Caffeine headache

I am a virtuous pregnant woman for the most part. I drink at most a half-glass of wine once or twice a week. I eat fruits and vegetables, faithfully take my pre-natal vitamin, exercise, and attend all my doctor's appointments. I also limit my caffeine intake to two cups of coffee a day. Now a new evil study suggests that might not be enough.

The study suggests drinking even very small amounts of caffeine could increase risk of miscarriage. The good news is, the study only applies to women before 20 weeks of pregnancy, and I am about 30 weeks, so I can guzzle venti lattes right? Well, I am still sticking to my two cups a day, but the study irritates me. I read about it as I sipped my short Starbucks coffee. I dicussed the findings with my doctor, and she says she still will recommend two cups or less to her patients, though the study says caffeine should be cut out altogether.

I have never suffered a miscarriage, and in fact got pregnant in the very first month both times around. However, I worry that helpful people will suggest this is why I experienced premature birth. As I have mentioned before, I hear all the time that it happened because I exercise, am a vegetarian, work too much, have brown hair etc. It is amazing that reseachers have not been able to crack the mystery of half of premature births, yet the nosy woman at the gym has it all figured out.

I am anxious for this pregnancy to go full-term and produce a healthy, happy baby so I can prove the naysayers wrong and drink my two cups a day in peace.

--MM