Herbal Teas in Pregnancy: What to Drink, What to Avoid

We all know how important it is to keep up our daily fluid intake, and while you’re pregnant this doesn’t change. But sometimes water can get a bit boring, and if you’re pregnant you need to be watching your caffein intake. But it’s important to be informed because some herbal teas are not recommended in pregnancy, so here is our essential list of what to drink and what to avoid.

The ritual of making and drinking a cup of tea is lovely and comforting ritual. More so in pregnancy when wine is off the agenda and heavily caffeinated drinks need to be kept to a minimum. So herbal teas are a great option while pregnant as not only can you enjoy the comforts of a tea-making ritual but many herbal teas contain vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your health and the health of you baby.

Here’s a list of what’s safe to drink while pregnant, and those teas you want to avoid.

Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea is a soothing tonic made with dried peppermint leaves. It has a lovely taste that will pep you up, but peppermint tea is also known to ease nausea and upset stomachs so it’s ideal if you’re suffering from morning sickness. It’s high in potassium and may help ease a headache, indigestion, bloating and heartburn.

Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is many women’s go-to for morning sickness. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory, aids digestion and is loaded with antioxidants. It can also help lower blood sugar, ease muscle pain and soreness, and ease indigestion. You can make it from scratch by slicing four or five slices of fresh ginger and steeping in boiled water, or use a ready made bag for convenience.

Nettle Leaf Tea

While it’s name sounds a bit sinister, Nettle Leaf tea is a healthful tea to drink throughout pregnancy. Nettle Leaf is high in vitamins A, C, D and K, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and sulphur. It’s also known to help ease leg cramps, so give Nettle Leaf a try.

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

There is some conflicting information around the use of Red Raspberry Leaf tea so to play it safe it’s best used in the second half of pregnancy. This is because it is known to help tone up the uterus, which is perfect for the end of pregnancy when you want a uterus strong enough to push the baby out, but if you’re worried about early miscarriage, it’s worth holding off until later. It’s also known to be high in Vitamin C, E, calcium, iron, and A and E complex. It’s also said to reduce pain during labour and help reduce the length of labour.

There are also some herbal teas which are not recommended during pregnancy because of possible interactions with hormone levels, or because it may not be safe for the baby or the mother. The following list should be avoided.

  • Hibiscus tea
  • Blue and black cohosh tea
  • Don Quai
  • Lemongrass tea
  • Ginseng tea
  • Liquorice root
  • St Johns Wort
  • Pennyroyal tea.
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