Coffee limits published for the pregnant

Friday October 30th, 2009

Pregnant women should drink no more than two mugs of instant coffee a day, according to new government advice published yesterday.

Women can eat peanuts during pregnancy - but should not give them to babies up to the age of six months.

The new advice is contained in new editions of books published by the UK Department of Health, "Pregnancy" and "Birth to Five".

The advice says women can now store breast milk in a fridge for up to five days rather than 24 hours.

It says pregnant women should consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day - equivalent to two mugs of instant coffee.

Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: "The RCM is pleased to have helped update these publications and feels that they will be a vital new resource for pregnant women and their families.

"We believe that they will help empower and educate pregnant women to make informed choices and decisions about their unborn baby and their newborn child's health."

Hannah Plumridge, a pregnant woman, welcomed the new editions.

She said: "It's good to read something that is written from the NHS point of view so you don't just learn about what is happening physically, but what you can expect at each midwife appointment and what the NHS can offer at each stage of the pregnancy.

"I thought the section on the labour was the most informative I have read, I now know more about the process once labour begins and what happens afterwards, rather than just physically giving birth."

Tags: Childbirth and Pregnancy | Diet & Food | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology

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