Posted by Brittany Thomas | May 13, 2015
499 Shares
I may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this article. Full Disclosure
I went through my first two pregnancies completely unaware that there was such a thing as pregnancy tea or even the very basic red raspberry leaf tea.
I wish I had but of course there’s no changing the past. With my third and fourth pregnancies I learned about red raspberry leaf tea and all its benefits.
Red raspberry leaf tea by itself is an amazing thing to drink during pregnancy. I have a whole post devoted to it but in short, it helps make contractions more effective once they do start because the tea helps tone your uterus.
This I found to be true with both my pregnancies; they were much easier and faster than my previous pregnancy and I bled less afterwards (another bonus of red raspberry leaf tea.)
Although I do want to point out that red raspberry leaf is most effective in helping shorten the second stage of labor… so you could have a long labor but the hardest parts will be shorter with the use of red raspberry leaf tea.
Sometime in between my fourth and fifth pregnancy, I started getting into other herbal teas. I learned that there are some herbs out there that are just truly amazing and there’s a reason why companies add them to their pregnancy tea blends.
Now there are many herbs that are wonderful for pregnancy but I tend to like to keep things simple so I have a minimal pregnancy tea blend.
Herbal Pregnancy Tea Blend Ingredients
Red Raspberry Leaf
As I mentioned, red raspberry leafis the pregnancy tea. If you are to use just one herb, this would be the one to choose.
Red raspberry leafhelps with relieving nausea, toning the uterus so your contraction are more effective (please not that it does not start contraction; it simply makes them more effective once they do start), and helps with postpartum bleeding.
Nutrients:
It’s full of calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and B vitamins, and much more.
Dandelion Leaf
Dandelion leaf is a great purifier of the blood, liver, and kidneys. What makes it extra beneficial during pregnancy is its ability to help with anemia, blood pressure, constipation, water retention, and blood clotting.
I’ve also heard that dandelion can help normalizeblood sugar levels which is great if you are worried or dealing with gestational diabetes.
Nutrients:
Usually you would find nettle in a pregnancy tea blend but I choose dandelion leaf. Why? Well as it turns out dandelion isactually higher iniron and vitamin K than nettle (which is usually why it’s used).Dandelion is also high in vitamin A , calcium, and potassium.
Rose Hips
Rose hips are the fruit of roses.Can help dealing with stress, boosting immunity, water retention, and also helps with iron absorption.
Nutrients:
They are a great source of vitamin C. In fact, rose hips are one of the richest vitamin C sources! They are contain: vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin K, and manganese.
1/2 cup red raspberry leaf
1/4 cup dandelion leaf
2 tbs rosehips
Directions:
Mix all ingredients and store in jar.
Single Cup – Add 1 tablespoon of tea blend into 1 cup of just under boiling water. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Remove tea leaves, sweeten if desired and drink.
Large Batch – Bring 10 cups of water to just under a boil. Add entire amount of pregnancy blend, let steep at least 10-20 minutes or overnight. Strain the leaves, store in the refrigerator.
Dosage:
Drink 1 cup of tea per trimester each day. (1 cup/day in 1st trimester, 2 cups/day in 2nd trimester, 3 cups/day in 3rd trimester).
It should be noted that some recommend avoiding red raspberry leaf in the 1st trimester due to miscarriage concerns (although this is usually based on an old study that from what I’ve researched is faulty)
Many doctors and midwives actually prescribe red raspberry leaf tea in the 1st trimester for miscarriage and morning sickness. However to be on the safe side, you can simply choose to avoid drinking the tea until you are in your 2nd trimester.
Tips and Notes:
Use a tea ball to strain the leaves. For making large batches (or if do not have a tea ball for small batches) I like to use a piece of muslin to strain my tea.
Many people can drink tea without any sweeteners but I prefer my tea sweet. Since you will be drinking so much of this tea, I do recommend avoiding the classic sugar route and instead choosing a natural sweetener such as honey or stevia.
499 Shares
