As part of their pregnancy planning, women are advised to avoid or limit a number of foods and drinks due to safety considerations, including caffeine-laden beverages such as coffee, soda and tea. Women may instead switch to herbal tea for its relaxation benefits as it may assist with issues like nausea and constipation – although whether this can actually be consumed while expecting is yet unknown.
As a general guideline, the FDA advises pregnant women to avoid herbal remedies that haven’t been rigorously researched for safety during their pregnancy. Even if a tea contains only natural ingredients, such as tea bags made with essential oils, there may still be chemicals and substances present that could pass to your unborn baby or interact with medications taken during your gestation.
This is especially relevant when using herbs with uterotonic properties, such as pennyroyal, tansy and mugwort, which have the ability to cause contractions that could potentially lead to miscarriage or preterm labor. As these herbs can have such adverse consequences during gestation, their use should never be recommended during tea drinking during gestation.
Herbal teas can generally be consumed safely in small doses during pregnancy. This is because their ingredients tend to be diluted when combined with tea, so the active components will likely be less potency than when taken as food or supplements. Furthermore, commercially made green or black tea is usually considered safe during gestation as long as no caffeine is contained within its formulation.
Pregnant women should limit themselves to no more than four cups of herbal tea per day and opt for combinations that are safe during gestation, such as lemon balm for relieving stress and insomnia, rooibos for digestion support and ginger for relieving morning sickness and nausea. There are even specific herbal teas designed specifically to address common pregnancy symptoms such as indigestion, nausea or fatigue like Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime herbal tea.
Before drinking herbal tea during pregnancy, it is wise to consult your doctor first. He/she can identify which herbs are safe for your situation and advise how much tea to drink each day. They can also suggest special blends that meet specific needs; for instance if experiencing nausea and constipation try drinking ginger or chamomile tea; this has also been known to help women sleep more soundly and relax more easily. For insomnia sufferers looking for relief, sleepytime tea or another herbal calming blend could provide additional support by soothing discomfort, relieving tension, and relaxing your body before bed. Finally try sipping some soothing Chamomile before bed for added help sleeping time!