Warnings about consuming caffeinated drinks while pregnant concern expecting mothers. Among the cravings for chocolate ice cream, pickles and potato chips are a craving for a hot, invigorating sip of tea. Many expecting mothers ignore this hankering for tea because they fear that the caffeine will negatively impact their pregnancy. They simply don’t know if drinking tea is safe during pregnancy or the tea benefits that some of these hot drinks can have.

Ignore Or Give In To Tea Desires?

Drinking certain herbal tea while pregnant is a safe choice. Despite the small amount of caffeine, herbal teas are a much wiser option compared to other caffeinated beverages. Plus, many herbal teas have added health benefits that can improve your pregnancy and the health of your soon-to-be child. That said, you do want to pay attention to how much caffeine you are consuming and not go overboard.

Other caffeinated drinks produce a diuretic effect on the body. This leads to depleted adrenal glands, poor nutrient absorption, and other harmful side effects. Herbal teas, on the other hand, supply the body with a smorgasbord of nutrients that are easy for the body to absorb, tons of antioxidants and vitamin C. Regarding pregnancy, vitamin C can be particularly beneficial because it helps keep stress and anxiety at bay.

Some herbal teas even work towards reducing morning sickness!

Best Teas To Drink When Pregnant

While herbal teas are plenty helpful, you need to know which teas are the best and safest to consume during your pregnancy. There are even some teas to avoid (we’ll list those at the end).

Safe Tea #1: Raspberry Leaf Tea

Peruse any mommy blog or pregnancy post about healthy herbal teas, and raspberry leaf tea is always on the list, and for a good reason. This powerful beverage is rich in calcium, vitamin B complex, iron, and magnesium. Its real potential is the possible effects it has on the uterus. When an expecting mother consumes raspberry leaf tea, it supposedly helps in the preparation for childbirth by strengthening uterine and pelvic muscles. Some research, while not definitive, has shown a correlation between women who drank the tea and a reduced need for birth interventions, like cesarean sections, as well as shorter periods of labor. While this data isn’t definitive, the tea benefits of raspberry leaf are still well worth it.

Safe Tea #2: Ginger Tea

Ginger has long been many mothers’ go-to, cupboard remedy for stomach aches and nausea. It can also provide a ton of relief to expecting mothers who experience morning sickness and other stomach discomforts. Instead of buying ginger tea bags, it’s better to make it yourself because you ensure that you aren’t consuming any potential bad additives or flavoring. Plus, making ginger tea is as simple as adding a few slices of ginger root into a cup of boiled water. Here’s a complete list of the tea benefits of ginger.

Safe Tea #3: Peppermint Tea

Similar to ginger tea, peppermint tea provides a lot of much-needed relief from nausea, stomach aches and other discomforts commonly experienced in the early stages of pregnancy. While it may not have quite the same oomph that ginger tea does in settling the stomach, some people prefer peppermint tea because they find it more relaxing and soothing to drink. Despite these benefits, some doctors report that consuming peppermint can cause heartburn because it lowers the sphincter pressure of the esophagus.

Safe Tea #4: Nettle Tea

Nettle tea may not have the power to prepare the uterus for birth. But, it does have a lot of nutritional qualities that make it a great, all-around-good tea to drink when pregnant. It has high levels of iron and magnesium.  You can combine it with any of the others on this list for even more drinking tea benefits.

Teas To Avoid Sipping When Pregnant

Sticking to the above list provides you with an excellent arsenal of healthy, pregnancy-safe teas. However, you should always keep an eye on your caffeine intake, as some of these drinks do contain low amounts. According to BioMed Central, a research organization focused on the fields of biology, clinical medicine and health, caffeine produces longer pregnancy periods and can reduce the birth weight of a child. Thus, you should do your best to avoid the following herbal teas, as they have high levels of caffeine:

• Black
• Green
• Oolong
• LiChee
• Earl grey
• Darjeeling
• Nilgiris
• Many more…

Also, when shopping for any of the safe teas, be careful of brands that add caffeine and other bad-for-preganancy herbs. Some herbs to avoid in tea blends include:

• Chamomile
• Don Quai
• Ephedra
• Ginseng
• Licorice Root
• Pennyroyal
• St. John’s Wort
• Yarrow

Conclusions

Expecting mothers are told to stay away from herbal teas because many of them have high levels of caffeine, which is harmful to pregnancy. But, herbal tea is a broad category, and within the ranks, there are herbal teas with enormous potential benefits and low levels of caffeine. Some of these tea benefits may even help you have an easier birth!