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I was relieved to learn that caffeine was not completely off the table during pregnancy, because it meant I could still have the occasional Starbucks drink without feeling like everything familiar had disappeared.
That sent me down a rabbit hole of Starbucks drinks for pregnant women, and I ended up saving more options than I expected.
In this guide, I’m sharing the coffee drinks and non-coffee drinks I kept coming back to, along with the main things I paid attention to during pregnancy.
15 Best Starbucks drinks for pregnant women (Safe options to order)
Hot Tea
Tea made more sense to me during pregnancy, especially on days when I wanted to keep caffeine low without giving up a warm drink.
Hot teas usually come with less caffeine, and I liked how a little honey could make them feel softer and less sharp.
The hot teas at Starbucks also contain minimal calories, so I can turn to a plethora of flavors and still focus the majority of my calories and nutrition on my growing baby.
When I wanted just a little caffeine, I ordered the green tea-based Honey Citrus Mint Tea.
The mix of green tea and Mint Majesty has just 16 mg of caffeine, and the lemonade sweetness seemed to help on mornings when my stomach felt off.
The best Starbucks hot tea for pregnant women:
- Great news: All of the official menu hot teas at Starbucks fall within the appropriate caffeine limits during pregnancy (Grande size).
- I recommend Mint Majesty. Its soothing peppermint will promote relaxation, and it has no caffeine or sugar.
Iced Tea
Starbucks iced teas were another low-caffeine order I kept in the rotation when I wanted something simple and cold.
When I needed a little lift for an afternoon meeting, I usually went for an Iced London Fog Tea Latte.
This twist on the classic Early Grey tea is safe to have in moderation during pregnancy, and a Grande contains 40 mg of caffeine.
The best Starbucks iced tea for pregnant women:
- When it comes to iced tea at Starbucks, I actually hit the refrigerator section! The Teavana Sparkling Unsweetened Peach Nectarine Green Tea has only 16 mg of caffeine, and the addition of bubbly water helps soothe my queasy stomach.
Starbucks iced tea drinks to avoid during pregnancy:
- While Starbucks Iced Passion Tango Tea is caffeine-free, there are mixed beliefs about the safety of hibiscus tea during pregnancy. Some women drink hibiscus tea to help them prepare for labor in the third trimester, but I definitely recommend talking with your doctor or midwife first.
Refreshers
Starbucks Refreshers are light, fruity, and cold. I never treated them like a fruit smoothie, but they were the kind of drink I reached for when I wanted something brighter than tea and less heavy than coffee.
A Grande Refresher has about 45 to 50 mg of caffeine, which still leaves room if I’m keeping an eye on my daily total.
Another great thing about refreshers is they are often available in Starbucks Trenta size. This allows me to sip my sweet treat all afternoon long!
The best Starbucks Refresher for pregnant women:
- All of the Starbucks Refreshers are suitable during pregnancy! I recommend the Frozen Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher, as it's made with real strawberry puree and dried strawberries. A Grande has 35 grams of sugar and 160 calories.
Iced Coconut Milk
Iced coconut milk drinks are a good replacement for coffee or a nice addition to it. Starbucks discontinued my favorite Guava Passionfruit Drink, which was a real shame, but there are still plenty of flavors left.
Coconut milk contains iron and healthy nutrients essential for a mother’s immune system.
I still like customizing drinks with coconut milk, even when I’m not pregnant, because it adds a little more body without making the drink feel heavy.
Tips for ordering coconut drinks at Starbucks:
- I recommend starting with the famous "Pink Drink!" Technically found in the Refreshers section of the menu, the Pink Drink features Strawberries and coconut milk for only 140 calories.
Decaf and Half-Caf Coffees
When I wanted caffeine during pregnancy, my usual Caffe Americano felt a little too strong at 225 mg.
The decaf version gave me the same roasted coffee taste without pushing my intake as much, which made it an easy swap.
Decaf coffees usually only have about 15 mg of caffeine, so I don’t have to worry about it being too strong. They also still have the same taste and smell as actual coffee.
And when I really needed a boost, a half-caf Americano was the middle ground I kept going back to, at about 112 mg of caffeine.
Tips for ordering decaf options at Starbucks:
- Starbucks serves decaf coffee for a reason, and it doesn't need to be taboo or requested in a whisper. Go ahead and tell your barista to cut the caffeine. They do it all the time!
Chai Latte
When I wanted something that felt warming and comforting, I kept coming back to a Chai Latte. Technically it falls under hot teas, but it’s one of those drinks that deserves its own spot because it feels more like a cozy coffee-shop order than a plain tea.
Even a Venti Chai Latte only contains 120 mg of caffeine, so it still fit within the daily limit I was watching.
What I really appreciate is that since it’s made with 2% milk, I’m also getting a bit of a protein boost.
Espresso
If you’re looking for your next caffeine fix, there’s nothing better than a Starbucks espresso shot . I’d guess a lot of us first got hooked on Starbucks through some espresso drink or another.
At Starbucks, two espresso shots equal 150 mg of caffeine, so I treated that as my rough ceiling.
If I want more coffee flavor without the same caffeine hit, I ask for decaf espresso.
The best espresso drinks at Starbucks for pregnant women:
- All of the lattes on Starbucks current menu have under 200 mg of caffeine when ordered in a Grande size, though you should check their app for certainty.
- I recommend the Caffe Latte, as it packs 150 mg of caffeine and 13 grams of protein.
Starbucks espresso drinks to avoid during pregnancy:
- When it comes to espresso drinks, make sure your barista adds in no more than two shots of espresso, as that will be your threshold. I would steer clear of the seasonal offerings, simply because they are usually packed with sugar.
Iced Coffee (Regular and cold brew)
While there’s nothing wrong with espresso, I still craved an Starbucks iced coffee drink , especially when the weather was warm and I wanted something I could sip slowly.
Iced coffee works well with milk, sugar, or syrup, and Starbucks offers it in light, medium, or dark roast.
I also liked that Starbucks had decaf iced coffee, since that gave me another easy option when I wanted the flavor more than the caffeine.
Starbucks cold coffee drinks to avoid during pregnancy:
- All of the Starbucks Nitro Cold Brews have too much caffeine, so skip those.
- If you're really feeling like a cold brew, opt for a Cream Cold Brew (185 mg of caffeine) and limit yourself to one.
Cappuccino
I used to think cappuccinos were automatically off the table during pregnancy, but a Grande still comes in at under 200 mg of caffeine.
When I order a Grande cappuccino with 2% milk, it still lands at about 150 mg of caffeine.
In terms of calories, it’s also only about 140 calories for a Grande with 2% milk.
What I like about cappuccinos is how easy they are to customize. Depending on my mood, I can add sweeteners, syrups, sauces, or even toppings.
Caffe Americano
An Americano is actually a more watered, diluted version of an espresso. So if you’re drinking an espresso, you can drink a Caffe Americano.
I enjoy getting my Americano over ice because the cold cup makes it feel lighter, and the extra dilution softens the espresso a bit.
Tips for ordering Americanos during pregnancy:
- Limit your intake to a Tall Americano, which has 150 mg of caffeine.
- Opt for a decaf Americano for all the taste and none of the caffeine.
Hot Brewed Coffee
I was surprised by how much the caffeine shifts from one Starbucks drink to another, so I stopped assuming two espresso drinks would land in the same place.
When you order your hot brewed coffee from Starbucks, they also allow you to select from three different roasts – light blonde, medium roast, or a dark roast.
Hot brewed coffee is still on the menu, but I checked the size and the exact drink each time because the numbers can move around more than I expected.
The best Starbucks brewed coffees for pregnancy:
- Ask for a Tall Cafe Verona (dark roast), which has around 195 mg of caffeine.
- Ask for half-caf or decaf coffee.
Hot brewed coffee drinks to avoid during pregnancy:
- Stay away from Starbucks Blonde Roast. A Grande size has 360 mg of caffeine!
- All coffees at Starbucks have over 200 mg of caffeine when ordered in a Grande size or larger, so stick to a Tall.
Macchiato
My usual non-pregnancy coffee hit is often a Starbucks Macchiato, so I was glad to see it still fit into the mix.
Both the Caramel Macchiato and Espresso Macchiato at Starbucks, when ordered as a Grande, contain 150 mg of caffeine.
And yes, you can definitely order these as decaf or half-caf versions.
Mochas
If you’re craving a sweet Starbucks mocha drink with a reasonable caffeine content, Mochas do the job.
They’re made with chocolate, espresso, and steamed milk.
To me, they sit somewhere between a hot chocolate and a Starbucks latte, just with a little more coffee and a little less chocolate. I still think of it as a grown-up hot chocolate.
One of the most popular mocha coffee drinks is the peppermint white chocolate mocha.
Even a venti Mocha stays under 200 mg of caffeine. At 450 calories, though, I file it under a treat rather than an everyday order.
Frappuccino
Frappuccinos are delicious: they’re creamy and a lovely ice-blended drink for a warm day.
I still reach for these when I want something dessert-like. They remind me of college, when sugar and caffeine felt like a perfectly reasonable plan.
With Frappuccinos, you can also customize the flavor in plenty of directions, from white chocolate to peppermint and beyond.
No matter which Frappuccino flavor I choose to go for, it’s within the pregnancy caffeine limit.
I’ve tried enough of them to know I keep coming back to the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino. It feels more like dessert than coffee, which is probably why I like it.
The best Starbucks Frappuccinos for pregnancy:
- The Creme-based Frappuccinos are not only caffeine-free, but they will provide a decent amount of calcium for your growing little one.
Latte
Most Starbucks lattes I looked at stayed under 200 mg of caffeine in Tall or Grande sizes, which made them easier to keep in the mix.
I can also order a wide range of Starbucks iced latte drink flavors, including the blonde vanilla latte, caramel latte, cinnamon dolce latte, or even an eggnog latte.
The Caramel Brulee Latte is another exceptionally popular latte favorite that’s best enjoyed hot, and even that only contains about 150 mg of caffeine.
So while I had to give up those mid-afternoon energy drinks, one latte a day felt like a realistic compromise.
Caffe Misto
Ever heard of the Caffe Misto? It’s a simple Starbucks drink made with half steamed milk and half brewed coffee.
This is what I choose when I’m looking for a bit more from my Americano in terms of flavor and dairy content. Because the milk is steamed it feels velvety smooth going all the way down.
The venti size has about 195 mg of caffeine, so it sits close to the daily line, but I treated it as one of the closer calls on the menu.
Best enjoyed warm, the Caffe Misto has about 110 calories in a Grande size. It’s also easy to customize with different flavors, toppings, and sweeteners.
Ordering Starbucks drinks for pregnant women (Things to consider)
One question that kept coming up was whether Starbucks uses pasteurized milk.
Yes, you’ll be glad to know that all of the milk and cream at Starbucks is pasteurized.
That matters during pregnancy because pasteurization heats milk high enough to kill harmful bacteria.
Refreshers probably need more explanation than people expect. They do come with caffeine, and they’re usually made with ice, the caffeinated base, and freeze-dried fruit pieces.
Yes, as mentioned earlier, refreshers are completely safe to consume.
That combination makes them feel closer to a fruity iced drink than a traditional tea or coffee order.
When customizing your drink, you can add plenty of other flavors, whether that means sweeteners or syrups, to satisfy your sugar cravings. [3]
While you can put a pump or two of your favorite syrup in your drink, make sure that you’re not going over the top.
I kept an eye on syrup because it can push the calories up faster than I expected.
With different sizes, I got in the habit of checking the caffeine for each one because the jump between sizes can be bigger than it looks.
FAQs
What Starbucks drinks are not safe for pregnant women?
There are quite a few Starbucks drinks that are not a good fit during pregnancy because of their caffeine content. If I’m not sure, I lean toward caffeine-free drinks and keep an eye on sugar.
How much Starbucks can I drink while pregnant?
If you’re pregnant, the 200 mg daily caffeine figure was the number I kept in mind, although guidelines can vary.
What food can a woman eat from Starbucks while pregnant?
When I ordered Starbucks food, wraps and sandwiches were usually the easiest picks. I’d ask for them to be heated until steaming hot, since most of these items aren’t made fresh to order.
