Can I Drink Sprite While Pregnant? (What You Should Know)

Can I Drink Sprite During Pregnancy? What About Other Soda?

Can I drink Sprite while pregnant? Can I even drink soda?? Well I have done the research for you! Here is everything you need to know about drinking soda while pregnant.

In a nutshell, drinking Sprite or any other soft drink during pregnancy is safe to do as long as it’s in moderation. However, it’s important to note that too much soda consumption can pose a risk to your pregnancy because of the high levels of caffeine, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and calories.

Let’s dive deeper into exactly how caffeine, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and calories from soda can affect your pregnancy, how much soda you may be able to drink during pregnancy, and let’s learn about some alternative beverages you can drink instead.

This post is all about drinking Sprite or other sodas while pregnant.

Is it safe to drink Sprite or other soft drinks during pregnancy?

Caffeine

Depending on the amount, drinking caffeinated beverages during pregnancy can cause changes in the fetus’ heart rate, movements and breathing patterns. This is because caffeine stimulates the central nervous system.

Having caffeinated beverages can also cause your placenta to work too hard, which decreases the amount of blood and oxygen that reaches your baby.

So while caffeine can give you a short burst of energy, it’s not worth the risks to your baby. You’ll want to keep your overall daily caffeine intake to less than 200mg.

Taking into account the daily limit of 200mg of caffeine from all sources, be mindful of the following numbers.

Soft Drink (12 fl. oz)	Caffeine (mg)
Sprite	0
Coca-Cola classic	34
Dr. Pepper	42
Pepsi- regular	38
Mountain Dew	54

Sugar

Too much sugar in your diet during pregnancy can increase your blood sugar levels to unhealthy levels.

Sugar can also cause rapid weight gain which increases the risk of having gestational diabetes.

If you have gestational diabetes during pregnancy, you have a higher chance of gaining too much weight, having too large of a baby and having an unhealthy amount of amniotic fluid around your baby.

This can cause problems for your baby once he or she is born, such as breathing difficulties and jaundice.

Let’s state the obvious. Soda has a lot of sugar. Consider the following amounts as you try to fit in the grams of sugar from soda into your diet.

Soft Drink (12 fl. oz)	Sugar (g)
Sprite	38
Coca-Cola classic	39
Dr. pepper	40
Pepsi- regular	41
Mountain Dew	46

Artificial Sweeteners

In general, artificial sweeteners are ok during pregnancy as long as it’s in moderation. Too much of of them (especially saccharin) can pose health risks.

Artificial sweeteners in soda can be harmful during pregnancy because they’re not water soluble, so the body has a hard time breaking them down and therefor any left over will build up in fetal tissue.

Saccharin is the main artificial sweetener you will definitely want to be cautious of.

It’s best to be on the safe side and check product labels and limit yourself on artificial sweeteners.

Calories

During the first trimester, you don’t really need any additional calories. It isn’t until your second and third trimester where you’ll need to gradually increase your daily calorie intake (2,200 calories in 2nd trimester and 2,400 calories in the 3rd trimester).

There are 140 calories in a 12 oz can of Sprite or Coke. Let that sink in. Do you really want to use a can of soda to provide the extra calories you need for your second or third trimester?

It’s best to use more nutritious options for providing those extra calories that can provide more vitamins and nutrients.

Not controlling your calorie intake during pregnancy may influence your baby’s birth weight, preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, mellitus, preeclampsia, and a possible tendency for your baby to develop obesity.

Soft Drink (12 fl. oz)	Calories
Sprite	140
Coca-Cola classic	140
Dr. Pepper	150
Pepsi- regular	150
Mountain Dew	170

What about diet soda or caffeine-free soda?

It may seem like a logical answer to just drink diet soda or caffeine-free soda instead.

However, it is still recommended to limit diet and caffeine-free soda during pregnancy due to the additional chemicals.

Research has found that diet soda and caffeine-free soda can still have an influence on preterm birth.

What soda can I drink while pregnant?

You will be happy to know that you can drink any type of soda while pregnant! Of course just remember to do this is IN MODERATION.

We have talked about the risk factors in having soft drinks during pregnancy, so just keep everything in mind.

How much soda can I drink during pregnancy?

Because of the caffeine, sugar, calories, and artificial sweeteners, there isn’t an exact answer as to how much soda you can drink during pregnancy.

It can ultimately seem like a numbers game in counting the number of calories, the milligrams of caffeine, etc.

The less soda you drink, the better. If you were used to drinking multiple cans of soda per day, try limiting it to a can or less per day. You can use that as a general rule.

The alternatives

Water
- This is simply the best option for you during pregnancy. Drinking a good amount of plain water every day is one of the healthiest things you can do during your pregnancy.
Smoothies
- Fresh fruit and vegetables are great to have during pregnancy, so consider making smoothies.
- You’ll feel refreshed and you’ll get some essential vitamins and nutrients in.
Milk
- Low-fat or non-fat milk are healthier options to have throughout your pregnancy.
- Because it’s a great source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein, the USDA recommends that you drink 3 cups of milk every day for pregnant women.
Certain Teas
- Be mindful that not all teas are recommended during pregnancy, and you’ll have to limit the amount of tea you drink as well due to the caffeine.
- The best teas to drink during pregnancy include raspberry leaf, peppermint, ginger, and lemon balm tea.