Drinking Tea During Pregnancy: Safe Teas & Teas to Avoid

Is it Safe to drink tea during pregnancy? While many teas are safe for moms to be, some are potentially dangerous and should be avoided. Read on for more details in this article.

Drinking Tea During Pregnancy

Tea is considered an excellent favorable beverage all over the world. It’s not a surprise that most pregnant women take delight in drinking it when they’re pregnant. However, there are significant worries as to if it is harmful during pregnancy or not. While some women have tea to satisfy pregnancy’s cravings, some might drink it purely as an enjoyment. Some people are said to use tea to get rid of unwanted pregnancies or as an elixir to get them ready for birth a few weeks before they deliver.

Many people might think that there is a 0% chance of harm to drinking tea since they’re natural; this may not be necessarily correct. Medical experts have advised that it serves as a potential risk to both mother and baby. What can be the truth behind this? Is it safe to continue to drink your beverage of choice during those crucial months of pregnancy? Or is it better to adjust your habit until you deliver your baby? Here we’d be taking a look at pieces of evidence to aid you in making the right decision when it comes down to taking tea during pregnancies.

Various Types of Tea

You’d be surprised to know that there are different types of tea since tea is a number one consumed begerage which plays an essential part in many cultures. Made from dried leaves and boiled inside water, the flavor fills the water; Experts can make teas from various plants. Pregnant women may heighten the Flavors by adding different types of herbs and spices alongside the primary leaves to create exquisite flavors.

Teas are Divided into Two Groups:

True tea

True tea is obtained from a plant named Camellia Sinensis; different flavors can be made out of this tea by changing the way the leaves are processing. For example, teas like Oolong tea, Green tea and Black tea, are considered to be genuine teas because they are all being harvested from the same source plant. True teas can also be called Real Teas. Usually, genuine teas are usually caffeinated, but caffeine can be taken out with extra refining.

Herbal Tea

This type of tea is produced from the stems, flowers, barks, roots, and plants’ leaves. These kinds of teas are said to be produced by boiling the leaves or most times they’re made by cooking the herbs. Cooking the spices is the most common method to make herbal teas; stems or roots of herbs can be boiled, and other parts of the plant to make herbal teas. Herbal teas are usually caffeine-free.

Is It Safer to Drink Tea Than Coffee During Pregnancy?

A lot of women know that drinking coffee when they are pregnant should be with caution due to its enormous amount of caffeine. When compared, tea actually contains less amount of caffeine than coffee. This might have made many people feel that it is safe to drink tea when pregnant. Research has shown that it’s a fact that tea contains less caffeine, but still, you might need to lessen the amount of tea you take if you want to avoid the intake of excess caffeine.

Why Should I Be Cautious About Caffeine During My Pregnancy?

Women are told to lessen their caffeine intake when pregnant. Health professionals recommend no more than a coffee cup each day for pregnant women, which can be equivalent to the number of teas that should be taken. Taking lots of caffeine is said to make your baby lose weight and also later increase health related issues in your baby. Too much caffeine can also increase the chance of miscarriage. It can be found in some foods and drinks like chocolate, soft drinks, energy drinks, cold remedies and flu.

A cup filled with coffee contains 100mg of caffeine, where a cup of filtered coffee will include 140mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, a tea cup will seldom have more than 75mg of caffeine. It is recommended that pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake to about 200mg or less to be safe. If you are pregnant and concerned about how daily dosage of caffeine, drinking water or juice is the best way to help reduce your caffeine consumption. Still, there are drinks to avoid that contain caffeine. Also, switching to drinking tea is one of the best solutions to reduce your caffeine intake, and again, take note that 2 tea cups is equivalent to a cup of coffee, and your 200mg daily limit must not be exceeded.

What Caffeine Does During Pregnancy?

All teas contain caffeine which is a stimulant that is not recommended for pregnant women to drink in excess. Not all teas contain same volume of caffeine in them; they differ; Below is a helpful list of teas and the amount of caffeine that is expected to be in a cup of 240ml.

Oolong tea contains 38-58mg.
Matcha contains 60-80mg.
Black tea contains 47-53mg.
Green tea contains 29-49mg.
White tea contains 25-50mg.
Herbal tea contains -0mg.

Also Read: A Guide for First-Time Parents

The issue with caffeine is that it is delivered from you through the placenta to the baby; your child’s liver will struggle to digest it, which will cause some side effects. Young infants are at more significant risks of experiencing these side effects; that is why it is considered safe for adults.

Are Herbal Teas a Better Choice to Consume When Pregnant?

Herbal teas might seem to be a better choice for caffeinated drinks since they’re made from dried flowers, fruits, herbs, and spices that don’t have caffeine in them. However, they might contain other compounds that could be dangerous for consumption, especially to the baby. If you’re thinking of drinking herbal tea because of the no caffeine content, there are other things you should have in mind. There are different kinds of herbal teas, and each one is said to be responsible for a particular remedy. Some herbal teas might increase the chance of miscarriage or cause bleedings; some might cause unpleasant defects on your baby or you. Herbal teas are made by immersing the plant materials into hot water; herbal teas are often used to cure stomach upsets and anxiety. During pregnancy, herbal teas that are deemed safe for pregnant women can be taken moderately.

Is Any Tea Safe to Drink?

Most caffeinated drinks are deemed not consumable for pregnant women by doctors; some women who are especially sensitive to caffeine or want to be extra safe may decide to consume 100mg of caffeine. However, there’s limited research when it comes to herbal teas and their side effects in pregnancy. However, some studies suggest some herbal leaves out there that are safe for consumption. They include:

Ginger Tea

Ginger tea has been said by doctors to be the safest herbal tea to consume during pregnancy. It reduces vomiting and nausea, which are common symptoms of pregnancy. An amount exceeding 1g can be consumed daily.

Also Read: Can Food Make Your Breast Milk Taste Different?

Raspberry Leaf Tea

This tea is said to be beneficial in pregnancy. It helps in shortening labor and preparing the uterus ready for child delivery. Research shows that it could help reduce your second stage of labor.

Roobios Tea

This tea contains many minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc, to mention a few that help detoxify the body and increase your immune system to fight against infections and allergies.

Rosehip Tea

Rosehip tea or Elixir of youth, as it’s fondly called, is said to be rich in vitamin c and helps reduce the amount of time pregnant women urinate.

Are Decaffeinated Teas Safe for Consumption?

Decaffeinated teas are teas without caffeine. If you have a particular brand that you choose, you’ll find out that the flavor remains intact and is also caffeine-free. Decaffeinated teas have no adverse effect on you or your baby.

Benefits of Drinking Teas During Pregnancy

It keeps you hydrated.
It helps relieve morning sickness.
Teas have particular nutrients and antioxidants that are good for you and your baby.
It helps prepare you for labor.
It also enables you to relax.

Conclusion

Moderation is essential when consuming anything during those critical nine months; it is best to watch and moderate how you drink your tea; if you are not sure about a particular tea’s contents, it is best to avoid them until you have sought medical advice from your doctors. Always check for the ingredients’ contents before consuming any tea you’re not familiar with. It is often advisable to start with a cup of tea and watch how your body reacts to it, to know the kind of tea that suits you best.

All over the world, tea is an excellent favorable beverage. However, there are significant worries as to if it is harmful during pregnancy or not. However, with this article, we have been able to give an answer to the question. We have also shown you the types of tea available worldwide; hence, we believe that you will find this article useful.