I’ll level with you, NOT drinking coffee was probably the hardest part of my pregnancy; possibly even harder than my marathon two day labor. And no, sadly, I’m not joking, I am a serious coffee drinker. I like at least three or four cups in the morning and more later in the day, so not having any during pregnancy about killed me.

Still, caffeine in mass amounts is not healthy for your baby (actually not for you either, but for now, let’s concentrate on your baby).  I wanted a healthy baby so I quit with all that coffee drinking, but man was it hard.

The good news: You can have caffeine during pregnancy!!!!

The bad news: You need to limit your amount of caffeine considerably if you’re a big time coffee drinker like me.

The worst news: Sorry to say, but I never found a good replacement for my coffee. I did try some things (see below) which helped, but mainly, the only reason I stayed caffeine free was my head kept telling me, “It’s better for the baby.”

How to break your coffee habit: 

Switch your drink - some women manage decaf. NOT ME. It’s so fake. I drank more water with lemon and juice during my pregnancy.If you do like decaf, be aware that there are more chemicals in decaf and also note that there’s still a bit of caffeine in some decaf, just not as much.

Have some real coffee - as noted, I hate decaf. Since you can have about one to two daily 8-ounce servings of caffeine products, I limited everything else containing caffeine (chocolate, tea, etc) and then got to have two REAL cups of coffee each morning. Cutting chocolate was way easier for me than cutting coffee. It’s a choice.

Exercise in the morning - I use coffee as a major wake up crutch. Although it’s not as appealing, exercise in the morning will get your body pumping the same way (only healthier) as coffee. Take a brisk walk or do some safe prenatal exercises in your living room.

Munch fruit - like exercise and coffee, fruit (like an apple or peach) will also give you a shot of morning energy.

How hard was it for you to quit your daily coffee habit during pregnancy?