COLUMBUS, OHIO-- There's no doubt coffee can get you going in the morning. But if you're trying to get pregnant, you might want to dial it back some.
A new study by the National Institutes of Health reveals drinking more than two eight-ounce caffeinated drinks a day can make a woman twice as likely to have a miscarriage. And guys, you're not getting off easy this time. If you drink three or more sodas, energy drinks or coffees a day, your lady has the same increased risk of miscarrying.
"We've known in the past that males have had problems with tobacco and alcohol, and that will decrease their sperm quality," says Dr. Barbara Stegmann, a reproduction endocrinologist with Aspire Fertility in Houston. "This the first time that we've seen caffeine included in that list."
One ray of hope in this decaffeinated, downer of a story-- women taking multivitamins before pregnancy were 55% less likely to miscarry. Those who continued vitamins into early pregnancy were 79% more likely to carry their baby to term.
"Probably what you're seeing is that there's something in those vitamins that is actually improving the health of the embryo or the health of the egg," explains Stegmann, who wasn't involved in the study.
Bottom line when it comes to baby making--
Multivitamins: good!
Coke, Red bull and Starbucks: bad!
And don't even think about smoking. Seriously-- that's not good for anyone!
