SAFE TEAS TO DRINK IN PREGNANCY
Becoming a mum is impossible to truly prepare for. That was my experience anyway! I thought I knew what to expect, and then it quickly became obvious that I didn’t have a clue.
One thing that I did know though, was tea. I’d been a tea buyer and blender for over 11 years when I had my first baby. And I also have a degree in Tea Science, so it quickly became obvious to me that tea could help me with some of the issues I faced. Morning sickness and sleep deprivation being my major hurdles.
It’s what inspired me to set up HotTea Mama with my good friend Kate, after she had two babies in the space of a year, and I was pregnant with my second.
The ultimate goal was to make blends that could support mothers on the journey that we’d been through – and are still going through.
HotTea Mama Morning Rescue
Whilst there is no magic cure for morning sickness, there are a lot of herbs that have been used for millennia to help with nausea. And there’s some great research out there to show how effective they can be for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Unfortunately there’s no evidence done with women in early pregnancy, as it’s too high risk to test women at this stage, but there’s no reason that the same ingredients can’t help women.
Whole ginger contains gingerols which are anti-inflammatory and help ease sickness this way. I blended these with herbs that are full of citrals – these have the same impact on the body. Lemongrass, lemon balm, lemon verbena and African mint all help soothe a tummy.
If you have sickness, then try drinking this (and all other drinks) cold, as cold drinks can be much easier to drink than hot ones.
HotTea Mama Night Owl
We originally called Night Owl the ‘3am Blend’ as we drank it so often after the 3am feed during its development. It is made up of natural anti-inflammatory ingredients, that relax your muscles. Whole chamomile flowers, lavender, valerian root, lime flowers, and rooibos, really help you to get a deeper sleep than without them.
Valerian root in particular is an amazing herb. It’s been shown to be more effective gram to gram than a pharmaceutical sedative in research. It’s also why we only have a small amount in there – it’s in safe levels for both pregnancy and breastfeeding.
We thoroughly recommend having a cup an hour before your last feed of the day too, so that some of its sleepy benefits can transfer into your breast milk and through to your baby. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s got to be worth a try.
HotTea Mama Newborn Wonder
I basically live on Newborn Wonder. It’s an incredible blend of white peony tea and whole rose buds. White tea is actually higher in caffeine than black tea, but it also has a much higher level of theanine in it. This is a relaxing chemical, that gives the caffeine a slow-release effect.
Caffeine gets less and less effective the more of it you drink, so it’s important not to hit it up too many times in a day. I transfer onto Newborn Wonder after my morning coffee, and it helps me through until lunchtime, even after a bad night with the kids.
If you’re breastfeeding, we recommend treating it as a replacement to coffee, as you should be sticking to 200mg of caffeine a day. This tea is around 90mg, while a coffee can be 120g. So technically you can have both, but if you are also eating chocolate and having a fizzy drink, it’s important to keep an eye on your total caffeine intake.
But we really hope you find these teas as useful as we do. And that you can take a moment for yourself in a busy day of caring for others, to enjoy a cup. It’s good for you body, but good for your soul too.
Bethan Thomas is the co-founder (and tea nerd behind HotTea Mama)
