Q&A: “Does Coffee Impact Egg Quality?"
Should I give up all caffeine when TTC, egg freezing, or doing IVF?
Go ahead and have that morning cup of coffee, guilt free! But try sticking to a limit of ~2 cups daily.
Though low-to-moderate caffeine intake doesn't appear to have an impact, we start to notice some potential harm from caffeine on reproductive outcomes when caffeine intake hits more than 200-300 mg per day, and the risk gets higher from there; we recommend avoiding an intake of more than 600 mg.
This is because higher caffeine intake has been linked to a higher risk of pregnancy loss. Studies have also found that high caffeine consumption resulted in the discovery of caffeine in follicular fluid, which is what nurtures your eggs ahead as they grow. This may be one pathway of potential negative effects.
Beyond coffee or tea though, sugary beverages with caffeine (like sodas or energy drinks) are likely more harmful for chances of pregnancy, including via IVF. This is because of the high sugar content alongside the caffeine. So if you're going to cut back on one caffeine source, make it these sugary ones.
~2 espresso-based drinks (16-ounce)
~2 strong drip coffees (16-ounce)
~3 black teas (16-ounce)
~3 matcha green tea lattes (16-ounce)
~1 energy drink (16-ounce)