Which teas are safe to drink while pregnant?

There are many reasons why you may want to reach for a cup of tea during pregnancy. It's a soothing way to stay hydrated, and tea is full of antioxidants that may help boost your immune system and fight off disease. Some herbal teas are even recommended specifically for pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness.

Before you start brewing, though, there are some things to keep in mind.

Considerations for pregnant women who drink tea

"Most teas are safe to drink in moderation during pregnancy," says Layan Alrahmani, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory BoardOpens a new window. 

But during pregnancy it's important to:

Be aware of caffeine: Black, green, and white teas all contain caffeine, and leading experts such as the American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsOpens a new window (ACOG) recommend keeping caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams per day while pregnant. A cup of black tea has almost 50 milligrams, while a cup of green tea has about 25. If you drink a lot of tea (hot or iced) you could run into that 200-milligram cap.

That said, tea is lower in caffeine than coffee, so it might be a good substitute while you're being careful about caffeine. For example, a Grande iced coffee at Starbucks has 185 mg caffeine, while a Grande iced matcha latte has 80 mg.

Avoid some herbal teas: Despite seeming perfectly healthy and natural, herbal teas aren't always safe for pregnancy, especially in large amounts. Be sure to talk to your doctor or midwife about any herbal teas you usually drink or plan to start drinking. (According to one studyOpens a new window, fewer than one-third of pregnant women using herbal products talk with their doctors about their use, largely because they perceive them as being safe.)

Watch the sugar: A lot of bottled iced teas and tea drinks from coffee shops are very high in sugar. This isn't good for you, and can be especially problematic if you have gestational diabetes or had diabetes before you became pregnant.

Is it safe to drink herbal tea during pregnancy?

Some herbal teas are safe for pregnancy and some aren't.

Teas made from herbs like peppermint and ginger are considered safe to drink in moderation while you're pregnant or nursing, while others – like those brewed from nettles or St. John's wort – are not.

For the vast majority of herbal teas, we don't have enough research to confirm their safety for pregnant women. A few things to keep in mind:

• Herbal supplements – which include teas – aren't regulated by the Food and Drug AdministrationOpens a new window (FDA). That means there's no check on quality, quantity, or contamination of ingredients.
• Herbs can interact with other medications you may take.
• Only a few of the herbs used in teas have been studied in pregnant women, and the research is sometimes conflicting.
• Herbs are more concentrated in teas than in food, so drinking a specific herbal tea may be harmful even if eating that herb isn't a problem.

Your doctor or midwife can help you sort out the safety of any herbal teas you'd like to drink during pregnancy.

It's always a good idea to consult with your healthcare provider prior to having any herbal teas or supplements.

- Layan Alrahmani, M.D., board-certified ob-gyn and maternal-fetal medicine specialist

Which teas are safe to drink while pregnant?

The following popular teas are generally considered safe in moderation during pregnancy:

Ginger tea: Ginger is commonly used to ease morning sickness during pregnancy, and many studies have concluded that it's safe and effective for this purpose.

A studyOpens a new window that included more than 1,000 women found no increased risk for complications among the babies of women who consumed ginger during pregnancy.

But, says the National Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthOpens a new window, the evidence of safety isn't conclusive. So while it's generally considered safe during pregnancy, discuss ginger's benefits and risks with your doctor or midwife before drinking it.

Peppermint tea: Peppermint tea is often used to try to calm an upset tummy during pregnancy, and it's considered safe. Be aware, though, that it may not help with morning sickness. Studies supporting the use of peppermint teas to ease morning sickness are lacking. Peppermint tea has also been linked to heartburn, a common problem for pregnant women.

Green tea: Green teas are considered safe to drink during pregnancy. Limit yourself to less than three cups a day, though. Green tea is high in catechins, substances which can prevent your cells from fully absorbing folic acid. Your body needs plenty of folic acid during pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects.

Black or white teas: Like green tea, these are considered safe to drink during pregnancy. Just remember not to overdo it, as four cups of black tea will get you to that daily 200 mg caffeine limit. Iced tea is often made from black tea, so keep that in mind as a source of caffeine. (Some black teas, like green teas, also contain catechins.)

Also keep in mind, says Dr. Alrahmani, that the longer a tea is steeped, the higher the caffeine content.

Teas to avoid during pregnancy

Chamomile tea: A cup of chamomile tea can be soothing, especially before bed, but during pregnancy it may be best to skip it. One observational studyOpens a new window of more than 600 pregnant women concluded that regular chamomile consumption resulted in a higher risk of preterm delivery and lower birth weight.

While some researchersOpens a new window suggest that it's safe to drink chamomile tea in moderate amounts during pregnancy, others recommend avoiding it. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health concludes "little is known about whether it's safe to use chamomile during pregnancy or while breastfeeding."

Other herbal teas to avoid if you're pregnant or nursing include:

• Alfalfa
• Aloe
• Angelica
• Barberry
• Black cohosh
• Blue cohosh
• Boldo
• Borage
• Buckthorn
• Bugleweed
• Cascara sagrada
• Cassia
• Cat's claw
• Cinnamon
• Clover
• Comfrey
• Damiano
• Devil's claw
• Dong quai
• Ephedra (called ma huang in traditional Chinese medicine, it's been banned in the United States since 2004)
• European mistletoe
• Fennel in high doses
• Fenugreek
• Feverfew
• Frankincense
• Goldenseal
• Gotu kola
• Hibiscus
• Hops
• Horehound
• Jimsonweed (estramonio, moonflower)
• Juniper berry
• Kava
• Labrador
• Lady's Mantle
• Lemongrass
• Licorice root
• Lovage
• Maidenhair fern
• Mistletoe
• Motherwort
• Mugwort
• Nettle leaf (also called stinging nettle leaf)
• Oregano
• Passion flower
• Pau d'arco
• Pennyroyal
• Pokeroot
• Rhubarb
• Rosemary
• Rue
• Sage
• Saint John's Wort
• Sassafras
• Saw palmetto
• Shepherd's purse
• Vetiver
• Wild yam
• Wormseed
• Wormwood
• Yarrow
• Yerba mate
• Yohimbe

This isn't a complete list, so always ask your doctor or midwife whether a particular herbal tea is safe to consume during pregnancy.

Note: You can still eat food containing oregano, cinnamon, cassia, rosemary, and sage, because the amounts used in food are generally much smaller than those used in tea – and the herbs aren't as potent.

What about herbal teas made for pregnancy?

Although the makers of pregnancy teas promote their products as healthy for expectant moms, no clinical studies support these claims, and the safety of their ingredients isn't regulated.

Pregnancy teas usually include herbs such as alfalfa, fennel seed, lemongrass leaf, lemon verbena, nettle leaf, red raspberry leaf, rose hips, and strawberry leaf. Not all these are proven helpful or even safe to take during pregnancy.

For example, while nettle (also known as stinging nettle leaf) is often found in pregnancy teas, it's not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. It can act as a diuretic, it affects hormone metabolism, and it may even contribute to miscarriage. 

Many herbal teas made for pregnancy contain raspberry leaf (also known as red raspberry leaf). It's sometimes recommended to help with pregnancy symptoms, strengthen the uterus, and induce labor. But we don't know for sure that red raspberry leaf tea is effective or completely safe during pregnancy.

Still, raspberry leaf has a long history of use among pregnant women without evidence of problems. It's probably safest to skip the tea during the first trimester, at least, and then limit your consumption to a couple of cups a day.

"It's always a good idea to consult with your healthcare provider prior to having any herbal teas or supplements," says Dr. Alrahmani. "Bringing the tea package or a photo of it may be helpful."