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“Do I really have to give up coffee now that I’m trying to get pregnant?” Patients ask me this question a lot and here’s how I usually answer it. If you’re trying to get your body healthy in order to conceive it makes sense to limit your coffee intake to one cup a day (100-200mg caffeine per day).
Struggling to get pregnant?
If getting pregnant is proving to be a struggle or you are suffering from infertility it’s best to cut coffee out altogether. Don’t worry it won’t be forever… I promise!
I love a cup of coffee myself and I’m similar to my patients in that I’m an busy over-scheduled woman and I appreciate the energy lift coffee can give me, so I understand this may be easier said than done.
However, even as I guiltily sip my morning oat mylk coffee as I write this, I know that this caffeine boost is false energy and no replacement for proper rest and good nutrition.
We all know that caffeine can increase stress which stimulates cortisol production and taxes our adrenals. Caffeine can also contribute to anxiety levels, which if you’re struggling to get pregnant is probably already high.
For people trying to conceive, coffee has other consequences.
- Caffeine can decrease the flow of blood to the uterus, which can interfere with implantation.
- Too much caffeine can increase the risk of blood clotting and miscarriage.
- Can impact cervical mucus quality
Knowing that caffeine can cause fertility problems some of it might be worth switching to decaffeinated coffee in order to enhance their fertility. However, all coffee, be it regular or decaf, is acidic and can make the body’s and cervical mucus too acidic and so hamper conception.
Several studies have shown that coffee (even decaffeinated coffee) can diminish fertility. One Dutch study showed that 4 cups of decaf or regular coffee a day lowered a woman’s chance of having a baby by 25%. Some studies have linked coffee to miscarriage and some have linked it to low sperm count.
So if you’re trying to conceive and each month is another disappointment, it may be time to ditch your daily cup of coffee.
I'm Katie Musicco
A Registered Acupuncturist, nerd when it comes to hormones, and my obsession is teaching others how to live healthFULLY (without it taking over their life). I’m here to help you do just that!
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