Yogurt & aspartame while pregnant?

Question

I was given the okay to have yogurt last week and now I'm not sure if I'm doing any damage by having light yogurt with aspartame in it. I am totally NOT trying to keep my weight down (I lost 8 lbs at the beginning and so far have only put 1 lb back on) but Yoplait Light fat free yogurt has the most amazing flavors I've ever had! It was my favorite yogurt before and still is, but the artificial sweetners are concerning me. I'm not neurotic about anything else, at all, and am getting some pretty strong flutters at night so obviously the baby is moving around. (I'll be at 19 weeks on Monday.) I'm also not a phenylketonuric, so I have no allergies to aspartame. Any info that you might have would be greatly appreciated! :) Thanks so much and good luck to all the other preggers out there!!!

Answer 1

I'll be watching the answers to this.  I've read conflicting things about Aspartame.  Some say to avoid, others say it's okay in moderation and still one article I read today said it's considered safe.  I know Splenda (sucralose) is considered safe during pregnancy.  So I have no idea, just wanted you to know I thought this was a good question!

Answer 2

Yeah I heard that artificial sweetners are a big NO NO when your pregnant...I was acually drinking a half cup of coffee with Equal in it and reading about the sweetners and how they are bad for your baby...right then and there I just kinda chucked the cup in the trash and went back to regular sugar.

Im sure if you have like 1 serving a month (with our cravings) it wont kill your baby but I wouldnt push it.

Answer 3

There is lots of conflicting information about artificial sweeterners, but like many things, small amounts are probably ok. I have the occasional diet soda (one a week, or so), and my doctor said that it's fine. If you're eating something with aspartame every day, that might be too much. Ask your doctor for his/her opinion.  Some artificial sweeteners are better than others...I've heard that Splenda is ok.

As for yogurt: have you tried any natural/organic yogurts like Stoneyfield farms, Horizon, Cascade, or Greek Gods?  They don't have any artificial sweeteners at all and they're really, really tasty!  

Answer 4

Well I, personally, have avoided aspartame throughout my entire pregnancy.  Even to the point I wont chew sugar-free gum because 99% of them contain aspartame.

The reason I have made this choice is because aspartame has been linked to causing cancer, and the effects on an unborn baby are still not known.  I would rather not eat it, than take those risks.  Your baby may not seem affected while in the womb, but who knows about long-term effects?  Besides, my good friend who is a midwife and 36 weeks pregnant REFUSES to go near aspartame, so that's enough for me to stay away from it.

Better safe than sorry in my eyes.  It's only 9 months of your life right?

Good Luck and Congrats~