Gentle, Nourishing Tea Blend (Pregnancy-Safe)

Despite my naive expectations for what I thought my pregnancy experience would be like – excited, healthy smoothies, drinking tea, eating nutritious food – I was so exhausted and nauseous during the first trimester that I did nearly nothing. I didn’t drink tea or herbal infusions during the first trimester except for store-bought ginger tea because I was too drained to even manage to chop ginger and simmer it.

With mild malnutrition and low oxygen levels wiping me out, I began to lack confidence in my skills as an herbalist when the brain fog and anxiety made me uncertain about what herbs were safe to take and I became afraid that I would do something wrong and hurt myself or the baby.

After doing a lot of research (and napping), reading (and napping), and sharing this herbal tea recipe idea during the first visit with my midwife, I felt confident and inspired again. I came home and made a big batch of this gentle, nourishing tea blend and started taking it daily just as I entered my second trimester.

Rather than making a cup at a time with a teabag, this tea is most effective when it is made as an overnight infusion. The longer steeping time will draw more of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients out of the plants, making it stronger. Infusions made in this manner might taste stronger, too, with more of the tannic or bitter qualities of the herbs. A little bit of honey can brighten the flavors if you need it.

Gentle Nourishing Tea Recipe

This tea is intended to be safe for use while pregnant or breastfeeding; however, please be wary if you have severe ragweed allergies or other known sensitivities.

In equal parts, mix the following dried herbs:

Alfalfa: A source of B vitamins and rich in vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium, this grassy-flavored herb helps with milk flow.

Oatstraw: Another excellent source of vitamins, calcium, and magnesium, this slightly-sweet herb helps with circulation (a life-saver during the first trimester!) and it also helps to calm anxiety.

Lemon Balm: Ah, this citrus-scented herb is wonderfully soothing and useful for nervousness, upset tummy, and headaches. It’s also delicious!

Chamomile: These bright little flowers have a good flavor and are slightly bitter, which helps with digestive issues like heartburn and nausea. Chamomile is renowned for its ability to encourage relaxation and is often used in bedtime teas.

Other pregnancy-safe herbs to add:

Nettle: This spiky friend is a nutritional powerhouse and it contains vitamin C, manganese, iron, calcium, zinc, and chromium.

Rosehips: Lovely red rosehips do more than bring their citrusy flavor and bright color to the tea, but also vitamin C and bioflavonoids.

Rose petals: Why not add flowers to your tea? You deserve to feel like a fairy at a tea party. Plus, rose petals are calming, cooling, astringent, and anti-inflammatory!

Red Raspberry leaf: A rockstar for women’s health, the red raspberry leaf is beloved by many women for its properties before, during, and after birth. It is rich in vitamins and minerals as well a uterine tonic and

Red clover: I adore red clover and used it before my pregnancy in tea blends to support menstruation and fertility, but I did not use it during my pregnancy until the third trimester. The isoflavones and phytoestrogens of this vitamin-rich and nutritive herb are amazing but can cause issues with some. Learn more about the safety of red clover from the Herbal Academy.

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