Whether or not pregnant woman should consume caffeine or artificial sweeteners is controversial. Caffeine has been blamed for miscarriages by some, and deemed safe in small quantities by others. Artificial sweeteners, such as the popular aspartame, which is usually found in diet soda pop, have not been found to have any adverse affects on pregnant women, or anyone else for that matter. The FDA has stated that artificial sweeteners are safe for anyone to consume. Some still shy away from them, however, due to the fact that in the past certain artificial additives were declared safe and then suddenly the authorities changed their mind.
Honestly, I think the real danger in drinking soda pop during pregnancy, regardless of whether it contains caffeine or artificial sweeteners, lies in the fact that you are replacing water, milk or juice, which are much healthier options. Diet soda, while it contains no calories, is not going to provide the nutrients you need. You’d be much better off drinking milk, for example, which provides much needed calcium. It’s also important to drink plenty of water during pregnancy to support your increased blood volume. Even fruit juice will provide more health benefits than diet soda. When you drink diet soda, you are filling up on nothing, and pregnancy is not the time to consume empty calories or fill up on anything that will not provide nutrients or other health benefits to you and the baby.
If you do drink soda, diet or regular, during pregnancy. Limit yourself to no more than one can per day, and less if possible. Your first drink of choice should be water, followed by milk and juice. When it comes to pregnancy and diet, your motto should be, “make every bit and sip count.” You only consume a certain number of calories each day; you should make every effort to choose healthier options to fill that quota.