Tea lover and pregnant

I would ask your doctor to be sure about anything like that. Though from what I understand, many pregnant women are cautioned about their caffeine intake for at least a portion of their pregnancy.

Although I have no way to measure the amount of caffeine in anything, tea experts I have asked have all said that you can remove a large amount of the caffeine in tea by steeping for 30 seconds, discarding that brew and then steeping as you normally would. Again, though, I’d get some other input and definitely talk to your doctor. :)

Definitely check with your M.D. Generally, you want to avoid high levels of caffeine. Raspberry leaves are also to be avoided. There are a variety of tisanes that are also on the caution list.

I’m not an expert in caffeine levels, but I’ve heard that it’s a myth that discarding the first brew cuts down on the caffeine in subsequent steeps. The only thing that changes is the strength of the taste – the caffeine in the leaves is what it is. But again – something to discuss with a medical doctor.

Yeah, the 30 second rule myth has already been disproven. There was a thread on it a while ago, but I can’t find it anymore. However: http://www.elmwoodinn.com/about/caffeine.html

Yes, I have an appointment with my M.D. on the 22nd. I´ll ask him and let you know.
Thanks a lot for your input!

I drank tea of all kinds while pregnant, even black. However, I tried to limit myself to one “significantly caffeinated” beverage per day (e.g., one Diet Coke or cup of strong black tea) — the rest of the time I’d drink green, herbal or white tea. Obviously, you have to follow your doctor’s advice, but I know of many women who drank one cup of coffee per day while pregnant, with their doctor’s blessing, and coffee has much more caffeine than tea.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy nine months!

Hi Virginia and congratulations! I am 35 weeks and have made a concerted effort to avoid all caffeine while pregnant. That was a personal choice. However, my doc did say one cup a day was fine. I would surely talk to them about it. I drink a lot of rooibos teas. Raspberry leaves definitely need to be avoided…they can cause miscarriage in the first trimester. Although things like peppermint and chamomile are fine, you definitely want to check into what’s in an herbal blend. Let us know what the doc tells you! Always nice to hear what other doctors have to say!

Here’s the exact same thread already started:
http://steepster.com/discuss/1003-pregnant-and-wanting-to-find-safe-teas

In short, everything w/ caffeine. The exception I’d suggest discussing w/ your Dr. is if it’s ok to drink decaf true teas that have about 5mg per cup. That way you can cut almost all of the caffeine, but still have the AMAZING health benefits of tea. I also know not all herbal teas are safe for pregnant/nursing moms so I’d check w/ a doctor who specializes in herbal medicine. No matter if you drink decaf true tea or herbal tisanes, I’d also strongly suggest organic beverages. CONGRATS!

I would strongly suggest avoiding Senna Tea. This tea is recommended for digestive problems and can cause premature contractions (very painful, leading to possible miscarriage). I tried this tea when I was overdue in an attempt to start labor. It caused great discomfort and no labor!

Hey Virginia,
It seems like everyone has been spot on in these answer. I just wanted to let you know that our herbal selection is quite large (yes yes, sorry if this is coming off as salespersony) but they are quite unique in that some of them are made of 100% dried fruits.

Congratulations and best of luck in finding a good tea to carry you through :)
http://www.shopsanctuaryt.com/leaf-landing/decaffeinated

Sanctuary T Shop