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Name: myra | Date: Nov 10th, 2004 7:00 PM
Don't know - I want to know the answer as well. I have heard about rasberry tea being good but would like to know what is safe and what is not myself. ↑
Name: Audrey | Date: Nov 11th, 2004 9:03 PM
There are a number of herbs that one should not consume in large amounts during pregnancy, so when buying herbal teas, check the ingredients. I have a list of over 30 herbs to avoid, including: angelica, comfrey, ginger root, ginseng, licorice, nutmeg, parsley, rhubarb, sage, sarsparilla. ↑
Name: Tammie Ailes | Date: Nov 15th, 2004 10:00 PM
well, ginger is definitely ok to consume during pregnancy. it does miracles. not so good are teas which contain caffeine like chai and black tea. note that teas have way less caffeine than coffee. it is fine to drink that once in a while, just not on a regular basis. don't worry at all about chamomille, mint, etc. they are totally fine. i would suggest thou that you drink teas that actually support your body during pregnancy, like red raspberry leaf, stinging nettle, dandelion leaf & root, cardamom, anise. all hose are mixed together in yogy (brand) mother to be tea which you can get at health food stores. they also have teas to support lactation. hope this helps, best wishes to you, estee
ps: these fact are also backed by my midwife who is a certified herbologist. ↑
Name: Gabi | Date: Nov 17th, 2004 3:45 AM
What about Rooibostea???? just the friends told me its fantastic but Ive not asked my doc. about it yet. ↑
Name: estee | Date: Nov 17th, 2004 12:35 PM
well, the rooibos tea i have is caffein free, so i think it's fine.... ↑
Name: Louis | Date: Nov 27th, 2004 10:20 PM
Check out this link for a full listing of herbs and possible effect on pregnancy
We- are expecting our second child and i m always checking out sites for info ↑
Name: kashi | Date: Nov 28th, 2004 3:13 PM
the "i want to do you something good" post on here has some good info about herbs. ↑
Name: DC | Date: Dec 3rd, 2004 10:05 AM
be careful with the Red Raspberry Leaf tea....it is known to to help soften the cervix and aid in labor so though it's wonderful for that I wouldn't drink it unless you are near your due date. Note: I drank some the week before my due date, just like a cup a day, and my labor was only 1 hr and 45 mins total from first contraction. I can't tell if it was the tea or just me but every little bit helps! ↑
Name: kashi | Date: Dec 3rd, 2004 6:14 PM
no, red raspberry leaf tea is recommended by midwifes during the WHOLE pregnancy, not just close to your due date. it is even recommended after birth and during breastfeeding... ↑
Name: Tiff | Date: Dec 11th, 2004 5:33 PM
my baby book "what to exspect when your exspecting" says to naturly induce labor drink Raspberry tea. you can get it in the store next to all the other teas ↑
Name: Libby | Date: Jan 9th, 2005 9:00 AM
Rooibos tea is healthy and caffeine free and perfect for pregnant women - it is the drink of choice of South African mothers-to-be. ↑
in terms of estee's answer to caffeine in teas...it is actually proven that teas (such as black) have more caffeine than coffee. any botany and health book store will tell you that tea leaves carry a large amount of caffeine. may want to ask again... ↑
Name: Raeanne | Date: Feb 2nd, 2005 12:13 PM
I just got done taking a prenatal nutrtion class and cammomile tea and rasberry tea were both on the DO NOT drink list. She didn't say why but the nutrtionist said not to drink those teas. She said that the best tea to drink is green tea de caf if you have to have tea. I hope that helps. ↑
Name: dawna voss | Date: Feb 10th, 2005 2:02 PM
What teas can I use to soothe stressed out moods. ↑
Name: c | Date: Feb 12th, 2005 1:17 PM
Black tea does [i]not[/i] have more caffeine than coffee [i]by the cup[/i]. By the pound, it does, but since you use far less tea to make a cup than you do coffee, a cup of tea indeed has less caffeine than a cup of coffee. ↑
Name: Marie | Date: Feb 13th, 2005 7:15 PM
Hi
I am wonderin about drinking green tea, is it ok to drink.
red rasberry tea is believe that it gradually improves the tone of uterus. It says that it is safe to use if supervised by a practitioner if your pregnant. According to my herbal book--The herbal drugstore by Lind B White m.d page 251.
Its a tonic during pregnancy. Red ras. is a mild uterine stimulant. Preg. women should consult a qualified health practitioner before using it. page 570.
Me,myself I jsut had my first cup of it and will have 2 more tonite. My due date is 2-22-05 and they want to soften my uterus and bust the bag and start labor. Im going to beat them to the punch line and drink this tea, continue to walk on a daily and emat the fresh pineapples and hopefully I dont have anything artifical done to me. She will prayerfully come natural. Pray for me. ↑
Name: Kim | Date: Feb 27th, 2005 5:29 PM
I have read that green tea should be consumed in moderation, although I do not remember the reasoning behind this. As for herbal teas, I also read that it is best to stay away from them or at least not to consume them heavily. Again, I am not sure of the reasoning behind this. Since I am having trouble remembering all of the foods that I can and cannot eat, I have opted to just drink decaf black tea a few times a week. I would bet that any tea in moderation is probably okay. ↑
peppermint tea is fine during pregnancy but should not be consumed from about 2 weeks before edd, because it helps to stop lactation. ↑
Name: catherine | Date: Mar 24th, 2005 1:32 PM
I read a study that links green tea with decreasing the amount of folic acid in your system-not a good thing while pregnant. ↑
Name: Kelly | Date: Mar 24th, 2005 3:00 PM
I have read in several different books that cammomile is fine. I have had a cup here and then since becoming pregnant. I have seen everywhere to steer clear of the rasberry leaf especially in your last trimester. Mint, green, lemon, etc I heard were fine. When in doubt call your doctor, the nurse on duty should be able to tell you. ↑
Name: sam | Date: Mar 26th, 2005 2:26 PM
hi, all! i am a midwife and trained in herbal remedies in pregnancy and birth. these are good questions. a lot of docs steer away from things they haven't studued completely--hence the concern over raspberry leaf tea. it is NOT an effective uterine stimulant! it IS an effective uterine muscle toner. it will not induce labor that isn't already happening, but will help prepare the womb for labor when used during pregnancy. it is safe and beneficial throughout. it is true that some fear exists about green tea in large amounts decreasing the absorbtion of folate; in moderation there is NO evidence of a connection between green tea and increased neural tube defects! moderation in all. the caffeine associated with a cup or two of gree yea is also not linked to any increased risk of miscarriage (the main problem studies have found with caffeine consumption in pregnancy), but decaf green tea heralds all the benefits and no caffeine, for you worry-warts! blessings to all in your pregnancies! i am in my 6th week, and having rasp. leaf daily and green from time to time as well. here's to good health and lovely babes! ↑
Name: De | Date: Apr 13th, 2005 3:29 PM
Is green tea ok during pregnancy? And what if you were pregnant and did not know it and you were drinking green tea. ↑
Name: Nichos | Date: Apr 17th, 2005 7:47 AM
This is a question from another website, Is it true that raspberry tea can bring on labor?
Herbalists maintain that it can. Red raspberry leaf, they say, helps relax the uterus and induce contractions. So be careful with the advice that some people are giving you as I read one answer telling you to drink red Raspberry leaf tea whcih is wrong. Cammomile is fine but also be careful with Green teas as some packets actually tell you to avoid them if you are pregnant or lactating. ↑
Name: kelly | Date: Apr 17th, 2005 12:36 PM
Everything in moderation. I just would avoid any tea with herbal additives. Caffeine also decreases iron absorbtion and draws calcium from bones- overall once in awhile it is okay ↑
Name: Diane | Date: Apr 26th, 2005 2:16 PM
About green tea and pregnancy.
Hi to everyone- I am pretty new to this site. I am very excited about the antioxidant qualities of green tea BUT regarding pregnancy and conceiving please read this link on MSNBC- health regarding the possible green tea effects (the antagonistic effects on folic acid):
http://www.msnbc.msn.co-m/id/7187847/
"Th-e- findings could also explain why women who drink large amounts of green tea around the time they conceive and early in their pregnancy may have an increased risk of having a child with spina bifida or other neural tube disorders.
Women are advised to take supplements of folic acid because it protects against spina bifida. But large amounts of green tea could decrease the effectiveness of folic acid."
Like most of you I think I am a fan of green tea and I recommend it to everyone, but it seems not to be indicated in pregnancy or at least in the first part of it. On the other hand the risk might only for women drinking really large amounts of green tea/day. I do not think it should be a real problem for those who drink 1 cup a day and also take regularly folic acid supplements. But it is important that we all be aware of this new aspect of green tea.
Please read these two articles on green and raspberry leaf teas and other natural supplements for pregnant women...
Article I: GREEN TEA
While green tea can protect against some cancers, women hoping to become pregnant should choose a different drink.
Roger Thorneley at the John Innes Centre near Norwich, UK, and his colleagues at the University of Murcia in Spain have discovered why regular green tea drinkers have a low incidence of gastric and oesophageal cancers - and why some studies suggest it increases the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida.
The researchers found that the anti-cancer compound in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, works by blocking the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, which is essential to the growth of tumour cells. This mechanism is similar to that of the anti-cancer drug methotrexate, but EGCG has far fewer side effects. The findings appear in Cancer Research.
Blocking the enzyme also lowers folic acid levels, which might explain the increased risk of birth defects.
From issue 2492 of New Scientist magazine, 26 March 2005, page 20
***
Article II: Natural remedies for pregnant women
As any pregnant woman will tell you, digestive problems are just one of the many joys of impending motherhood. Heartburn, acid reflux, indigestion - you name it, I've had it.
Frustratingly, though, there's little my GP can do about it, because most conventional medicines are off limits until well after the baby is born. And with good reason, says toxicologist Rachel Spencer. "When drug companies perform clinical trials, it's unlikely that they'll test any medicines on pregnant women because of the potential risk to the foetus. Instead, they leave it up to your GP to decide whether it's safe for you to take a certain medicine - and most doctors, unsurprisingly, don't want that legal responsibility, either."
But what about herbal remedies? I had taken aloe vera juice before I was pregnant and found it very helpful for tummy problems. My local healthfood shop checked the bottle and couldn't find any contraindications for pregnant women. Surely it would say if it wasn't safe to take?
Apparently not. Luckily, I checked - it turns out that aloe vera products may trigger uterine contractions and should be avoided during pregnancy. Kaz Cooke, author of the Rough Guide To Pregnancy, warns, "Some preparations can be taken at different times during pregnancy; others are dangerous at any stage."
Consider ginkgo biloba, for example, a common herbal remedy often taken to alleviate poor memory. Recent research at Wayne State University in Detroit found that pregnant women who used ginkgo biloba had high levels of colchicine, a naturally occurring toxin that has the potential to cause birth defects.
Even herbal medicines that are recommended for pregnant women are not all straightforward. Raspberry leaf tea, taken during the last eight weeks of pregnancy, prepares the uterine muscles for labour, making childbirth easier. However, its very effectiveness at encouraging uterine contractions makes it a complete no-no in the early stages of pregnancy, because it could increase risk of miscarriage.
Herbs to avoid during pregnancy include such common remedies as goldenseal and St John's Wort (both thought to trigger uterine contractions), feverfew (which can induce bleeding), and ginseng (linked to gestational diabetes; for a list of herbs to avoid when pregnant, see Herbs For A Healthy Pregnancy, by Penelope Ody, published by Keats).
So what's a girl to do if she's pregnant and feeling under par? "To use over-the-counter herbals during pregnancy is crazy," says Dr Ann Walker, senior lecturer in human nutrition at the University of Reading and a registered medical herbalist. "The rule is that women should never take anything during pregnancy unless it is absolutely necessary."
"It's important to seek advice from a professional if you are pregnant," says medical herbalist Elizabeth Harrison. "Members of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists undergo extensive clinical training and are committed to the safe application of herbal medicines."
In other words, self-prescribing is just not a good idea.
Saturday April 16, 2005
The Guardian
Resources: National Institute of Medical Herbalists, United Kingdom, 01392 426022. ↑
