「No coffee at all during pregnancy」

Where the claim comes from

In pregnancy, "better safe than sorry" makes a blanket ban on anything stimulating the easiest rule to follow. And research on high caffeine intake does leave questions open — so "not a single sip" spread.

What the evidence says

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee Opinion states that moderate caffeine consumption (less than 200 mg per day) does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth. The same opinion is careful about what it does not know: the relationship of caffeine to growth restriction remains undetermined, and no final conclusion can be drawn on whether high caffeine intake is linked to miscarriage. So the message is not "drink freely" but "under 200 mg is acceptable; above that, the evidence is not reassuring enough".

What to do instead

• Keep total caffeine under 200 mg a day.
• Count every source together: coffee, tea, milk tea, cola and chocolate.
• Caffeine content varies widely by brand and cup size — go by the figure on the pack or published by the shop.
• You are free to skip it altogether: 200 mg is a ceiling, not a target.