Is pregnancy tea okay this early?

[dovey]

Ever since my last pregnancy, I've been sort of addicted to the pregnancy tea made of nettles, mint, oatstraw, red raspberry leaves, and alfalfa. It's so yummy and thirst quenching if you make it iced. At times, I've drunk ~2 quarts per day :bag: But I didn't discover it until late in the second trimester during my last pregnancy.

I stopped making the tea when I found out I was pregnant, since I've heard that red raspberry can cause miscarriage when used in excess during the first trimester. When do you people think it's safe to start drinking this stuff again? And would it be okay to drink a more diluted mixture minus the raspberry leaf?

[provocativa]

I've been wondering and researching this same question the last few days. Consensus seems to be that it's safe, unless you have a history of miscarriage or preterm labor. And as you surmised, less is more in the first trimester. I'm going to go for it when I have time to get to the HFS.

[alexisyael]

I ditto the last post. I'm not really drinking much right now, but I will later on...

(Besides, I'm loving my earl grey iced roibus tea right now... YUM! It actually tastes like real tea!)

[busybusymomma]

I drink one cup daily usually... and towards the end I up to 2-3 cups daily. I was actually already drinking it before I got the + just because I like it. :yum But really, it tastes so good that it's hard to stop sometimes! :LOL

[ltk]

I have been drinking at least one serving of Mother To Be tea, thinking it was okay. Trying to navigate beverages that are healthy for preg women is difficult. So do we have confirmation that Rooibus is okay? Anyone think that one cup of black tea (not dark) would be okay? I am almost 8 weeks and cranky!! But I LOVE being pregnant!! :wink

[busybusymomma]

ltk- IMO (and this is just my opinion) a serving of naturally caffeine isn't the end of the world. I'm drinking 1/2 decaf 1/2 regular coffee now, but I only buy Organic coffee beans. A cup of black tea would be okay I think. Chamomile is sooo nice too, so mild and soothing. :yum

[alexisyael]

My best friend drank black tea all throughout her pregnancy. I mean, cups and cups of it, brewed strong the way her Irish family makes it. She did give in and decrease the amount of sugar she put in each cup, but other than that, she didn't give it up at all.

I think a cup of tea a day wouldn't be too bad. :LOL (I can't have caffeine at all, as it's bad for my IBS.)

Rooibus is safe for pregnancy as far as I know.

[alexisyael]

I looked up Rooibus for pregnancy, and here's a good page I found: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/health/Herb/Rooibos.htm

Basically, it hasn't been studied in humans, but it is not known to cause any damage, and is considered "a very safe herb".

[dshields]

Hey itk,
I do a small cup of iced tea daily. I cut back all caffeine and was SO depressed. One cup of tea has kept me feeling happy and positive and I figure that my mood has got to be affecting my little one as much as anything else and positive is much better for us both. Studies have shown coffee to be "safe" up to 2 cups a day, but it's really your call.

[provocativa]

Dovey et al what are the proportions in this delicious tea? Anyone add dandeliion to the mix?

[busybusymomma]

I posted my tea recipe here, liking it pretty well now. It tastes a lot like the Traditional Medicinals blend.

Let's see:
(this made about 4 cups of mixture so you might want to half it and try a few cups first )

1 c. red raspberry leaf
1 c. strawberry leaf
1/2 c. nettle
1/2 c. alfalfa (it's really quite a powerhouse herb even though it is bland like Thomi'sMommy said)
1/2 c. lemon verbena
1/3 c. spearmint
1/8 c. rosehips

I bought all the herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs... the raspberry leaf wasn't as sifted as I had expected, nor as sifted or fine as the strawberry leaf but it's workable.

Have fun!

[susannella]

I'm drinking a blend of red raspberry leaf, nettle, and oatstraw. I think that's it. I leave out mint because I remember that it may reduce my milk production, and I'm nursing. Someone please correct me if I've got that wrong. I'd love to be drinking mint tea right now.

[busybusymomma]

The Nursing Mother's Herbal mentions spearmint as a tasty addition to your tea, but does say "don't use peppermint, as it can reduce your milk supply".

I do have spearmint in my tea and I think the spearmint and lemon verbena add a freshness and slight, well, it's not sweet but it adds a very nice flavor- which I think is why I love pregnancy tea so much more than just plain ol' RRL tea. :wink