A cup of tea can work wonders: it refreshes in summer and warms in winter, quenches thirst without calories and helps against many aches and pains.
But many varieties also have side effects that are not at all desirable. Especially if you are looking for the perfect pregnancy tea, you should inform yourself exactly about the effects of the individual infusions.
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Eyes On When Buying Pregnancy Tea
You will realize that not all teas are the same when you visit the pharmacy.
Here you will find a wide variety of teas for all kinds of ailments. All promise relief, but only a few reveal their secret. What makes the individual teas so effective against diseases is neither on the packaging nor in the famous package insert.
Here you will only find instructions for preparation, the ideal drinking temperature and the recommended quantity. Indications as to whether it is a suitable pregnancy tea are usually sought in vain.
However, the ingredients of some varieties have a considerable effect. They not only determine the color and taste of the tea, but also influence the processes in your body.
With a tea you can do yourself and your baby a lot of good – but just as quickly achieve the opposite.
The best example of this is raspberry leaf tea. Many pregnant women are served it as a caffeine-free version of black tea.
It tastes very similar – but has fatal side effects that are not mentioned on any outer packaging. The fact that midwives still recommend raspberry leaf tea for pregnancy has its own reason, which our article explores.
We have taken a close look at the most common and popular varieties.
The following lists tell you which tea is safe during pregnancy, which varieties or compositions you should enjoy with caution, and which you should keep your hands off for various reasons.
Green Light For Chamomile And Co. – This Pregnancy Tea Is Harmless
Everything you eat or drink during pregnancy passes through the placenta into the organism of your child. Your preferred tea should therefore be based on the needs of the little one.
The best varieties for pregnant women include:
Fennel Tea
The herb and fruit of the fennel plant were already considered the best pregnancy tea by Greek scholars. They recommended it for lactation, urinary problems and constipation.
In the Middle Ages, fennel gained additional importance as an expectorant and cough suppressant.
To this day, lukewarm fennel tea is one of the best remedies for stomach aches, stomach cramps and flatulence. It supports digestive work, relaxes the intestines and loosens stuck winds.
In addition, it has a sweet taste “by nature”, so you can drink fennel tea during pregnancy without dangerous additives such as honey.
Chamomile Tea
To make chamomile tea, the flowers, herb and seeds of the plant are used. They have a calming and sleep-inducing effect; but also work wonders for gastrointestinal disorders and heartburn.
All this makes chamomile tea the preferred drink for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Best known, however, is chamomile’s influence on the nerves: it can relieve almost any irritable condition – from nervousness to stomach distress to pain after a mechanical injury.
Yet another reason to enjoy this wonderfully fragrant, mild-tasting tea during pregnancy!
Roiboos Tea
For this tea, the branches of the South African ro oibos are processed in a complicated procedure. It contains neither caffeine nor bitter substances and has a naturally sweet taste.
The high content of vital trace elements and minerals makes Roiboos the almost perfect pregnancy tea
Among other things, it contains iron, calcium and magnesium – the most important basics for building blood, bones and muscles. However, the once-vaunted vitamin C content of Roiboos tea is now considered controversial.
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As with everything, the dose makes the poison. The varieties mentioned here have in principle positive properties and are also useful during pregnancy.
However, in large quantities or consumed too frequently, undesirable side effects may occur:
Ginger Tea
Ginger root has been used since ancient times to treat nausea and vomiting. In this capacity, it makes a highly effective tea against a well-known condition common during pregnancy – morning sickness.
In addition, ginger contains digestive and circulatory stimulants as well as important trace elements and vitamins. This is good for both you and your baby.
However, ginger root tea can also endanger pregnancy, as it can easily induce labor. It is best to limit its consumption to serious cases, i.e. the fight against nausea attacks or cold symptoms.
Peppermint Tea
For peppermint tea, the fresh or dried leaves of the plant are brewed. The characteristic aroma is based on a variety of essential oils and tannins.
They stimulate digestive juices, have antispasmodic and germicidal effect.
Due to these properties, peppermint infusion is considered a proven remedy for stomach, intestinal and bilious complaints. However, in large quantities it can also induce contractions and is therefore only conditionally suitable as a pregnancy tea. In addition, many homeopathic preparations interact undesirably with peppermint.
Sage tea
The slightly soapy aroma of sage tea is not to everyone’s taste; however, the over-brewed leaves are an excellent remedy for sore throats, gum problems and digestive complaints.
However, you should be careful with this charismatic tea during pregnancy: Large amounts and regular consumption can trigger cramps and dizzy spells.
Here We See Red – This Pregnancy Tea You Should Rather Not Drink
Some teas have properties that can be harmful under certain circumstances.
In the case of pregnancy, you can even take this literally, because due to the special physical condition, the following varieties are questionable:
Green Tea
This infusion is a special version of black tea. It contains many bitter substances that promote bile and stimulate digestion. But green tea also contains a lot of caffeine.
Therefore, you should calculate it like coffee and limit the amount accordingly.
Black Tea
Black tea is the fermented version of raw tea bush leaves. It is just as caffeinated as its green relative and should therefore only be drunk in moderation.
In addition, black tea inhibits the absorption of iron, which can lead to deficiency symptoms.
Tea From Licorice Root Or With Licorice Root Components
There are all kinds of legends about the substance from the root of lic orice. Many of them are simply nonsense; others have a kernel of truth. Glycyrrhizin, for example, is known to increase the risk of premature birth.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, you should avoid tea with licorice added or pure licorice tea during pregnancy.
Raspberry Leaf Tea
Raspberry leaf tea and pregnancy often go hand in hand.
In terms of taste, the dried and over-brewed leaves of the raspberry bush are reminiscent of black tea, which is why many appreciate it as a compatible alternative.
But as tasty and helpful as raspberry leaf tea is: You must be especially careful with it during pregnancy.
What this tea is made of is already revealed by its name. It has a calming, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, diuretic and diaphoretic effect.
Its main use is raspberry leaf tea in addition to pregnancy: it is used for immune deficiency, rheumatism and digestive problems, as well as inflammation of the mouth, throat and pharynx.
In addition, such an infusion can be helpful in regulating the menstrual cycle, menstrual cramps and against PMS.
Midwives also often have raspberry leaf tea with them when they check pregnancy or make home visits. However, they hand it over only after a thorough examination, because it has a very specific purpose:
In the context of birth preparation, raspberry leaf tea supports everything that ends the pregnancy: It has a high labor-promoting effect and relaxes the muscles, so that the cervix or cervix can dilate.
For this reason, you should drink raspberry leaf tea only at a certain stage of pregnancy: at the very end of the third trimester, when the 37th week has begun.
The same applies to teas containing the following ingredients:
- Blackberry leaves.
- Verbena.
- Lady’s mantle.
- Cumin.
- Yarrow and / or;
- Wormwood herb.
Instead of them, you should choose from the range of well-tolerated varieties, for example, drink rooibos, fennel or chamomile tea during pregnancy.
If you also consume them during breastfeeding, you will inconspicuously accustom your baby to their taste and can soon give the little one a sip of fennel tea, because it is not only ideal for pregnancy, but also a great thirst quencher for children of all ages.