9 months in a bubble

Chicago Tribune: Another scientific study affirms something we've suspected all along: Pregnant women can consume moderate amounts of caffeine without harming their babies. It's a little bit of absolution for every mom who ever risked a Diet Coke in the third trimester, but we haven't noticed an increase in visibly pregnant women in line at Starbucks.
It could be because a lot of women can't bear even the smell of coffee while they're pregnant. More likely it's because they know this study isn't the last word on the subject, and pregnancy is one long exercise in mixed messages when it comes to what's safe and what isn't. When the stakes are this high, you don't floor it at the green light.
Still, hats are off to the Danish researchers who undertook the first controlled, randomized trial of caffeine's effects on pregnancy. When you add up all the things expectant moms aren't allowed to eat or drink or do and all the things they can't stand to be in the same room with, there's not a whole lot left. It would be nice to cross something off the verboten list.