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Is it Harmful to Drink Soda While Pregnant?

There are a lot of reasons why you might get the urge to grab an ice-cold Diet Pepsi. Perhaps you’re just looking for refreshment on a hot day, or after a long night of restless sleep while adjusting to your growing bump, you are looking for a caffeine boost. But should you be drinking soda with a baby on the way?

There are obviously lots of things you shouldn’t be consuming when you’re expecting, such as alcohol and cigarettes. But will the caffeine, sugar or artificial sweeteners found in sodas harm while you’re pregnant? Here’s what the research says.

Caffeine and Pregnancies

The good news is that according to most studies, consuming less than 200 mg of caffeine a day is apparently fine if you’re pregnant, but there is still more research to be done. For instance, it is a fact that a growing baby in the womb will also end up with caffeine in their system.

One study indicated that having 200 mg of caffeine or more per day did increase the risk of miscarriage. On the other hand, another study found that there was no link between caffeine consumption and miscarriage, regardless of how much the subjects consumed. Various studies were not able to conclude that caffeine deprives fetuses of oxygen nor does it seem to lower their birth weight. As a result, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists currently states that pregnant women can consume caffeine as long as it isn’t more than 200 mg per day. This amounts to around five 12-ounce cans of Pepsi or 4 cans of Mountain Dew.

But bear in mind that since the research is ongoing, the ACOG could change their guidelines in the future. For instance, there was some new analysis that suggested consuming any amount of caffeine could increase the odds of miscarriage, stillbirth, abnormally low birth weight, and even acute leukemia. The sources of data for this analysis didn’t appear to be strong enough to draw definitive conclusions. So ultimately, it’s your decision whether you want to drink caffeinated soda during your pregnancy.