Special Teas That Can Help You Through Your Pregnancy

on July 12, 2011 at 9:08 AM

I adore tea. In fact, I love it about as much as I love coffee (which certainly says something!), and we have a huge stash of many different kinds. So imagine how pleased I was while pregnant to learn how many different types of teas are beneficial to pregnant women!

I'm not just talking about the mint tea that was the only liquid I could keep down in the first trimester, but other teas. Both individual types and also blends can help cure what ails ya, from morning sickness and heartburn. There are types that can even help tone your uterus to prepare for birth.

Not to mention, they taste great.

For the dreaded morning sickness, check out teas that have natural mint of some type. Also, ginger tea is a big help, according to many the nauseous mama. Earth Mama Angel Baby's Morning Wellness Tea ($5.97) has ginger and spearmint as the first two ingredients, so it's pretty likely it'll help quell the queasies while getting you hydrated.

If you've got heartburn, mint wins another prize for usefulness. Additionally, teas with marshmallow root, chamomile, and rooibos blends are all noted as beneficial in calming down your GI tract and stopping the pain.

Looking for a good overall pregnancy tea? You want red raspberry leaf. This particular herb is the pregnancy powerhouse, named often for "uterine toning and healthy" -- studies actually show it can aid in decreasing the length of labor, and even in assisted deliveries or cesareans. It can possibly help cure nausea, decrease labor pains, and increase milk production. Wow! If you don't love tea, this herb is beneficial enough that you should consider taking it in pill form throughout your third trimester.

Other helpful ingredients that are also safe for pregnancy to look for include:

Lemon balm, said to help calm nerves, whether you're anxious or irritable.

Dandelion root or leaves are rich in vitamin A and can possibly help relieve some mild edema (swelling!).

Stinging nettles are in many pregnancy teas, and high in many vitamins, making this another great pregnancy "powerhouse" herb. It's noted for helping reduce post-partum bleeding, hemorrhoids, and leg cramps.

It's worth noting that all of the above are herbal teas -- that is, they're not true 'teas' made from tea leaves, but are made from berries, flowers, seeds, and leaves from other non-tea plants. It also means they're caffeine-free!

Did you drink teas while pregnant? Which were your favorites?

Images via Earth Mama Angel Baby; Republic of Tea

About the author Christie Haskell

is fueled by caffeine, whether in coffee or tea form, to aid in chasing around a toddler and elementary schooler. When not online (hah!) she has her nose buried in a book or TV show.

Filed Under: 3rd trimester, 1st trimester, food aversions & cravings, morning sickness, pregnancy health

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Comments (8)

RhondaVeggie

on Jul 12, 2011 at 9:50 AM

I love red raspberry leaf tea. I think it's traditional medicinals that has a pregnancy tea containing that among other things. It's so good, I drink it all the time even if people do occasionally see it in my cupboard and ask if I've forgotten to tell them something! Just one word of caution, I have seen sources suggesting that it should be avoided in the first trimester because it may cause a slightly elevated risk of miscarriage. Herbs are almost always safer than man made medications but they can still hurt us if not taken appropriately so always read the label and check for interactions with anything else you're taking.

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momof3inTN

on Jul 12, 2011 at 9:57 AM

Love, love, love red raspberry leaf tea! I didn't drink it at all during my first pregnancy and had an incrediably long labor. My second and third pregnancies, I drank 2 cups a day for my last trimester (on advice of my midwife) and had much shorter and less painful labors (8 hours for my second and 4 hours for my third). But because it can stimulate uterine contractions, she does not recommend red rasperry leaf at all during the first trimester when the chance of miscarriage is highest. But otherwise, I've always just used fresh grated ginger root and hot water for a nice, inexpensive ginger tea to help with nausea. Ginger isn't helping much this pregnancy, but a regular decaf mint tea (about $2.00 for 20 tea bags) is helping a lot.

FebPenguins

on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:14 AM

Red raspberry tea is great for women period. I love it and would deffinatly tell moms to drink it.

Facebook comment from Jenn Bernat

on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:22 AM

I drink a blend of raspberry leaf, nettle, and oatstraw (for calming) every morning whether I'm nursing or pregnant! I attribute my fast and easy labor with my son to the raspberry leaf tea.

tis.unnatural

on Jul 12, 2011 at 12:38 PM

My midwife had me on a blend of raspberry leaf, nettle, dandelion root (for the ridiculous foot and leg swelling I had) and chamomile, and I loved it. It was summer and incredibly hot during most of my pregnancy so my fiance would make big pitchers of iced tea using this blend every day. So sweet! I also had horrible insomnia and the only way I could get any sleep was to guzzle chamomile all day.

Nonmember comment from jessica

on Jul 12, 2011 at 10:17 PM

i am a tea-aholic, love it hot, cold, black, green, white, or any of the myriads of herbals. This being said, i wonder why, when my milk production was low i took some med that LITERALLY was frighteningly scary. The 1st day of it induced halucinations, insomnia, extreme irritability, up ALL night talking TO MYSELF. it was EXTREMELY bad. The next day i wouldn't take it, instead called the local homeopathic store and discovered A TEA that increased supply called Mother's Milk. It was i GOD SEND. i became a regular milk cow! No offense meant to anyone! i actually got ingorged because i enjoyed the tea so much therefore drank several cups per day! Seriously, if you know anyone with this problem, tell them to look for it! Even Kroger owned food stores have it in their organic sections! it's AMAZING! :)

Facebook comment from Alex Edwards

on Jul 20, 2011 at 2:37 PM

herbal vitamin antibiotics. Although these can be valuable in fighting infections herbal vitamins, they also kill off friendly bacteria in the gut, which would normally be producing B-group vitamins to be absorbed through the intestinal walls. Such deficiencies can result in a wide variety of nervous conditions. www.1wallmart.com/category.php?id_category=14 Although we do not recommend the use of Antibiotics as there are natural antibiotics that work as effectively and without the side effects, If you choose to take antibiotics, especially a lengthy course of broad spectrum antibiotics, then it is advisable you also take a B-complex. www.cleansemart.com A high quality acidophilus supplement is vital as well

Nonmember comment from Gemma Tubbrit

on Feb 7, 2012 at 2:40 AM

Aha! I am so glad I came across this article. Now I can justify buying the sterling silver tea set I set my sight on for the past month, and it would be a greatly valid reason – my sister could definitely use some of these teas.