Expert: Lawrence Jay Rappaport <B>M.D.</B> - 10/20/2004
Question Q #1- Why is a pregnant women told not to drink coffee?
Q #2- Is it okay for a pregnant women to take tylenol?
Thank-you in advance for your time & response.
If this is not your field, please direct me to the right person.
~Rick~
Answer Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, and chocolate. While it has not been found to cause any defects or abnormalities in a pregancy or to the fetus, we do not want you to have too much caffeine during pregnancy. You can have 3 cups of coffee a day, or some chocolate as well. However, do not have a whole box of chocolate at one time and don't drink more than 10 cups of coffee a day. It speeds up your heartbeat and can cause hemodynamic changes which are not helpful for perfusion to the uterus. The use of Tylenol or Tylenol with codeine is perfectly safe during pregnancy.
