I keep hearing conflicting reports regarding the effects of caffeine on a fetus. Some say that one or two cups a day is fine while others recommend elimination of all caffeine because it has been linked to SIDS in newborns. My doctor isn't concerned, but he tends to be very laid back with issues like this. She has assisted at over 1,000 births and is currently teaching in the nurse-midwifery program at the University of Minnesota. I think that the reason there is so much conflicting information out there is that we just don't yet know precisely what impact caffeine may have.
Studies are ongoing.
Because we see heavy users of caffeine giving birth to presumably normal offspring, we know that the effects are subtle and may be individual. In addition, many other variables may enter the picture. For example, it depends upon how the product, such as coffee, is prepared. As you can see below, coffee varies in caffeine content. Even the size of the cup is variable, so it does no real good to say that pregnant women should limit their intake to a cup per day because interpretations of one cup vary.