I am addicted to caffeine. It started when I was a little kid. My dad was always the first one up in our house, and he’d make himself a mug of tea. I used to creep down the stairs to spend some one on one time with him and he’d give me a sip of his tea, all sweet and creamy. I was hooked from the first sip.
My aunt lived in Seattle for over thirty years, and is directly responsible for my love of coffee. When the Starbucks craze first swept the Emerald City, my aunt would visit with yummy beans and coffee concoctions. The first coffee drink I had was a blended mocha frappuccino. When that chocolatey whipped goodness hit my lips, tea became a distant memory. I drank different blends, on ice, steaming hot, black, you name it. I couldn’t get enough.
I used to pride myself on the fact that while I desperately needed coffee to survive, I never drank soda. And, really, until about a year and a half ago, I probably could count on two hands the number of sodas I’d had in my life. Then my dentist told me that maybe I wanted to lay off the magic beans, as they were staining my teeth. He hit me right on my insecure button, and I decided right then to cut back on my coffee.
The next day, I had a headache so raging, it made my migraines look like fluffy pillows. Clearly cutting back wasn’t going to be an option.
Because I am a genius, I had the idea to use Diet Coke as a sort of methadone for my coffee addiction. (Yes, I KNOW there are dyes in it. That genius comment was sarcastic.) Lucky for me, Diet Coke is always stocked at my house, because Mike is more addicted to Diet Coke than Angelina Jolie is to adopting babies.
I decided to take a soda with me on my morning drive to work. I didn’t like the taste, but it helped with the caffeine withdrawal. I slowly cut back on my coffee at work – and replaced it with Diet Coke. We have a free soda machine! I grew to love the refreshing taste of Diet Coke.
Then I went and got myself all pregnant. I read the books, and they all said caffeine was the devil. I told my OB to give it to me straight, and she said, “well, you can have a cup or two of coffee a day – but try to have less than that.” I asked her if I had to go cold turkey, or if I could wean myself, and she gave me a hairy eyeball.
“How much caffeine do you drink a day?” she asked.
“Enough to make you question my health,” and then I sat there and counted in my head…and rounded down to, “about twelve cups or so.”
“I can’t even believe you got pregnant.”
My Ob was a gem, people. But she was right. I immediately cut out Diet Coke, and I weaned myself completely off of coffee in only four days. I am still in awe that I did that. Oh, the things I do for you, Maddie!
The second my breast milk ran dry, I went to Starbucks and ordered a triple venti espresso. And then I washed it down with a delicious Diet Coke. As vices go, it’s pretty minor. Still, I don’t plan on letting go of it until I’m pregnant again – in 2032.
Bec says:
Oh me oh my! 12 cups a day!
PS. Die-et drinks are going to kill you. They’ll wait until you’re asleep and creep out of the fridge and strangle you where you lay. It’s true! Just as my mum’s best friend’s son’s sisters nephew! It happened to one of the kids he went to school with!
CaraBee says:
Oh, sweet, sweet caffeine. My weapon of choice is Dr. Pepper – fully leaded, baby! I’m breastfeeding and I still drink one or two a day. I figure the kid has to build up her caffeine tolerance some time, why not while she’s young and impressionable.
CaraBees last blog post..Dr. Internet
Z says:
Ah, the “12” (read: 20 or so) cups a day… Yes, I was there. Now I’m at, um, 6? Maybe? 10 on a bad day, for sure…
Why did I cut back? A few years back, I went through a hyper-allergenic period and had to cut everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) out of my diet. While it never got to the point it got with my grandmother (yes, it is genetic. Ah, family…) – who could onyl eat rice and pork for two years – which would have sucked for me, given that I am a vegetarian – it did force me to give up my caffeine. And it SUCKED.
So two years of no caffeine (!!!) later, I was allowed to re-introduce it. And, YAY!, it didn’t have any bad effects (other than the occasional jitters when overdosing)… So now I am back to being a coffee addict, but try to limit myself. To, you know, those 10 cups a day…
So yeah, all this to say – I’m with you on this one. HIP HIP HOORAY for coffee and Diet Coke!
Zs last blog post..Synopsis of our Move
maya says:
Even if you do get pregnant in 2032- you would still not be the oldest mom to give birth. That award goes to a 70 year old woman in india this week who gave birth to twins through ivf. Yeah.
BTW- Your camera KICKS MAJOR ASS. That picture of the coke open- beautiful.
Ms. Moon says:
Aah, coffee’s health food. Enjoy it. (She said as she swigged the last cold dregs of the cup in front of her.)
Ms. Moons last blog post..The Picture Is In Our Minds
Maria says:
I didn’t start drinking caffeinated drinks with any regularity until after my son’s birth. (Yeah, while I was BFing…) A cup of coffee or chai tea became the only way I could survive getting through my workday.
When I got pregnant with this chipmunk, I quit cold turkey for the first 16 weeks or so, but I’ve been having one soda or one half-decaf coffee probably 4 days a week.
For some reason, this feels like a wicked confession. But man, I’d rather have some caffeine than totally murderate somebody in the morning.
(I want someone to teach me how to use my husband’s snazzy camera.)
Marias last blog post..Failsauce
Danes says:
Yes, and I remember the bottles of Starbucks (mocha on the go? Can’t remember) you used to keep under the bed in college. Well it WAS a 20 minutes walk to campus!
Now excuse me, I have to go brew some coffee…
Black Hockey Jesus says:
I used to be a counselor at a methadone clinic. I know. I swear to God, though. And one morning at the clinic around 10:00 I started feeling all sweaty and poopy like I was going to throw up. Plus I had these massive chortles in my stomach (gross) and a real tense headache in the temples.
I was still all effed up at 2:00 when my 65-year-old co-worker told me his doctor told him no more caffeine (why is the i not before the e?). I said that blows. He said O not really – this decaf tastes the same. And he pointed at the office’s pot that he had switched out with the fake brew.
I called a 65-year-old man a selfish motherfucker to his face.
Black Hockey Jesuss last blog post..Halushki
cindy w says:
I’ve never liked tea or coffee, but I’ve been addicted to Diet Coke as long as I can remember. My mom raised us on Tab, it was sort of inevitable. I cut down to only two cans a day while I was pregnant, but now I’m back up to my usual five or six. It’s a sickness. And I have no intention of quitting.
moosh in indy. says:
Dude, did you twitch?
moosh in indy.s last blog post..Nakie Bacon Berries.
Christy says:
I am very into my coffee (hence the name of my blog ‘Heavy on the Caffeine) but mostly the iced varities. I didn’t start drinking it until after I had my kids though–I think I was willing to try anything that would not help me to not feel like a zombie from lack of sleep! I don’t mind decaf though, so I don’t think my caffeine addiction is too serious (she says as she takes another hit from the straw of her frapuccino.)
Christys last blog post..My Version Of The Surgeon General’s Warning
ali says:
funny..i upped my coffee intake to break my diet coke addiction.
i know, right? i’m BRILLIANT.
Rock and Roll Mama says:
I’m glad I’m not alone in my crutch-use. My drug or choice is straight espresso, with some sugar dumped in. I had to buy an espresso machine a few years back, or risk my marriage over the cost of my Starbucks habit. It was a tough call, but I got a barista. No, not like one in a green apron, although that’d be killer. Just a machine…if I want to feel all healthy, I make an iced soy latte, to deflect the fact that it’s my 14th shot of espresso in 6 hours.
mandy says:
cindy w – tab – omg. the memories are just flooding back. yes, my mom too was a tab drinker.
personally there is nothing like a diet coke from a fountain. what a wonderful, tasty and refreshing way to start the day. i’m not a coffee drinker but still appreciate a little get up and go in the am.
diet coke is the nectar of the gods.
ps – i don’t like those jokes about ordering a cookie and a diet coke, eating a whole pizza and drinking diet coke, having two big macs and a diet coke, etc. i’ve found most people drink one or the other not both. it’s a choice. if i order a salad, i’m not ordering a regular coke. stop with the bad jokes!!
Kellee says:
You are a girl after my own heart. I’m so hooked on Diet Coke that it’s all I drink. Diet Coke or water. I LOOOOOOOVE it. I drink them at 6 am. Mmmmm.
holli says:
after quitting smoking (well, I’m still addicted to nicorette.. which is financially killing us at $80 a box) I’m not going to beat myself up over my Buck/Dr. Pepper addiction. I actually use it to help my headaches! I don’t remember the last time I actually had water.. it’s terrible.
mrs. chicken says:
My secret vice is iced tea. Strong, black and very cold, no sweetener. I could drink a gallon of it RIGHT NOW.
sam says:
My Gosh, 12 a day – rounding DOWN!?
I thought I had it bad! LOL
Kate says:
Personally caffine make me sleepy, however I know a woman in her 40s who runs from Oxnard to Santa Barbara and back on a weekly basis. She’s a mother and an 3-time ultra marathoner (that’s 100 miles of running!) And whenver she finishes a long run, she sucks down like 7 diet cokes. So, I think you’re going to be ok but maybe you should think about running some more just to be on the safe side
oh and GO BRAVES! (Sorry I had to!)
Backpacking Dad says:
I used to drink 3-4 Pepsis a day, on a light day. Switching that shit out for hating on people was totally worth it.
My pants thank me.
Backpacking Dads last blog post..Loyalty: It makes me an asshole
Backpacking Dad says:
P.S. what the hell? I lost your feed and thought you were still just on vacation.
Backpacking Dads last blog post..Loyalty: It makes me an asshole
Shauna says:
I’m your total opposite. I actually took up caffeine when I was pregnant with Lucy- a little sip of Diet Coke here and there was the only thing that kept the nausea away.
And yeah, as vices go, it’s not a bad one. Keep on with the guilt-free guzzling.
Shaunas last blog post..Nostalgia
dana says:
Oh my stinkin’ heck, woman! All I can say is that I love you for going off it for your baby. You are truly amazing!
si says:
I’m almost eight months pregnant and I told my husband that the very first thing I want when this baby pops is a caramel macchiato.