Chocolate during Pregnancy

Many women worry about ingesting caffeine while pregnant. Caffeine is dangerous to an unborn child and is linked to an increased risk of miscarriage. Chocolate, a favorite food of many women, contains caffeine, which causes many women to worry about eating chocolate while pregnant. Although it is important to limit caffeine during your pregnancy, you may not need to cut it out completely.

On average, doctors recommend that a pregnant woman consume no more than two hundred and seventy milligrams of caffeine each day. Chocolate contains between five and thirty milligrams of caffeine. This is less than half the caffeine found in a cup of coffee (which contains between ninety and one hundred thirty five milligrams). Limiting chocolate is recommended but it is not necessary to stop eating it.

A recent study done by the University of Helsinki in Finland has shown that consuming chocolate while pregnant may benefit babies. The babies studied were tested in areas of smiling and laughter, and fear of novel situations. The babies of mothers who ate chocolate smiled and laughed more, and they also showed less fear when put into a new situation. Overall, the babies of mothers who ate chocolate had a much more positive mood than those who did not. vera wang wedding dress rental

Some women may experience chocolate cravings later in their pregnancy. Along with caffeine, chocolate contains many nutrients such as iron and magnesium. Chocolate cravings may indicate a deficiency in these nutrients, but when eaten in moderation, it may be a way to get more of these essential nutrients.