Is it safe to drink herbal tea during pregnancy?
It depends. I don’t think there is anything on the market that in the dose of a cup of tea a day could cause any harm (although I do tell my patients to try to avoid herbs in general during the first trimester when the fetus may be particularly vulnerable). Teas are so much more diluted than herbal tinctures, for example. I would avoid teas that contain ingredients with well-known pharmacological actions, such as kava or St. John’s Wort. I would also stay away from teas that might cause the onset of menstrual or uterine contractions, such as black or blue cohosh. Raspberry leaf tea is commonly used as the foundation of almost all pregnancy teas and is completely safe. It’s thought to help promote effective uterine contractions at delivery. Another safe nutritive tea is Aveena or oat straw tea, which is beneficial for the nervous system if you’re anxious or depressed. Nettle tea is also safe in pregnancy and it contains a lot of nutritive minerals.
