Tea time

I love tea - black tea, herbal tea, green tea, white tea - really, any tea. When it comes with cream honey and cookies I love it even more. Now in my 9th week of pregnancy, I've been trying to cut way back on caffeine and tea has been helping me do this. So of course today when browsing pregnancy sites, I freaked a little when I read "herbal teas and green teas are a no no." Great, I can't win! After some further digging I'm feeling a bit more confident that my Good Earth herbal tea habit won't lead to a 3-legged baby.

According to Baby Centre UK, "Certain herbal teas can be very beneficial in pregnancy and may help to alleviate some of the symptoms of pregnancy. Many women find that small amounts of ginger tea can help with morning sickness, while peppermint tea can ease heartburn and indigestion. Slippery elm or meadowsweet tea may also aid digestion. However, it is always a good idea to drink herbal teas in moderation."

Here are some other research highlights:

• Baby Centre gives a good chart of herbs to avoid - the two that surprised me most are aloe and chili
  
• Mayo Clinic notes there is limited research to say herbs are harmful during pregnancy, but raspberry leaf could cause contractions (odd considering many "pregnancy teas" are packed with raspberry
• Parenting iVillage lists the following herbs as things to be avoided (note, the list below comes directly from iVillage):
  
  Alkaloid Containing Plants: (May constrict blood vessels, cause increase in blood pressure.)

  Coffee
  Tea
  Barberry
  Ephedra
  Golden Seal
  Mandrake
  Tobacco
  Sanguinaria

  Bitters: (May cause fetal defects and/or miscarriage.)
  Barberry
  Cascara Sagrada
  Celandine
  Feverfew
  Gentian
  Golden Seal
  Mugwort
  Rue
  Tansy
  Wormwood

  Diuretics: (Encourage water loss)
  Buchu
  Horsetail
  Juniper Berries
  Uva-Ursi (large doses)

  Emmenagogues: (Induces loss of uterine lining -- may cause miscarriage.)
  Angelica spp.
  Basil, oregano, marjoram (Okay in "normal" amounts, used as spices)
  Black Cohosh (last six weeks okay)
  Blue Cohosh (last six weeks okay)
  Ginger (okay in "normal" amounts)
  Hyssop
  Motherwort (OK in small doses)
  Mugwort
  Myrrh
  Nasturtium
  Osha
  Parsley
  Squaw Vine (small amounts okay)
  Pennyroyal
  Rue
  Sage
  Shepard's Purse
  Tansy
  Wormwood

  Laxatives:
  Aloes
  Castor Bean
  Barberry
  Buckthorn
  Cascara Sagrada
  Coffee
  Senna

  Steroid Precursors:
  Dong Quai
  Ginseng
  Licorice
  Sarsaparilla

  Oxytocic:
  Blue Cohosh
  Golden Seal
  Black Cohosh
  Mistletoe
  Blue Flag
  Uva-Ursi
  Cotton Root Bark

  Others:
  Male Fern
  Poke root

Bottom line, common sense rules - if the tea is supposed to have "powerful herbs" I'm going to skip on the powers until after my babies come.