Pregnant woman refused coffee at her local café

Alexandra Smith, a writer for the Australian Sunday Morning Herald, decided to share how she felt after being refused a coffee.

At 27 weeks pregnant, Alexandra had been fasting for more than 12 hours for a “series of routine blood test” – and understandably, was very much looking forward to a nice cup of coffee.

Deciding to treat herself to a “proper espresso complete with caffeine” at one of her local cafes in Sydney, she was taken aback after the barista told her: “No caffeine for you,” after looking at her bump.

The barista had refused to serve Alexandra the coffee she had been craving.

“Eventually we, or rather he, agreed that my options were a decaffeinated coffee, which frankly wasn't going to cut it, or a flat white so weak my three-old would have mistaken it for a cup of frothed milk best known as a babycino,” she continued.

However, Alexandra felt she had been criticised by this stranger for her decision and so politely accepted the “weak hot milk option”.

Recently, Maria Fowler was slammed for eating soft ice cream and Stephanie Davis was told she was endangering her unborn baby by eating whipped and squirty cream.

Can you drink caffeine whilst pregnant?

According to NHS guidelines, it is perfectly safe to drink caffeine whilst pregnant, but it’s recommended that you limit the amount to 200 milligrams a day (the equivalent of two mugs of instant coffee).

Caffeine is naturally found in lots of foods, such as coffee, tea and chocolate, and is also added to some soft drinks, energy drinks and cold and flu remedies.

However, high levels of caffeine during pregnancy can result in the baby having a low birth weight, possibly increasing risk of health problems later in life. And too much can sometimes result in miscarriage.

According to the NHS, the following is how much caffeine can be found in some foods and drinks:

Remember to stick below the 200mg limit and speak to your midwife, pharmacist or other healthcare professional if you have any concerns.