"There are a lot of things you have to give up during pregnancy. While you may be saying, “see you later” to your dearest wine, soft cheeses, and sushi, thankfully you can still indulge in a mini caffeine fix, even during pregnancy. There are so many questions when it comes to caffeine and pregnancy. You’ve probably asked yourself, “Can I drink a frappe while pregnant?” “Can pregnant women have chai?” If you’re continuously asking yourself, “What types of coffee can you drink while pregnant?”—you’ve come to the right place. We’re diving into pregnancy-safe coffee orders from a few of the most popular chains below.
Since there is such a wide range of caffeine content across coffee shops, we’re sharing 12 drinks you can (usually) order at your favorite coffee chains while pregnant, and listing approximately how much caffeine is in each drink.
How Much Caffeine Can You Have While Pregnant?
There are mixed opinions on how much caffeine is safe during pregnancy and what could affect birth weight, or cause other complications. Some reliable sources claim up to four cups a day, while others recommend cutting caffeine out completely. Based on various studies, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends limiting your intake to less than 200mg of caffeine a day while pregnant. This is equivalent to about one 12oz cup of coffee. However, caffeine content varies significantly based on the type of coffee drink and where you get it. It can be a bit confusing to know what is safe and what is best avoided.
Don’t let this uncertainty keep you from your daily caffeine consumption. During pregnancy, getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge, so you’re likely more tired than usual. And if you’re pregnant and also have a toddler, we know you will probably want every single milligram of that 200mg you’re allotted each day.
Also, it’s important to remember that there is caffeine in things besides coffee. Yes, coffee-flavored ice cream contains caffeine, as does chocolate and some teas. Keep this in mind when calculating your daily caffeine intake during your pregnancy. If you’re concerned about caffeine content when ordering a drink from a coffee chain or restaurant, consider ordering the smallest size available, sticking to one (or max two) shots of espresso per drink, or order your drink half-caffeinated. Read on for 12 pregnancy-safe coffee orders from your favorite chains.
Hot Brewed Coffee
Even your basic cup of drip coffee can have a wide range of caffeine depending on where you get it from. When in doubt, go for the smallest size. But, with a little research you can be confident you won’t be overdoing it.
Starbucks Hot Brewed Coffee While Pregnant
While a Tall or Grande may be the go-to drink size for non-expecting Starbucks fans, for a pregnancy-safe Starbucks drink, consider ordering an 8oz “Short” size instead. For their Blonde Roast, a Short has 180mg of caffeine and a Pike Place has 155mg.
Dunkin’ Donuts Hot Brewed Coffee While Pregnant
Opt for a small at Dunkin’ as well, as their hot brewed coffee has 180mg of caffeine.
Peet’s Hot Brewed Coffee While Pregnant
Your Peet’s coffee order may range in caffeine content depending on how it’s prepared. Regardless, though, sticking with a 6oz drink size is typically fair game and will get you 100-200mg of caffeine.
Dutch Bros. Hot Brewed Coffee While Pregnant
It may come as a surprise, but Dutch Bros. doesn’t actually offer a brewed coffee option. Instead, their standard coffee is made with espresso shots, each with 93.5mg of caffeine.
McDonald’s Hot Brewed Coffee While Pregnant
If you like a large cup of coffee, head to McCafe. Their large (20-24oz) option has 180mg of caffeine. The small has 109mg and a medium has 145mg.
Iced Coffee
If you prefer your coffee iced, there’s a pretty sizable difference between popular chain coffee shops when it comes to pregnancy-safe orders—and even among the different types of iced coffee at each place.
Starbucks Iced Coffee While Pregnant
At Starbucks, a Nitro has 280mg of caffeine, a cold brew has 205mg, and a regular iced coffee has 165mg (all Grande size). Even the Tall Nitro has 215mg, but the Tall cold brew has 155mg. If you want the least amount of caffeine, opt for a smaller size or regular iced coffee.
Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Coffee While Pregnant
The regular iced coffee at Dunkin’ has 198mg of caffeine in the brand’s 16oz drink size. Their cold brew has 174mg of caffeine per 10oz of coffee.
Peet’s Iced Coffee While Pregnant
Peet’s plain iced coffee has 150mg of caffeine per 16oz of coffee.
Dutch Bros. Iced Coffee While Pregnant
Grab an iced Dutch latte with 93.5mg of caffeine in a size medium and 187mg in a large.
McDonald’s Iced Coffee While Pregnant
McDonald’s medium iced coffee has 130mg of caffeine. Their large drink size tops out the recommended amount of pregnancy-safe daily caffeine intake at 200mg.
Latte
Made of espresso and steamed milk, lattes are an easy order since you can customize how many shots of espresso you’d like.
Starbucks Latte While Pregnant
At Starbucks, a Tall contains 75mg and a Grande has 150mg (it’s not currently pumpkin spice season, but for future reference, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks contain those same amounts).
Dunkin’ Donuts Latte While Pregnant
At Dunkin’, a medium latte has 151mg.
Peet’s Latte While Pregnant
A 16oz latte from Peet’s will be about 140mg of caffeine.
Dutch Bros. Latte While Pregnant
Depending on how much you want to spend, Dutch Bros.’ medium and large lattes both have 93.5mg of caffeine. A large bumps this up to 187mg.
McDonald’s Latte While Pregnant
For a McCafe order, a large latte contains 178mg.
Café au Lait
For something a little less bitter, take a note from the French Quarter of New Orleans by ordering their famous Café au Lait. With this type of drink—which may have a different title based on where you’re ordering it from—you’re getting a coffee with steamed milk. While not all chains have a Café au Lait listed on their menu, it’s a safe bet to get anywhere. Sources suggest the average amount of caffeine of a standard Café au Lait is about 90 mg per serving.
Starbucks Café au Lait While Pregnant
If you’d prefer a larger drink to sip on, order a Caffè Misto at Starbucks. A Venti has 195mg of caffeine, keeping you just under that 200mg limit.
Dunkin’ Donuts Café au Lait While Pregnant
Because a Café au Lait is just brewed coffee and steamed milk, ordering one from Dunkin’ means less than the 180mg in their small hot coffee.
Peet’s Café au Lait While Pregnant
Same goes for Peet’s. A 6oz coffee with steamed milk would have less than 100-200mg because of the room for the milk.
Dutch Bros. Café au Lait While Pregnant
At Dutch Bros., on the other hand, you could bump it all the way up to a large, if you so choose. Their large Café au Lait taps out at 187mg.
McDonald’s Café au Lait While Pregnant
The McCafe option will also have less than brewed coffee at 180mg for a large.
Macchiato
A macchiato is a similar option, just with less milk than a latte. The milk in a macchiato is usually foamed. Fun fact, in Italian, the word translates to “stained” or “spotted.”
Starbucks Macchiato While Pregnant
You can opt for a double macchiato at Starbucks and get 150mg of caffeine.
Dunkin’ Donuts Macchiato While Pregnant
Be cautious of the macchiato at Dunkin’ Donuts. Unfortunately, a small has 237mg, which takes you slightly over the 200mg recommendation.
Peet’s Macchiato While Pregnant
While the caffeine content for Peet’s macchiato isn’t listed, it’s likely similar to their latte at 140mg for 16oz.
Dutch Bros. Macchiato While Pregnant
Dutch Bros. also doesn’t advertise for macchiatos specifically, but we can assume their caffeine content would be similar to the 93.5mg of a small or medium latte.
McDonald’s Macchiato While Pregnant
Safely choose whatever size you’d like from the McCafe menu when it comes to macchiatos. Their small has 71mg, the medium 142mg, and a large 178mg.
Cappuccino
Another delicious option is a cappuccino, which contains an even amount of espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk.
Starbucks Cappuccino While Pregnant
A Grande classic cappuccino at Starbucks contains 150 mg of caffeine.
Dunkin’ Donuts Cappuccino While Pregnant
Be sure to forgo the large cappuccino at Dunkin’ as it has 252mg of caffeine. However, a small has 118mg and a medium has 166mg.
Peet’s Cappuccino While Pregnant
You’ll find 140 mg of caffeine in a 16 fl oz cup at Peet’s.
Dutch Bros. Cappuccino While Pregnant
All the flavors of Dutch Bros. cappuccinos have 93.5mg of caffeine for small and medium, and 187mg for a large.
McDonald’s Cappuccino While Pregnant
Another large option, the cappuccino at McCafe has 178mg.
Americano
For a watered-down espresso option, order an Americano, which is a mix of espresso and hot water. You can specify how many shots of espresso you’d like in your drink.
Starbucks Americano While Pregnant
A Caffè Americano at Starbucks may be enjoyed in either a Short at 75mg or Grande at 150mg.
Dunkin’ Donuts Americano While Pregnant
Pass on the Americano at Dunkin’ since a small has 237mg of caffeine.
Peet’s Americano While Pregnant
Enjoy Peet’s Americano at 140 mg of caffeine in a 16 fl oz cup.
Dutch Bros. Americano While Pregnant
In true Dutch Bros. fashion, you can get a small or medium for 93.5mg of caffeine or 187mg for a large.
McDonald’s Americano While Pregnant
Always providing a good range, McDonald’s small Americano has 71mg, the medium 142mg, and a large 187mg.
Shot of Espresso
If you want to keep it pretty basic with a quick jolt of caffeine, order a straight shot of espresso. According to the USDA, a standard shot of espresso contains 64 mg of caffeine, so if all shots are somewhere around that number, you can actually have two for those days when you really need an energy fix. But, again, they all may vary by brand.
Starbucks Espresso While Pregnant
At Starbucks a shot has 75mg—not bad!
Dunkin’ Donuts Espresso While Pregnant
Dunkin’s single shot of espresso has 118mg so be sure to keep it to just one.
Peet’s Espresso While Pregnant
From Peet’s, you’re looking at 70mg per shot.
Dutch Bros. Espresso While Pregnant
It’s possible to stay under the 200mg limit with even a triple espresso shot at Dutch Bros. coming in at 142mg. For a double, you’re looking at 93.5mg, and 46.75mg for a single.
McDonald’s Espresso While Pregnant
An espresso shot from McCafe will have 71mg for a single and 142mg for a double.
Chai Latte
If you like a warm drink but want a lighter amount of caffeine, hot tea lattes are an excellent choice. A chai latte during pregnancy may just be a saving grace in the caffeine department. You’ll get a chai latte by mixing steamed milk with black tea infused by spices. Most are then topped off with foam for an added treat.
Starbucks Chai Latte While Pregnant
The classic chai tea latte from Starbucks is a great go-to if you want just a little boost. The Short starts at just 50mg and a Venti only hits 120mg.
Dunkin’ Donuts Chai Latte While Pregnant
Same goes for Dunkin’s vanilla chai. You’ll get about 54mg in a small and only 107mg in a large.
Peet’s Chai Latte While Pregnant
Peet’s doesn’t list information on their chai latte, but they share that their black tea has anywhere from 25-110mg of caffeine.
Dutch Bros. Chai Latte While Pregnant
You could get away with having several chai lattes from Dutch Bros. as well. Their small 40.65mg and their large has 65mg.
McDonald’s Chai Latte While Pregnant
McDonald’s chai latte is said to have 100mg of caffeine per 14oz.
Frozen Coffee
If you prefer your coffee in something closer to dessert form, order a Frappuccino or other frozen blended coffee. There are a lot of flavors, which may vary the caffeine content slightly.
Starbucks Frappuccino While Pregnant
The standard Coffee Frappuccino from Starbucks comes in well under 200mg, with a Venti containing around 130mg of caffeine.
Dunkin’ Donuts Frozen Coffee While Pregnant
Stick with Dunkin’s small (16oz) frozen coffee at 196mg.
Peet’s Frozen Coffee While Pregnant
It’s up in the air exactly how much caffeine a Mocha Frappe from Peet’s has, but some sources suggest around 125mg.
Dutch Bros. Frozen Coffee While Pregnant
The Dutch Bros. version of a blended coffee is known as a Freeze. Keeping true to their form, you can get a small or medium for 93.5mg of caffeine or 187mg for a large.
McDonald’s Frozen Coffee While Pregnant
A large Mocha Frappe at McCafe has 180mg, a medium has 125mg, and a small has 100mg.
Hot or Iced Teas
Teas can be refreshing, hydrating, and even soothing for some pregnancy symptoms. Consider ginger tea if you’re experiencing nausea or morning sickness, peppermint to aid with digestion, or red raspberry leaf tea which is said to support the uterus and can help the body prepare for labor. Keep in mind that many teas do contain caffeine, though usually much less than coffee options. A cup of caffeinated tea usually contains somewhere around 40-80 mg of caffeine. Some herbal teas and hibiscus tea are not recommended during pregnancy. Iced green tea in moderation (don’t go for the venti size) can also be another great way to get those antioxidants and keep the consumption down. Or opt for a Starbucks refresher if you’re really feeling the heat!
Starbucks Tea While Pregnant
Starbucks may be known for their coffee, but their tea selection certainly isn’t slacking. They have options like earl grey, English breakfast, and more—including plenty of fruity options. The caffeine content ranges from 15mg to 110mg in the green tea, but most fall around the 40mg mark. Their refreshers range from 35-110mg, depending on size and type.
Dunkin’ Tea While Pregnant
Dunkin’s iced teas range from 42-45mg for smalls to 91mg for a 32oz large.
Peet’s Tea While Pregnant
Peet’s black tea has between 25-110mg of caffeine, the green tea has 16-60mg, and the white tea has 12-50mg.
Dutch Bros. Tea While Pregnant
Nearly all of Dutch Bros. teas are a save bet. Their black tea is said to have the most caffeine at around 47mg per 8oz.
McDonald’s Tea While Pregnant
No matter what size you get in McDonald’s hot tea, you’re looking at around 42mg of caffeine. Their iced sweet tea ranges from 38mg for a small to 100mg for an XL.
Decaf Coffee
And finally, if you’re trying to cut even further back on your caffeine intake, go for a half-caf or decaf coffee. If you love the taste of coffee or simply the ritual of it, you’ll still get those vibes, just with way less caffeine. A decaf cup of coffee usually contains around 15 mg of caffeine, making it a great safe for pregnant women option.
Starbucks Decaf Coffee While Pregnant
A brewed decaf coffee from Starbucks ranges from 15-30mg depending on size.
Dunkin’ Donuts Decaf Coffee While Pregnant
Their regular coffees may be supercharged, but their decaf will only be 7-18mg of caffeine.
Peet’s Decaf Coffee While Pregnant
6oz of Peet’s decaf coffee will have 4-8mg of caffeine.
Dutch Bros. Decaf Coffee While Pregnant
For a safe bet, Dutch Bros. decaf blend is 99.9% caffeine free.
McDonald’s Decaf Coffee While Pregnant
McCafe’s decaf option will have 8-14mg depending on size.
Amanda Shapin Michelson, Former Editor
Amanda is a writer specializing in health, wellness, and motherhood. She recently wrote the book Pregnancy Hacks, sharing tips to comfortably get through the major ups and downs of pregnancy. She currently works for Babylist and lives in Maryland with her husband, kids Millie, Ezra, and Sloane, and pup Ollie.