Decaf coffee- how much can I drink?

[aurorec]

Hi
Just wanted to double check. I have one of these Nespresso machines that makes expresso-strength coffee.
If I have one decaf espresso for breakfast, and one after lunch, both decaf, is it OK?

I love the taste of coffee, I don't really care about the caffeine content anyway. I had loads of morning sickness and couldn't have any, now that I can again, I just want to make sure it's OK.

[MrsBadger]

yes it's fine

if you wanted real coffee you can have 300mg caffeine a day (ie 3 mugs of instant or about 3 espressos) but don't forget to count caffeine in coke / tea / chocolate too

[aurorec]

That's the point, I don't care about the caffeine, I just like the taste of a strong espresso.
I have no problems drinking decaf at all, just wanted to make sure for some reason decafs espressos weren't stronger than decaf coffee, if that makes sense!

I don't drink coke, very rarely tea and usually green tea which has less caffeine anyway.

I'm not massively bothered about chocolate either, I only have choccie ice cream from time to time

[MrsBadger]

[bewildered]

how could an espresso with no caffeine at all be 'stronger' than a caffeinated one?
What is the 'strength' if not caffeine?

[aurorec]

I'm not making much sense am I?

I was asking about decaf cos I'm happy not to drink regular- I just wanted the taste. I wasn't aware that I could drink 3 regular coffees a day while pregnant, it does seem quite a lot!
But I read that decaf wasn't exactly an accurate term, that decaf drinks still contain caffeine, just in smaller quantities- hence my confusion.

[lollipopmother]

Decaf has formaldihyde or something in it from what I can remember, and you really don't want to be drinking that! Check what is actually in it before you commit to it, it might be better to just get normal coffee and not drink loads of it.

[aurorec]

WHAT????? Now you're scaring me!!!! Where can I check this?

[charitygirl]

It will be fine to drink some decaf espressos, however the decaffination process works!

Whenever people stress about these things unnecessarily (rather than taking sensible precautions, which I'm sure you are )
I always think 'If caffeine (or whatever) was such a sure fire route to miscarriage, why did all those poor bloody women risk their lives pre-1968 sticking knitting needles up themselves?? They should have just cracked open the coffee!'

Hope that doesn't sound too harsh btw, was meant to be more amusing. Please don't stress about decaff coffee of all the innocuous things.

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Just have one espresso a day and enjoy it!

Decaff is chemically treated so caff is probably better for you and baby. Limit yourself to one a day and you will be well within guidelines.

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

PS if you are out of the 1st trimester you really don't need to worry. It's the first trimester when it's risky. I went off coffee naturally during the first trimester but I'm now having one cup a day and enjoying it immensely!

[Aubergenie]

You can buy coffee that has been decaffeinated through a water process, rather than with chemicals if I remember correctly. I have bought it from the Monmouth Coffee Shop in Covent Garden, London but I'm sure it must be available in other places too.

[staranise]

Espresso (the normal type) is also not too bad re. levels of caffeine as the steam pushes through the beans quickly. The strongest type of coffee is often filter, because if it has been sitting on one of those hot plate machines this concentrates it further.

One-two cups of coffee a day, particularly past 12 weeks, is well within recommended guidelines.

[LadyThompson]

I know instant coffee is usually gross, but actually, Nescafe Alta Rice decaf (blue lid) is also decaffeinated using water and it's really not too bad...

[tallbirduk]

Clipper Organic decaff is also chemical free, and tastes suprisingly like 'real' coffee.

I usually have a couple of cups of caffinated coffee and tea a day, then a cup of decaff if I want more.

There is a bit of caffeine in decaff - but not very much, I think (because I looked it up a while ago) to be classed as decaff it has to be 99.9% caffeine free - something like 10 cups of decaff = 1 cup of ordinary.

[loopsngeorge]

In my You are what you eat book it says that there are 3mg of caffeine in decaf versus 100mg in normal coffee. I'm converting to decaf coffee so I can use my 'extra points' to drink more tea
thanks for the info about the chemicals in decaf though, I didn't know about that.

[Littleelffriend]

Green tea doesn't actually have a lot less caffeine in it than "normal" tea

[OneForTheRoadThen]

Taylor's if Harrogate do a decaf ground coffee that you make in a percolated. It's decaffeinated through a water process so no chemicals. I drank it during my pregnancy

[UnicornPee]

At my midwife appointment last week she lectured me about caffeine and when I said I drink only decaf coffee she said joyfully "ohhh well have as much as you like then it's free to drink"
So you don't need to cut down on decaff