Can I Drink Herbal Tea While Pregnant?

Can I Drink Herbal Tea While Pregnant?

If you’re pregnant, it may be time to switch up your beverage choices in favor of something more pregnancy-safe, like herbal blends containing natural ingredients like chamomile or ginger tea that may seem healthy but are still potentially risky for gestation. But be wary — natural doesn’t always translate to safe for pregnancy!

Amelia Hirota of Rhode Island’s Phoenix Fertility Center recommends several pregnancy-safe teas – such as rooibos tea, nettle leaf, red raspberry leaf and lemon balm – as they are all caffeine free and provide essential calcium, magnesium and iron vitamins that expecting mothers may require during their gestation period.

But herbal tea may also pose health risks to expecting mothers: Many varieties have not been properly researched and some herbs have even been known to increase miscarriage risk or cause other issues like heartburn and abdominal pain, so pregnant women should steer clear.

As herbal teas are unregulated, it can be difficult to know exactly which ingredients they contain. Some may contain contaminants or ingredients harmful to fetuses; and certain herbs (like cascara sagrada or senna) have laxative effects in high doses that could lead to dehydration and alter electrolyte levels of pregnant and nursing mothers – something especially concerning as their babies’ electrolyte levels will also change as a result of any changes made by mother. This poses particular concern among mothers who breastfeed because any changes will affect their infant’s electrolyte levels as a result.

Even with these considerations in mind, expectant moms can still reap the benefits of herbal tea during gestation. Chamomile tea can help promote restful sleep while rooibos can ease nausea and inflammation of joints; peppermint can soothe stomach upset while ginger tea may ease morning sickness symptoms or pain from arthritis or indigestion.

As you research which herbal teas are safe, be sure to factor in their caffeine content – four cups of black or green tea can quickly reach the 200 mg limit recommended for pregnancy.

Tea should also be consumed carefully during pregnancy; parsley tea has been linked with miscarriage while St John’s Wort may affect how your fetus develops in your womb. Some midwives recommend drinking raspberry leaf tea during late gestation to shorten labor; however this herb has yet to be tested and should only be done so under supervision from healthcare providers.