Advise on Drinking Caffine When Pregnant.

I cut out caffeine when I was preg with my first child. I had really bad craving for it but I thought and heard that it would harm the baby I could not do that to him. It was my responsibility to give him the best start possible. When I got preg with my second child I said to bad I am going to drink some caffeine. I did cut back but I did not give it up completely. She is fine and actually was an all around better baby than he was.

Hi Erika,
When I was pregnant with my twins, I drank Sprite only. And this was to keep my nausea at bay.

The rest of the time, I drank between 32-64 oz of water 3x a day; and I added lemon or lime juice to it for flavor.

Hope this helps you................. :- O

I drank caffiene free pepsi when I was pregnant and it was fine - My doctor even told me to do it. It's decaf coffee that still has the caffeine. You'll be fine, dont worry.

I drank caffine free pepsi while pregnant with my son and had no problems at all.

Hi Erika, first off congrads on your pregnancy. I have recently given up sodas after my son was born when I heard a wonderful nutritionist speak. His talk was about how to get yourself off of the degenerative disease list. Basically he said that carbonation itself will paralize your immune system for 8-10 hours after you drink 8 oz. That alone did it for me. I know your question was more about caffiene and I do know that to counter act 1 cup of coffee you have to drink 8 oz of water to restore the pH balance in the body. I don't know if this is true for soda too. Even if you cut back to half of what you were doing it would be helpful. Again congrads on your little miracle!!! If you want to contact me I have some great info about nutrition when it comes to healty mothers and kids. D.
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I think it is more about moderation than elimination. And i think the caffeine free can have a tiny bit of caffeine but WAY less than regular and not enough to really count. Just be careful about the empty calories. I'd limit myself to maybe one a day or something tops. Just to be sure I was getting enough nutritious foods and not just empty calories.

I drank coffee even while I was pregnant and I have 3 kids. My doctor told me that you don't want to send your body into shoke by cutting something out that your used to. You got pregnant under those conditions so it knows how to "filter" it. You are just suppose to cut back. I love my coffee every morning so I was glad to know I just had to cut back.....All and all drink up but not to much. Good Luck

Hello,
I always crave Pepsi, pregnant or not. When I was pregnant my Dr. whom is wonderful said it was fine for me to have one pepsi/caffine drink a day. So I did and I was just fine and so were both my babies! Hope this helps.

Ok, I am a high risk pregnancy, I've suffered several miscarriages previous to my current pregnancy (I'm 6.5 months)...so I am working with an infertility team throughout the term of my pregnancy. I get ultrasounds every week to make sure things are on track and going smoothly, I have doctors being overly cautious about everything and ALL my doctors suggestions on caffeine have been the same. The ONLY reason they suggest you don't drink caffeine is because it can dehydrate you. All my doctors have said its ok to have a small amount of caffeine from time to time, as long as you make sure to drink PLENTY of water to assure that you will not dehydrate. If you are getting your recommended water intake while you are pregnant, it will not hurt you or baby to have a Pepsi! That doesn't mean three a day, but once a week or once every couple weeks won't be an issue at all. The only reason I would fully cut it out of your diet is if you know you aren't taking in enough water.
I personally don't like soda, and don't drink it normally, but I have had similar cravings for Pepsi and I have indulged...I find if you get the fountain drinks, and put LOTS of ice in it, you satisfy your need but in reality you're getting more ice than soda:) ...just a suggestion:)

From studies I read in college, caffeine isn't good for the baby while you're pregnant. However, I think the studies were done more so with heavy coffee drinkers. An occassional Pepsi is probably safe, I would just try to limit the quantity. I've never heard that Caffeine Free Pepsi had caffeine in it...if you like it I'd say thats your best bet.

Hi E.,

I'm A.. I have a 5 month old boy. When I was pregnant, my craving was for Dr. Pepper. I read a lot when I was pregnant and here's what I remember: up to but no more than 24oz of soda, or 2 cups of coffee, or 4oz of chocolate. So you can drink regular Pepsi, just don't over do it. Hope this was some help to you. One of the books I read was What to Expect when you're Expecting by Heidi something. It answers a lot of questions. I found it at Barnes & Noble for $12 or $14. Good luck with everything.

A.

Hi hon! How are you? Let me tell you something...
I was so paranoid about drinking soda period when I was pregnant, because of the sugar and side effects, because all my friends told me stuff and they got me paranoid.
Then I read "what to expect when your expecting." Which is a widely recognized book, and they said you can have 1 cup of coffee a day, so if you want a soda..go for it! Boy was I relieved! I am a pepsi freak. The important thing is you waited this long to start drinking soda, the first trimester is the most important because thats when they do the msot growing. In brain and body. so i think your safe!
And dont let anyone make you feel guilty..
one little tip..
they say not to drink caffeine after 6 pm because when your pregnant caffeine gets distributed different and drinking it within a few hours of bedtime, will interupt your sleep. And you defiantly need that because you wont be getting any later!!!LOL! Havea great day!!!

I know that most doctors say it isn't good to drink a lot of caffine when youre pregnant. I have 3 beautiful, happy, healthy kids (ages 6, 3 and 11 months) I drank pepsi while I was pregnant with each. And I didnt always stick to the one a day rule. There were times that I craved it, so I drank it more than once a day. There were days where I would get headaches from not drinking caffine (I usually drank a lot of it before I was pregnant)so I drank more than one can a day. None of my kids were born small or with health problems. I found that if I didnt drink it for a whole day, I was worse off because of the side effects I suffered. I think you should limit your intake, but if there are days where you want to have 2 or 3 cans of it, you shouldn't worry too much. And there isnt any caffine in caffine free pepsi, so if that works for you, then drink it. but it probably wont help if youre getting headaches. good luck and congratulations.

I am not an expert but I drank caffine free pepsi through out my entire pregnancy. With in moderation. My son will be 3 in april and he is a very healthy child. They say that caffine can cause contractions. We had hoped for that at the end because he wasn't ready to come out.LOL. We ended up having to be induced. So I think if there is a minimal amout of caffine it is not enough to worry about. I was actually incourage when ever had a migraine to drink a coke or pepsi for the caffine. I think every doctor believes in different things and if you don't drink a lot there should not be a problem.
And if they say it causes low birth weight which they told me my son would probably deliver on the small side because of medicine I was told I had to take. He weighed 9 lbs 7 oz. So you tell me were they right? I don't think so..
I wish you the best of luck. But what ever you decide please let your doctor know. Your relationship with your doctor is most important. They know you and any medical history that may interact.
T.

Caffine free Pepsi is fine. Last time I was pregnant my doctor said 1-2 12 oz drinks a day with caffine were fine. I still tried not to drink that much, but if it says caffine free you should be just fine :)

Pepsi is fine, just NO DIET. I craved it too along with crunching on the ice...enjoy!!!!!!!

Drinking caffine is fine while pregnant. The problem is caffine is one of the drugs that passes through the placenta. They (doctors, medical world) have no idea or proff if it does any damage to the fetus. It does not cause ADHD!! But the doctors do suggest you keep your caffine down to three sevings a day maximum. That means only one mocha cappucino a day! :) I drank a cup of coffee every morning and my daughter is perfect, hyper but perfect. :) Seriously there is no cause for alarm and no one has ever proven anything, it just passes from Mom to fetus and anything the fetus gets that isn't 100% nutritious you want ot be cautious of.

You can always talk to your Doc. the next time you go in, but I use to be a big Coke drinker so when I got pregnant I just tried to cut back. My son was fine, and he's almost 4 now. So just try to cut back on your intake.Hope this helps

I know when I was pregnant with my second daughter, I tried so hard to be good when I found out I was pregnant. No medications, no caffeine... and my body went into shock. I had headaches (more than usual), and just didnt feel the same. When I went in to the OB/Gyn for my first visit I asked my doctor about taking Excedrin (which contains caffeine) when I got headaches, and what I could and could not drink. He advised me that by cutting them all out I made things worse because I went through caffeine withdrawl. Just ask you doctor what is best for you, they are really good about telling you what you can and cannot have. I would stay away from the diet drinks though, the doctors told me that the aspertaim (sweetners) in the diet drinks was worse for the baby then the caffeine.

Good Luck and Congratulations!

Well I can tell you that to much soda when you are pregnant can cause alot of swelling.. I drank too much Mt Dew while I was pregnant and ended up swelling from all the sodium...

Hey Erika! It's okay to drink some caffine while pregnant, just don't go over board with it! I love soda too! I didn't give it up completely when I was pregnant with my two. I love rootbeer, so that was easy because most rootbeer is caffine free, but I am also a huge Dr Pepper fan! Don't have more than 1 or 2 a day and I think you'll be fine. My doctor never told me to completely cut out caffine just drink it in moderation. So...have a Pepsi and enjoy it! :o)

Drinking one or two cups of soda or coffee are totally ok to drink during pregnancy. And someone else mentioned no diet. Well I have type 2 diabetes and just had a baby at the end of dec. My drs. and dietician all told me that diet drinks are ok in moderation. It is ok to have 2 servings of aspertame or splenda a day but non of the sweet n low kind of artificial sweetener.

When I was pregnant, I did crave pepsi or coke, but I still didn't drink it, just to be on the safe side. To satisfy my cravings, I drank rootbeer. It helped.

I think moderation is the key. Caffine in huge quantities is always bad for you pregnant or not pregnant. Since you're 5 months along, I think 1 Pepsi every other day isn't going to do anything. I had Diet Coke every other day while pregnant and it didn't do anything.

Regardless, ask your doctor if you're really that concerned. They should advise you regarding this with a medical background. My only medical schooling is in common sense. LOL

It isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be. It is only dangerous if you dirnk a LOT and especially in the first trimester. Check this out:

http://www.babycenter.com/plus/safe/quest.jhtml?iisQuestI...

and for after the baby is born, if you plan to breastfeed:

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/caffeine.html

I am with you on the soda, though I am on day 4 of giving it up to get those pounds off! =p

Ignore those people! I just had my 3rd child last October and I always do the caffeine free thing. The funny thing that I found is that I love Pepsi and don't like Coke, but Caffeine free coke, tastes better than Caffeine free pepsi! My OB told me I could drink caffeine in small amounts, but hey why not the caffeine free if it's there!
People were havign babies just fine before we were told not to drink caffeine. Did you know you can even drink a cup of coffee every once in a while! Shocker! :)

You should probably double check with your OB/GYN. Some say it's ok to have 1 cup of coffee a day, but it really depends how you feel. When I was pregnant, I would have a cup of regular tea and my baby's fine. But really, check with your doctor to address any concerns.

E.,
I had one doctor tell me that one cup of coffee (6 oz not the 20 oz at Starbucks :)) a day would not be harmful, though I did cut out caffeine altogether. Unlike coffee which has caffine and has to be "de" caffinated to remove the caffine (and yes some caffeine will remain) in Pepsi the caffeine is added, it is just another ingredient so go crazy with your caffeine free Pepsi and don't feel guilty.

M.

I am also 5 months pregnant with my second child. I have done lots of research and i have found that experts say you can have up to 3 cups of coffee a day without affecting your baby. I am pretty sure that a can of pepsi a day wouldnt hurt you.

When I was pregnant I was told it was ok to drink a glass or two of soda a day. Seems you can actually do more harm then good by stopping the things you are used to. Just drink plenty of water and that will help flush your body out.

R. Williamson

Stayin Home and Lovin it!
You can to, check out my
website for more info
www.asparrowsfreedom.com

i have the same problem....im 8 months pregnant and i love pepsi too! ive talked to my doctor about it and she says that one serving of caffeine a day is ok. i just try to make it my only sugary drink that day or drink a lot of water to make up for it! ive heard that diet sodas are supposed to be worse than regular ones because of the artificial sweeteners in them. i have a soda maybe a couple times a week but i try to drink a lot of water too.

i'm a diet pepsi-aholic i need the caffine to get going in the morning like a person need coffee. i was also concerned about my caffine in-take. i read and talked to me doctor. i was told two glasses, 8oz. each was ok. it helped because i was able to have one in the morning and one in the evening. cause like coffee if i didnt have my pepsi, i would get a headache. so just having alittle bit i warded off my headache and got the taste.just be aware of the other things that you are drinking besides the pepsi and make sure there isnt any added caffine in them and you should be good for two glasses a day!

Interesting what "we" think our doctors are saying. Yes moderation is the key. I got to drink, coke, pepsi my whole pregnancy b/c it controlled my vomitting. It doesnt hurt the baby, but little here and there wont hurt.

it is not going to hurt the baby but my doctor had recommended that you try to limit yourself to only one can a day because it does contain caffine. Other people say it can contribute to ADHD but I do not know if that is completely true or not ask your doctor.

I have a beautiful healthy 6 month old and I drank Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke the whole time. I stopped for a little bit and my doctor says there hasn't been proven studies that caffeine harms the baby. I was even taken medication the whole time.I also drank 1 cup of regular coffee a day. So it is your choice that you choose but just to let you know I did the whole time and she is fine.

Jen

I have a 5 yr old daughter and thats all i drank when I was pregnant with her.. shes healthy and fine.. also i have a 2 month old that is very healthy and i drank a ton of pop with her...

Hi there I'm new to this mommasource thing. I read your request and here's my answer. I personally drank caffine, Dr. Pepper when I was pregnant with all three of my kids, and there all fine. I probably drank the most with my third and again he's fine. I really don't think that it will hurt the baby. The thing with doctors that I found is that they worry you too much. I gained 50 pounds with my first baby and really didnt need to. That was only cause it was my first and I was worried, and they told me to eat every so often, and thats what I did. So I guess basically what I'm saying is go ahead in my opinion have a pepsi, it wont hurt. But if your diabetic then no.

I was told by my OB to limit my caffine both pregnancies. I don't drink caffine, but I have been told that it is ok to drink about a cup of coffee or a glass of soda a day. There is NO caffine in caffine free pepsi. However, there is a minimal amount of caffine in decaf coffee. I would not be worried about the caffine you have had previously, but I would limit it to a cup of coffe a day or soda. If you're that concerned call your OB and ask at your next visit. Hope that helps a little.

L.

Hi E.,

I have been researching this very issue because I am a "caffeine-a-holic" and pregnant. From everything that I have read, a pregnant woman can consume 500mg of caffeine with no effects on the baby. When they say "no caffeine", they are meaning to limit the amount of caffeine that you consume. Here is a site with the caffeine content of our favorite drinks http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm What I do is drink the non-caffeine stuff at home, and reserve my caffeine intake for when we are out. I hope it helps.

L.

Hi E.!

Drinking Pepsi is safe, although not the healthiest. LOL You can drink up to 300mg of caffeine a day. But it's not the best because it's a stimulant and diuretic. That being said, lol, I'm a total Dr. Pepper fiend and had one a day in all three of my pregnancies. Like I said, not the healthiest, but it's not going to hurt anything really either. Just keep watch on sugar levels too, because soda has high sugar content. ; )

Christy
Doula and Assistant Midwife

You should check with your doctor, but mine said that I could drink soda as long as it was diet. He also said that one to two caffeine drinks a week would be ok. But like I said, you should check with your doctor just to be safe, you may have different circumstances then me.

Caffeine is actually okay to drink when your pregnant. Most nutritional info will tell you that one caffeine drink a day is okay. If you're having soda all day, that would probably be a bad idea! However, one Pepsi here and there is harmless. Studies have not shown any significant findings to suggest that mild caffeine use causes any harm to the fetus. So enjoy your Pepsi, -moderately of course.

I am 29 yrs old. I had my first son in 2004 and my second in 2005. With my first pregnancy I was paranoid and gave caffeine up completely (I had always had 2-3 cups of coffee a day). With my second pregnancy I had a cup of coffee every morning. I ran it by my doctor who is head of the ob/gyn dept at a nationally acclaimed hospital (Providence Holy Cross) and he said the following regarding all foods that are told to pregnant women to avoid: "every year you hear of more and more things to avoid because horrible things can happen to your babies. the reason doctors tell their pregnant patients these things is to avoid lawsuits. there is nothing wrong with have a cup of coffee when you're pregnant. there's nothing wrong with eating lunch meat and hot dogs when your pregnant. what happens is you have some pregnant woman who does nothing but eat hot dogs the entire 9 months or some woman that didn't drink anything but coffee then can't figure out why there's something wrong then sues her doctor. It's everything in moderation. if you want to have a cup of coffee with cream and sugar have one- just don't have the 62 oz size 5 times a day every day. the only thing to really monitor is your tuna intake - make sure to eat it though because it is VERY good for the baby but limit it to once a week." Of coarse this advice was given on the fact that I didn't have any health issues (other than the pregnancy - ha!) and everything was fine.

Those were his words to me (minus the curse words) hahaha. He has shared with me that we live in a sue happy society and it is affecting the population in more ways than what people realize. That is also the reason why more and more doctors insist on inducing labor on a scheduled day - so that they could be there to monitor everything so that they can't be sued for not being there when the mother goes into labor at home 2 wks early and doesn't make it to the hospital in time.

just so you know, I drank coffee every morning - the good strong stuff- even while breast feeding- every day i was pregnant with my second child. I am 5'2" 115 before pregnancy and had 2 boys that weighed in at 8lbs 9 oz 21 inches long, and 8 lbs 11 oz 21 inches long- both are and have been completely healthy from the time they were born. the ironic thing is that the one that i drank coffee with is calmer and has always been calmer (and larger) than my first born. the exact opposite of what they shove down your throat & try to instill fear in you with.

So, I say, drink your pepsi. You'll be fine and so will your baby.

The rule of thumb I was told was to limit caffeine intake to the equivalent of one cup or coffee or can of coke a day. If you're drinking decaf, you're fine! Don't worry. Yes, there's small amounts of caffeine still in it, but very small. You could probably drink 5 or 6 of those and still be just fine! I drank a Chai tea every day I was pregnant and those have about the same amount of caffeine as decaf or a tad more. You'll be fine!! You're keeping an eye out and that's good!

When i was pregnant i was working night shifts... i would have a quad venti mocha alll the time plus regular coffee while there... Cafine really doesn't effect the babies at all... my son is perfectly happy and healthy 9 month old (almost 10 month old).. he is one of the happiest babies i've seen... I also had another friend that drank lots of diet pepsi while she was pregnant with her twins and they are perfectly healthy and very happy... So go for drinking pepsi don't feel gilty... that is my advice... No need to be scared it wont hurt your child.... Hope that helps...

It's not just caffine to worry about. There's also aspartame that has all kinds of side effects. Some are more sensitive than others. Plus there's the carbonation which can cause acid reflux which is usually a big problem when pregnant. Try herbal teas. There are many flavors to choose from, and you can make iced tea with them as well. Just sweeten with sugar. (artificial sweeters have side effects also).

Aspartame works the same way as msg:
http://www.msgmyth.com/

Hello E.! Congrads! Well I know when I was pregnant I was concered about the same thing. I completely cut off caffine when I found out I was pregnant, but like you I had craving every once in a while. I talked to my Dr about it and she told me that a little caffine wouldn't hurt. I don't see the harm in having a Pepsi every now and again. I say go for it have your Pepsi! ;) If it really bothers you then you can keep on with your caffine free. I wouldn't worry to much about caffine free having caffine.

Hi E.;

Caffine will not have any effects on your baby at all. I went both ways, with my son who is now 21 years old I cut out all soda (I don't drink coffee) and then I drank soda with my two girls(19&15) and they are all fine you just have to keep it to a minimum of how much you drink in a day.

I hope that this helps.

W.

I drank a lot of diet and caffiene free soda when I was pregnant. My son is gorgeous! Aside from that, the occasional caffiene filled drink is not going to hurt. Haven't you ever heard that your body craves what it needs when you are pregnanT?

Hi E., I just had a healthy baby girl this December. I had the same concern and my doctor told me that it was ok to have soda with caffeine once a day or one cup of coffee.

caffeine free pepsi is what I did, just dont drink diet it contains sacrine and studies are unsure if it i safe in pregnancy

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I drank 1-2 12oz cans of Dr. Pepper. It was something that I always hand and being pregnant everyone told me a little bit won't hurt. I had no complications when I was pregnant or when I delivered her. I think it would be bad if you drank a lot, but they tell you to do every thing in moderations.

I think it's ok to have a little bit of caffiene here and there, but try to limit it and don't drink it everyday. I don't think it does any harm to the baby only that it might make the baby more active in your stomach. When I was pregnant, I had a tiny cup of coffee every so often and I don't think it really does any harm. Just consult with your doctor and see what he thinks about it.

E.,
If you are craving it then by all means go for it! Dont drink more than a couple of cans a day but dont deprive yourself... Your baby and you will be alright... I have three kids and drank pepsi my daughter just had a baby and she drank Carmel Fraps everyday that she was pregnant! My grand daughter is the happiest , smartest baby.. The doctor even said she is advanced for her age.. So, go ahead and pop that can open.. Enjoy being pregnant , relax your baby will be coming soon pepsi or not... Good luck girl!

Hi,
A good friend of mine did not stop drinking caffein when she was pregnant, and when her son was born he was very agitated, and went through caffein withdrawel just like you would if you quit drinking it.

I know a lot of people are skeptical when it comes to caffeine. I have two beautiful children and I also know being in the medical field it is fine to have caffeine. In fact I read you can have up to 3 servings a day. Like one cup of coffee or one can of coke. With both my kids especially my second one i drank 1 cup of coffee or 2 cans of soda a day. Every once in awhile. Like all things though check with your doctor b/c depending on your pregnancy or if your high risk he may advise differently. Having 1 or 2 every once in a while deffinantly wouldn't be bad.

Hi E., you should research it on the internet. I don't think pepsi will directly affect your child, however, it is definitely damaging your insides. Sometimes appearances are deceiving. There is life after 40 (as the expression goes) so above all consider what you are putting in your body as far as long term health . . . . "Carbonated soft drinks account for almost one-third of Americans' beverage consumption. Drinking canned soda, even the diet variety, can cause your teeth to look older than they are. The phosphoric acid in soda wears away the hard enamel layer, the artificial caramel coloring stains teeth a dullish brown, and the sugar feeds destructive bacteria that live in your mouth, resulting in decay-producing acids. And perhaps worst of all, some scientists believe that drinking too much soda can actually weaken your jawbone, increasing the chances of losing teeth.

Canned soft drinks contain high amounts of phosphorus, a mineral that can leach calcium from your bones if you consume too much. This can lead to osteoporosis, a condition that makes bones brittle, frail, and susceptible to fracture. How does this affect your teeth? Your jaws are made of bone, and as your bones weaken from insufficient calcium, their grasp on your teeth becomes weak. Eventually your teeth loosen and fall out.

"We see a number of young women in their teens who, I believe because of poor dietary habits such as drinking diet soda and not getting enough calcium, have the jaws of much older women," said Ken Wical, D.D.S., professor of restorative dentistry at Loma Linda University. Dr. Wical added that "by the time they are in their thirties, these women frequently lose their natural teeth and are wearing dentures." "

With all this said, I suppose a 6-8oz glass of pepsi every few days would be okay, but like many of the other moms have said here "moderation" is the main idea. Take Care! S. T.

Hi E.,

Not that you need more advise but I lived on 1/2 juice, 1/2 soda water while pregnant. It was sweet but also carbonated (what I REALLY wanted).

Enjoy your pregnancy!

T.

E.: DON'T WORRY!!! Unless you are downing 6 or more pepsi's a day, then you should not be worried. Here's an excerpt from an article in the New York times (jan,2008): "new study, being published Monday in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, finds that pregnant women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day — the amount in 10 ounces of coffee or 25 ounces of tea — may double their risk of miscarriage." Recent research states that caffeine increases miscarriage due to the fact that it constricts the blood flow to the placenta. Pepsi has approx 20-30mg of caffeine per can. Hope that helps out! Please enjoy your pregnancy...everything in moderation!!!

E.: Everyones body reacts differently. To be on the safe side, however, you may want to refrain. Caffine is bad for you in a lot of ways, even if you were NOT pregnant. It is addictive, just like nicotine, and gives you a really quick boost of energy with a very fast coming down, making you drowsy and lowering your energy even more. I am pregnant too. I think that the fast uproaor of energy and then quick downfall back to back that follows caffine consumption is in fact harmful to the baby. I'm sure it a lot of cases it hasn't been, but in SOME it is, so if you are looking to be on the safe side, and also healthier, just substitute the craving for something else. Good luck with everything.

A. :)

Erika.... I live for caffine! I drank my pepsi every day when i was pregnant with all three of my kids. Just don't go overboard. I would have one can of pepsi or a cup of coffee. My ob said that it was fine. Enjoy your pepsi dear!

I tried my best not to drink soda during my four pregnancies, and with some pregnancies I was more successful than others, but I RARELY gave in to the urge, you are craving the sweetness of the Pepsi so to help keep that from happening, indulge in some tropical fruit mix from a can or some other 'sweet' treat that will benefit that beautiful little being growing inside you. Every little thing you put into your body when you are pregnant contributes to the development of your baby. Don't beat yourself up over giving in to your cravings, just make a conscience decision to have alternative choices available to you when you are feeling that urge coming on.
As a side note, during my fourth pregnancy I did not drink soda until my last trimester when a co-worker of mine kept bringing everyone in 'pick me ups' in the hot afternoons and I would give in and drink mine. I quickly gained more weight in the last trimester than I had in the first two, and I developed more sleeping problems, bloating, water gain and other such things and I had never had these problems with my three previous pregnancies and I do truly believe if I had just held off on the soda until after delivery I would have been better of. Each person is unique and just because I had these problems does not mean any one else would, but its food for thought.
Enjoy your pineapple bits. ")

Some caffine is okay. It is the excessive amounts that you want to avoid. I just had my son 4 months ago and I switched to
Caffine Free Pepsi. It really does taste the same. My doctor said that up to 3 caffinated beverages a day is okay but no more than that. So if you are just craving the taste and not caffine, try it. But if you want the caffine then drink one, you should not surpress a craving just don't be excessive. You deserve a little treat, your body is working triple time right now. Congrats on the pregnancy by the way. Good luck.

Hi E.. When I was pregnant I had some constipation issues and the only thing that helped me was caffine. I drank 2 or 3 Dr. Peppers a week. My son is now a year and a half and have never been sick and is very smart. Have a pepsi.

I think you should call your doctor and run it by them. Cravings usually are a signal that the body really needs some nutrient. I am sure it is fine to have a bit of caffeine once and a while. You might want to narrow down why you want soda. Is it the bubbly that you want because if it is that you can have sparkling water. If it is the sweetness that you want then try a sweetened herbal tea. During my pregnancy I had a couple of cokes and my daughter is perfectly healthy.

BTW...there isn't any caffeine in caffeine free pepsi, however there is trace amounts of caffeine in caffeine free tea.

Take care

It's prob a little late for advice now. Caffeine IS really bad for the baby's heart. And, I was told that carbonation interferes with the body's ability to absorb calcium, a much needed nutrient, esp when preg. However, if you're really craving it, I don't this it would hurt to indulge a small amount (1 serving) every once in awhile (once a week or month). Just don't make a regular habit of it.

hi E.... i think drinking pepsi is completely fine.i was on bed rest in the hospital for 3 months prior to having my son. he was born 6 weeks early but completely healthy. i asked my ob/gyn is it was fine to drink soda in my condition and she said yes just dont over do it.
good luck

I wouldn't be too concerned about the caffeine, but it's the high fructose corn syrup (studies show hfcs can cause cancer), the food dyes and colorings, and the various other chemicals found in these kinds of sugary colas that do the most damage.

Not trying to scare you!

I gave up my soda habit a few years ago when my husband (who is a molecular biologist) told me exactly what was in those cans! (I've also lost 3 sizes since I gave up regular colas and soft drinks)

One thing I LOVE is sparkling water mixed with any kind of fruit juice and my ob/gyn said one 8 oz cup of coffee a day was fine throughout pregnancy. If it's the carbonation you crave from soda there are some great organic sodas on the market too.

Good luck, I know how consuming those pregnancy cravings can be!