Herbal Tea During Pregnancy

An expectant mother has to be very careful about her diet in order to rule out any harm to her baby. Due to its adverse effect on the pregnancy, most women avoid caffeine during pregnancy which is why herbal tea emerges as a popular substitute for tea or coffee. But is herbal tea safe during pregnancy? Herbal teas, as the name suggests, are made from herbs. The roots, berries, flowers, seeds and leaves of a variety of plants are used in preparation of herbal tea. Some of the herbal teas can provide nutrients like magnesium, calcium and iron. These days the market is flooded with many pregnancy teas made using herbs, and most of them claim to be health tonics. Some herbs have been found to be safe, for instance, some women might find ginger tea helpful in tackling the morning sickness. Peppermint, ginger, lime, thyme and roasted barley are some of the popular herbs found to help in easing the discomfort related to pregnancy. But with so many types of herbal teas that claim to be beneficial during pregnancy, it has become increasingly difficult to make a choice. Before you try any herbal tea in pregnancy period, make sure you do some research on that particular herb. Find out all the possible side effects and benefits of herbal tea during pregnancy. If taken in excess, some herbal teas could even cause you harm. In case, you are experiencing symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea or heart palpitations, stop taking that herbal tea soon.

Herbal Tea in Pregnancy

Several herbs have been used to make herbal teas. Though most of the so-called pregnancy teas are marketed as completely safe for use during pregnancy, there is a lack of research on the effects of most of these herbal teas. Due to a lack of data, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages buyers, especially pregnant women, to exercise caution while purchasing any herbal tea. Therefore, it is essential that you buy the ones that are believed to be safe. Some of the herbal teas that are not made commercially might also be unsafe. Some of the herbs might cause harm if used in excess. Some herbs might not be safe because of their toxic nature. Therefore in case there is insufficient data about the herb's properties, it would be advisable to avoid using it.

Popular Herbal Teas
Pregnancy is a very crucial time. Since women need to avoid caffeine at this time, they can enjoy drinking herbal tea made from the pregnancy safe herbs. During pregnancy, a woman might face several problems such as morning sickness, bloating, indigestion and vomiting. If you are facing such problems, you could try herbal teas as some of them have been found to ease discomfort. For instance, ginger tea can provide relief to women who experience morning sickness and nasal congestion. Peppermint herbal tea has a calming effect on the stomach and also helps if you are feeling bloated. Lemon balm also has a calming effect and makes you feel relaxed. It might also help in case of insomnia. Besides giving relief in nausea, red raspberry herbal tea has also been found to tone the uterus, stabilize hormones and ease labor pains. However, there are people who believe that the use of raspberry tea should be avoided during the first trimester as it can cause uterine contractions.

Herbal Teas to be Avoided
Due to insufficient data, some herbs should be avoided during pregnancy. Chamomile, dandelion, rose hips, nettles, yellow dock, black or blue cohosh, ma huang, ephedra, feverfew, pennyroyal, mugwart and alfalfa are some of the herbs that should be avoided during pregnancy. There is a lack of evidence about some of them and others might not be safe during pregnancy. Therefore, if you see any of these ingredients in the herbal tea preparation, avoid it completely. It would be better to drink only those herbal teas which are known to be safe. Most women opt for herbal tea when they are pregnant, therefore it is essential to understand the connection between the use of herbal tea and pregnancy.

If you are planning to shift to herbal tea during pregnancy, be careful in your selection of herbal tea and never drink it in excess. After all, you need to take care of yourself and the life growing within you. So, go herbal only if you are very sure about the herbal tea being safe.