tea, to drink or not to

Canch86

hey ladies, im new here and figured i'd start my first post with a question about tea. im very confused on what i can and cant drink.my books say one thing then websites and friends say another.. (forgot to ask the doctor at my first ob appointment) so what do you all think? i've been hearing good things about something called raspberry leaf? suppose to help with contractions or something to do with the uterus. also does anyone know of an iced tea thats ok to drink while pregnant? im not big on caffeine so cutting it out of my diet was no problem but i do miss iced tea. especially in the summer weather!

Of The Eld

Most Iced tea Brands have a decaf option, which is what I've been drinking since water tastes Terrible!  I've been using the Great Value (walmart) brand, and the only difference I can see is that I have to stir the pitcher more than with the regular stuff. Sometimes I pop an herbal mint tea bag in with it for extra refreshment. hope this helps!

this decaf life

I'm not drinking tea at all.

MrsRiceARoni

I would go with brewing your own decaf iced tea at home. I'd also talk to your doctor before trying any herbal teas because I know there are quite a few out there that are bad during pregnancy for various reasons.

ECBeaches

I am still drinking regular iced tea, but as a general practice I try to only drink one caffeinated beverage per day. . . . try being the opperative word there.

kllrbnny

Tea has less caffeine than either coffee or soda so it is fine by that count. Decaf is even better, especially if you'll be drinking a ton. Like PPs said stay away from herbal teas-better safe than sorry.

spartyparty

The only thing I know about tea and pregnancy is that you should avoid green tea b/c it affects folic acid in the body. And of course no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day max.

Noethola

Definitely, the decaf option sounds like it would work for you for making iced tea. I drink decaf tea occasionally. Caffine in small doses seems to be ok.

I am also drinking the red respberry leaf tea. (Started this week, as some suggest not to in the first tri.) It helps tone the uterus, but does not cause contractions. Its an herbal tea, so no caffine. As far as scientific data to support it or not, there really isnt any out there. Some support, some dont.

https://journeytocrunchville.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-what-every-pregnant-woman-needs/

Here are some interesting facts on it. Its good iced, as it has an earthy tea flavor (not fruity). I have not tried it hot. Its been over 100 degrees here, so I havent been feeling the hot tea.

JennV514

I am drinking RRL tea with this pregnancy, and did with my first as well. I know the topic makes some people uncomfortable, especially with the rumors that go around the Bump. I researched, talked to my doctor, and did what I thought was best for me and baby.

With that said- I highly HIGHLY recommend drinking it during recovery (unless it messes with your bf supply), and when your period comes back. My periods were awful. We're talking horror movie bad, and RRL tea helped so much. If you feel uncomfortable drinking straight RRL, their are lots of pregnancy blend teas out there you could try. Of course, you should consult with a doctor.

jobiann

I broke down and had a small raspberry iced tea, but otherwise I've cut out all pop, tea, etc.

hellojenny531

I haven't had any tea since finding out and I love iced tea. I miss it, too.

aklawrence1

I drink tea almost every day. I crave it sooo much. I have DH make me decaf tea at home, and I help myself. If I'm eating out and in desperate need, I'll have tea out. I know it's not decaf but one glass of tea is not going to give you 200 mg of caffeine, and sometimes I really just need it!

sesigs

I would 100% recommend asking your doctor about this too. I love tea and when I first got my BFP I went Google to see what herbal teas were safe ... long story short if you look hard enough you can find bad things about every herb (I found a site that said ginger was bad in pregnancy!). So asking my doctor was really the only thing that made me feel better  

My OB assured me herbal teas you find in any normal grocery store are safe. He told me to be more careful about buying teas from health food stores but that blue/black cohash is definitely off limits. I personally cut out all black and green teas. I occasionally drink decaffeinated black (good to make iced tea with!) but mostly stick with lemon, ginger, and peppermint teas. 

MelanienMike

I am making sun tea weekly. I love it. Its decaf of course!

Marisajean01

 I have a very occasional sweet tea (well half sweet, half unsweet) from Chick Fil A. But that said in 12 weeks I think I  have had 2 glasses. I  have not had any herbal tea though.

nycbride2011

I loved english breakfast tea; and lemon tea with honey before I got pregnant.  I'm 13 weeks and have had neither since my BFP.  My doctor said as long as it was decaf; and to watch out for certain herbs.  To call her if I wasn't sure.  I just figured I'd avoid it for now. It's hot anyway; so I'm not wanting it as much.

jdm7

Here is what I found on baby center... some of these I believe came from Harry Potter's world :

Many of the herbs used for teas, when taken in large or medicinal amounts, can potentially stimulate the uterus and induce miscarriage. These include anise, catnip, chamomile, comfrey, ephedra (called ma huang in traditional Chinese medicine), European mistletoe, hibiscus, horehound, Labrador, lemongrass, licorice root, mugwort, pennyroyal, raspberry leaf, rosemary, sage, sassafras, stinging nettle leaf, vetiver, and yarrow. 

Note: you can still eat foods with rosemary and sage in them.  

brittandjp

You can have a little bit of caffeine in moderation. I've had one caffeinated drink a week at the very, very most. It's usually a frappuccino or iced coffee though, not tea. I've also had sprite (no caffeine, but lots of sugar!) a few times. My doctor said all of this is fine.

jdm7

brittandjp:

You can have a little bit of caffeine in moderation. I've had one caffeinated drink a week at the very, very most. It's usually a frappuccino or iced coffee though, not tea. I've also had sprite (no caffeine, but lots of sugar!) a few times. My doctor said all of this is fine.

You can drink caffeine daily if you like. You should not exceed more than 300mg a day. I try not to go beyond 200mg of caffeine, but sometimes I just need a regular coffee. You're good with a Frappuccino and Iced coffee too. In a Starbucks Grande Coffee Frap there is 95mg of caffeine, and 165mg of caffeine in a Grande Iced Brewed Coffee from Starbucks. I'm actually glad to see the amount in the Frap because I have avoided getting them thinking that there was way more than that.

Chappy_jr

Being a Southerner, sweet iced tea is a necessity in the summer - but since having caffeine in the afternoon will keep me up till 2am, I have been making it with decaf and half Stevia/half sugar for years.  I've never been big on hot teas, except for the occasional Sleepytime.