Drinking Tea

Banana_Pancakes09

I get so confused with what type of tea is okay and what is not okay to drink.  I know generally I should stay away from herbal teas.  What about drinking green or white tea?  There is this tea I really like that is a green and white tea fusion.  I asked my doctor about green and white tea and she said it is okay, just not to drink excessive amounts. 

I mainly drink water throughout the day with OJ in the morning and milk with dinner.  I am okay with drinking small amounts of caffeine.  With my allergies, sinus pressure, headaches and fatigue this is one of the only things that seems to help. 

What kind of tea is everybody else drinking and what did your doctor say?

countrymice06

I'm not a huge tea person, but I like it when I'm sick.  I've had regular tea a few times when I've had sinus issues- just a couple of cups throughout the day though. 

I basically think anything is fine in moderation.  

ajcoghill

I'm only drinking sweet tea. Before my BFP I wasn't really into herbal teas, green/white teas or any of that. To me, there is NOTHING better than a tall glass of super sweet southern tea on a hot day

My Dr. said that drinking caffeine moderately is okay. I guess it also depends on what your idea of "moderate" is. I'll drink tea maybe 1-2 times a week and that's the only caffeine I have. I've read where other ladies are drinking one cup of coffee a day and their Dr. said it was fine.

aljon

Green tea is supposed to be avoided bc it can inhibit the absorption of folic acid.  Although my midwife said a cup of jasmine green tea in the morning is ok. 

MW recommended Red Raspberry leaf tea.  Its not an herbal raspberry flavor, has to be made from actual rasp. leaves.  Its supposed to strengthen the uterus.  Its pretty bitter though, so a lot of people mix it w/ something else.  I've heard its good iced mixed half/half w/ starbucks passion tea, havent tried that yet though.   I like it hot w/ a little honey or a little milk. 

You can also have mint teas, like peppermint. Or black tea, but I drink decaf.

yellalakes

my doc said as long as u keep it under like 300 mg a day, which seems like a lot to me. all i drink (caffeine wise) is regular tea once every couple of days.

Allie30

Um, I'm confused as to why you're supposed to avoid "herbal teas." "Herbal tea" is the generic name for any naturally uncaffeinated tea made with items that AREN'T tea leaves. Could be chamomile, rose hips, mint leaves, sunflower petals, cinnamon bark, dried berries, pieces of apricot or apple, lemon rinds -- ANYTHING can be put in a tea bag and called "herbal tea."

So you have to ask yourself WHAT kind of "herbal tea" are you supposed to avoid, and why? I promise you that an "herbal tea" made with lemon rinds and spearmint leaves is NOT bad for your baby. I'm sure there are herbal teas made with herbs that are abortifacients that you should probably avoid during pregnancy.

As for caffeinated teas:

The USDA says:

 

Type of tea	Caffeine (milligrams)
Brewed tea
Black tea, 8 oz (240 mL)	40-120
Black tea, decaffeinated, 8 oz (240 mL)	2-10
Starbucks Tazo Chai Tea Latte, 16 oz (480 mL)	100
Stash Premium Green, 6 oz (180 mL)	26
Iced Tea
AriZona Green Tea, 16 oz (480 mL)	15
Generic instant mix, unsweetened, 1 tsp (5 mL)	27
Generic instant mix, decaffeinated, unsweetened, 1 tsp (5 mL)	1
Lipton Brisk Lemon Iced Tea, 12 oz (355 mL)	7
Nestea Iced Tea, 12 oz (355 mL)	26
Snapple Plain Unsweetened, 16 oz (480 mL)	18

 And for other kinds of tea:

Coffee (5 oz. cup)	80
Cola (12 oz. can)	45
Black Tea (one tea bag)	40
Oolong Tea (one tea bag)	30
Green Tea (one tea bag)	20
White Tea (one tea bag)	15
Decaf Tea (one tea bag)	2
Herbal Tea (one tea bag)	0

 (The above assumes 8 oz of water for the tea bag).

The March of Dimes recommends no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day. That's TEN CUPS of green tea. My doctor said "try to limit" my caffeine intake. I might have a black.green.white tea or a cola every few days, and I don't beat myself up when I do. During the worst of my morning sickness, sometimes the only thing that tasted good was a fountain coke.  (If I drink cans, I get the caffeine-free version).

But figure out where you're heard this "herbal tea is bad for you" nonsense and figure out WHICH "herbal tea" they mean. A glass of lemon lift isn't gonna hurt ya, and for those of you who like white and green tea, celestial seasonings makes an excellent white/green /mandarin DECAF blend that I love.

 

january41979

I like to go to Starbucks and get a Chai with half the syrup, which cuts down on both the sugar and the caffeine.

I also sometimes will have a black tea (from a teabag).

My doctor said to avoid drinking too much green tea, for the same reason stated above -- inhibits absorbing folic acid. 

Zoebot

as a pp mentioned - green tea can inhibit folic acid intake, so generally it's advised to avoid that one. also, white tea (as well as oolong black) is made from the same leaves as green tea - there's just a different process in how it's done. so i've been assuming for myself, at least, that white or oolong tea would inhibit folic acid as well, and have been avoiding them.

 as far as herbal teas go, my OB told me not to drink chamomile or echinacea. i tend to stick with mint teas and read the ingredients carefully on any tea i buy (and i won't drink teas from coffee shops - even the one i work at, unless i can see what all the ingredients are because of the possibility of other teas being mixed in).

generally herbal-fruit teas are okay, but again, check the ingredients. i had one tea i used to love that had cat-nip in it. i definitely cut that one out once i got my BFP... who knows, it might be okay, but it wasn't worth it to me to take the risk.