Herbal teas & 2WW

[empmtb]

Is anyone aware of what teas/herbs are NOT recommended during @ww or pregnancy? I recall having heard something about certainherbs to avoid and teas as well, but cannot remember what there were....

(I posted this on the IVF forum also)

Thanks! -Lisa in PC

[cookholmes]

I think Raspberry is not a good one to drink, I believe it can lead to uterine contractions.

[kholtan]

I wasn't aware but that kind of scrares me since I traded my pot of coffee everyday for herbal tea as soon as I started BCP's. My Dr's office even has hot tea in the waiting area with herbal tea as the choices? I really have no idea?

[cookholmes]

Kholtan, we did our transfer the day after you did!

Here is a link and article about safe teas.

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregna ... altea.html

Herbs used in Teas
The following are common ingredients you may find in herbal teas, even though some have a questionable safety rating. The safety ratings given here are from the Natural Medicines Database. More extensive research and discussions with your treating health care provider will help you make the decision about what herbs are safe for you to use in teas.

~Red Raspberry Leaf (Likely Safe) - Rich in iron, this herb has helped tone the uterus, increase milk production, decrease nausea, and ease labor pains. Many of the “Pregnancy Teas” commonly contain Red Raspberry leaf to help promote uterine health during pregnancy.
There is some controversy about whether this should be used throughout pregnancy or just in the second and third trimester, so many health care providers will remain cautious and only recommend using it after the first trimester.

~Peppermint Leaf (Likely Safe) - Helpful in relieving nausea/morning sickness and flatulence.

~Lemon Balm (Likely Safe) - Has a calming effect and helps relieve irritability, insomnia and anxiety.

~Ginger root (Possibly Safe) -Helps relieve nausea and vomiting.
Dandelion (Insufficient Reliable Information Available) - Rich in Vitamin A, calcium and iron; dandelion root and leaf can also help relieve mild edema and nourish the liver.

~Chamomile (German) (Insufficient Reliable Information Available) - High in calcium and magnesium; also helps with sleeplessness and inflammation of joints.

~Nettles (Stinging Nettles) -(Likely Unsafe-see note ) High in vitamins A, C, K, calcium, potassium and iron. Used in many “Pregnancy Teas” because it is a great all-around pregnancy tonic. (*Note on the safety of Nettles: Natural Medicines Database gives Nettles a rating of Likely Unsafe, even though it is used in countless pregnancy teas and recommended by most midwives and herbalists. This may be in relation to which part of the Nettles plant is used, the root or the leaves, and how much is used. According to other sources, the use of Nettles is encouraged during pregnancy because of all its health benefits.2)

~Rose Hips (Insufficient Reliable Information Available) - Very good source of Vitamin C and helps boost the immune system.

~Alfalfa (Possibly Unsafe) - Has Vitamin A, D, E and K; particularly good in later pregnancy to boost Vitamin K, which helps prevent postpartum hemorrhage.

~Yellow Dock (Possibly Unsafe) - Used to help treat anemia in pregnant women due to the high level of iron. Also contains Vitamins A, C and calcium. *(this may also be used as a laxative - talk with your health care provider about the use of Yellow Dock during pregnancy).

[kholtan]

Wow! What good information! The ironic thing is that I have been drinking tons of wild raspberry tea! Now that makes me kind of happy!

I use to love coffee so much that I could seriously drink a pot before work everyday! I quit drinking coffee the day of my first appointment and I actually found it harder to give up than my wine. Although, I think staying drunk during my 2ww would have been a brilliant way to pass the time and take my worries away.

[AuntyPebbles]

Hi lady's
i had this dilema when i started this cycle...
thing i found out about red rasberry is it is good for womb only bad for you if you drink loads of it the reports i read said you'd have to drink it all day and stay up most of the night continually drinking it to get negative side effects
i also drink british tea this i know for a fact is fine for you as i have a huge family and they get through large amounts of tea every day

wishing you all luck and big baby belly's

Aunty

[PMApsy]

Hi! Here is my two cents from my humble knowledge about herbs.

Aloe:

The Aloe plant has been known to stimulate uterine contractions.

Goldseal:

This expensive herb stimulates the involuntary muscles of the uterus.

Lovage:

As lovage is very good at reducing water retention, women who are
pregnant or have kidney problems should not take this herb.

Mugwort:

This common herb may bring on delayed periods.

Parsley:

Not to be used as it can dry up the milk.

Penny Royal:

This herb brings on delayed periods and strengthens contractions.

Red Sage:

Stimulates uterine muscles.

Rue:

This herb relaxes smooth muscles and may cause spontaneous abortion.

Early pregnancy is a special time of growth for the fetus. During
pregnancy, even some normally benign herbs act in a negative way on
the body. And example of a normally benign herb is aloe juice. It
should not be used internally as a laxative during pregnancy because
it purgative actions might create unwanted contractions. The same is
true of rhubarb root.

Herbs to avoid during early pregnancy

Do not take these herbs in early pregnancy: Raspberry leaf tea,
fenugreek, horseradish, and vervain. In early pregnancy, do not use
therapeutic amounts of these three normally benign herbs: Sage,
Thyme, or Fennel-although it is safe to use thyme, sage and fennel
in cooking during the entire pregnancy period.

Essential Oils to Avoid during Pregnancy

Pennyroyal oil should be avoided at all cost. Basil, Cinnamon,
Chamomile, Myrrh, Celery, and Celery seed, oils should be avoided.

AVOID COMPLETELY

These herbs are uterine stimulators: angelica, (bark) elder tree,
goldenseal, hyssop, juniper, lavender, mugwort, primrose, rue,
shepherd's purse, tansy, vervain (except during labor) and wood
betony.

[empmtb]

Oh well.... The chamomile lemon tea I drank from Republic of Tea had lavender in it... Bummer.

Thanks for all the input - it was really helpful as I could not find anything on the internet surf....

So, we'll stay away from that one. In my last cycle, I switched from high test coffee & tea, to unleaded (decaff!!). I guess I'll try the decaff Earl Grey which has black tea (decaf) and oil of bergamot.... no problems there, I assume??

Cheers,
Lisa

[suzhan]

I agree --- great thread and very good references! I found a lot of the same info and stayed away from most of the herbals during the 2ww (and even the first few months after bfp). I did drink 1-2 cups of the red raspberry leaf tea leading up to the ET and then gave it up because of the theoretical risk of uterine contractions (after all we do to get pregnant, I couldn't even take the theoretical risk but I bet Aunty's right that you'd have to drink a ton of the stuff to have it impact you.)

The only other controversial one I saw was green tea. I read a study that showed an (again) theoretical risk that it could interfere with the body's proper use of folic acid (which is important for avoiding the neural tube disorders.) When I asked my acupuncturist about this, she laughed and said most of Japan and China would be having children with spina bifida - and that's not the case (their rates are actually lower than ours....) Just to be safe, I gave up my decaf green tea until a couple of weeks ago.

I personally love the decaf earl grey - but it's hard to find a good brand. Most of the decaf earl grey's don't have enough flavor for me, but I found the 'tazo' brand's pretty good of those out there. I hope that's okay too because I've been drinking that like crazy, since it's about all I had left!

[Nail]

I 100% agree with you

[Anntrenton]

Herbal tea is surging in popularity thanks to positive publicity surrounding herbal tea benefits and the vast array of detectable flavors available in consumers. The benefits of herbal teas are by far one of the best ways to improve failing health and help keep one's health in tact. However, if you are a heavy drinker of alcohol, or take other medications, then certainly check with a medical professional before adding herbal tea supplements to your overall daily diet. While herbal teas are most widely known for their health benefits, if mixed with certain medications or with alcohol, the benefits of these teas can be replaced with side effects. Some of the best herbal teas can be found at trentonteas.com. Cheers!