Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth.  Committee opinion defines moderate consumption of caffeine as less than 200 mg. per day.  Brewed coffee contains 137 mg. and brewed tea has 76 mg. in 8 ounces.  Caffeinated soft drinks contain 37 mg. in 12 ounces and milk chocolate has 8 mg. per ounce.

Whooping cough — known medically as pertussis — is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In 2010, many states have reported and increased incidence of pertussis.  Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants. Whooping cough is most contagious before the coughing starts. The best way to prevent it is through vaccinations. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. The whooping cough booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is called Tdap. Both protect against whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria.

Pregnant women (including women who are breastfeeding) who have not received a dose of Tdap previously should receive Tdap after delivery and before discharge from the hospital if 2 years or more have elapsed since the most recent tetanus vaccine. 

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) and ACOG (The American College Of Obstetrics and Gynecology) recommend that all women, including those who are pregnant, receive the seasonal flu vaccine. No study to date has shown an adverse consequence of inactivated influenza vaccine in pregnant women or their offspring. Vaccination early in the season and regardless of gestational age is optimal, but unvaccinated pregnant women should be immunized at any time during influenza season as long as the vaccine supply lasts.