the equivalent to one small cup of have a day.  Thats about 100 milligrams, but most recommend you stopping entirely, especially in the first trimester.

Don't forget that caffeine is not only found in coffee but soda, tea, energy drinks and even in pain medications.  A 12-ounce can of soda or an 8 ounce cup of green / black tea can contain 30-60 milligrams of caffeine! Two tablets of extra strength Excederin have 130 milligrams of caffeine! You have to calculate the amount of daily caffeine that you are consuming from those sources along with the coffee.  Read labels and ingredients before consuming!

I was born into a family where coffee was a relaxing part of our morning routine, and a treat after family lunch as we bonded.  Coffee brakes, coffee shops, and coffee dates were an exciting escape brake from life!   In my college years, I would leave for work extra early to buy my Cafe Collata at DD, and I would feel cool sitting in lectures with 100+ students drinking a Frapachino from Starbucks. When I was single, there was nothing more romantic for me to do than to go to a coffee or book shop and spend hours sipping a drink and either reading a book or working on the computer.  When I started teaching, they would offer us free expressos and it would sometimes be the only thing that would get me through the mornings.

What most of you might not know, an excess amount or prolonged intake of caffeine produces ulcers.  In my case this was a blessing more than a curse.  All the years of drinking coffee and caffeinated products had an intricate part in my diagnostic of Ulcerous Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the colon (the largest portion of the large intestine), that includes characteristiculcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset. IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

From seeing my caffeine history (and thankfully Ive never been into sodas or energy drinks), is no mystery why I developed Ulcerative Colitis.  I had several symptoms, mostly that my morning cup of coffee would work as a laxative just half an hour later; yet it took me a year to get my self check out by a doctor!  I had just entered a complicated relationship with my husband then boyfriend, I had begun a demanding new job, and I had moved in with my sickly grandparents all that the SAME time!

Looking back now, I can see how foolish and naive I had been.  Yes I was overwhelmed with responsibilities, but my health should have been my priority!  It was only when I started seeing blood in my bowl movements that I went to a wonderful gastroenterologist who thanks to my merciful Lord, was skilled enough to detect something far more worse and scarier than Ulcerative Colitis.  You might have caught a glimpse of it in my previous post My Husband's Preconception Ultimatum
 But that story is for my next post.

Even though this post was mostly about going off caffein; I hope that I don't have to mention how alcohol, smoking and consuming drugs affects your chances of conceiving and can lead to sever birth defects once pregnant.   Especially during the fetus' critical brain and organ formation at the 3-8 week period.

My cafe outing years

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