I am desperate for **actual** tea!

[mathmarm]

In my pre-pregnancy days, I was a bit of a tea-fiend. I had at least 3 cups a day and I drank a wide variety of them. I gave up virtually all  of my teas during my pregnancy and had planned to resume tea after I'd given birth, but since I am breastfeeding, it's not quite that easy!

 

What are some teas that I can safely drink while nursing/breastfeeding. I keep finding all these lists of teas to avoid! But where are the teas that I can drink!!! I keep being told to stay away from all herbal teas 'just to be safe'. Aren't there some teas known to be safe for nursing moms?

 

I have had nothing but mothers milk and a couple of fruit teas for a long...long time now.

I'd rather be safe than sorry, since I am nursing and don't want to do anything to jeopardize Jr. nor myself, but I'd really love some tea!

 

Help!

[Kathryn]

I realized halfway through that you were talking about actual tea. That changed the whole post. No advice though, just laughing!

[DawnM]

Me too!

 

 

I realized halfway through that you were talking about actual tea. That changed the whole post. No advice though, just laughing!

 

[DawnM]

Honestly I can't help you.  I drank caffeine throughout my pregnancy and BFing.

[chicagoshannon]

I realized halfway through that you were talking about actual tea. That changed the whole post. No advice though, just laughing!

I was thinking wow that's white the appetite for TeA, lol.

 

I'd just drink whatever kind of tea you want. I personally don't think it's gonna do any harm.

[Laura Corin]

If it's the caffeine you are avoiding, the Redbush/Rooibosch would work - it doesn't taste quite like tea, but it's close and you can drink it with milk or lemon.  There are also decaffeinated real teas.

 

L

[marbel]

I don't remember being advised not to drink tea while nursing.  Or while pregnant either.  It's been a while, maybe advice has changed?    (Or maybe I just don't remember.)

 

I don't know anything about babycenter.com, but I was curious and looked up caffeine and nursing, and it looks like at least this group says it's fine.   (I shouldn't assume your concern is about caffeine, though I can't think what else it would be.)

 

If you have been specifically advised not to consume caffeine, what about a decaffeinated black tea?  

[tabinfl]

(Add me to the list who finally figured out you were talking about drinking tea :D )

 

I used to be a heavy coffee drinker. HEAVY. During pregnancy I allowed myself one cup of half-caf, and used tea to make up the difference -- it's as much about the sensation for me as the cafeine. I drank all sorts of herbal teas, but I did stick to common varieties and stayed away from any marketed with specific health benefits. I never even thought to research it beyond that. I drank things like chamomile / Sleepytime, mint, ginger, lemon, and my fave coffee substitute, rooibos.

[Ellie]

Another drinking-tea-during-nursing woman here. :-)

 

I'm thinking you should just jump right in with your favorite pre-baby tea and see what happens.

[mathmarm]

Am I missing something? What is so confusing about the word 'tea'?

[Kerileanne99]

Oddly enough, I have been researching this as I am pregnant now. Hubby is British and I inherited a love of tea from him and our travels.

 

There is actually quite a bit of conflicting research in the effects of caffeine during say pregnancy, but when you actually look at he primary literature they are referring to a minimal quantity of caffeine of between 200-350mg of caffeine daily! Your average 6 oz cup of black tea has roughly 40mg.

 

The only specific information for breast feeding moms is that in some cases it can disrupt the sleep patterns of breast feeding infants. If baby is having trouble sleeping properly, it is recommended to eliminate caffeine from various sources...but again, they consider the minimal dose to be quite a bit above that found in a cup of tea or two!

 

There is evidence that caffeine increases the risk of miscarriage when taken daily at doses above 500 mg daily. I know this doesn't apply to you, but I add it here in case others are wondering. Because I recently had a miscarriage, this was of specific interest to me.

 

Below is a link I found with some information and links to things like March of Dimes, but most importantly, at the bottom of the page are the primary lit references you can pull if you are interested:

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/caffeine.html

[Chris in VA]

Am I missing something? What is so confusing about the word 'tea'?

TeA (spelled with the cap A, usually) is board-speak for s#x. 

[Cinder]

Yeah, those who have been on the board awhile will usually note "tea--the drink" in their title when that's what they're talking about.  :D

[mathmarm]

TeA (spelled with the cap A, usually) is board-speak for s#x. 

Oh. I wasn't aware of that. Though I do have to say that I have never cared for euphemisms that referred to sex. I get that there are slang terms that are just more pleasing to the ear, rather than a lengthy description of specific sexual acts, but when I am talking about sex, then I say sex.

[Acorn]

Never enough tea with a new baby.  I'm still laughing. 

 

I did drink tea while pregnant and breastfeeding.  It was only a cup a day.  The studies that warn against caffeine use larger quantity.  I did notice that milk and chocolate seemed to correlate with fussiness in one of my kids, so I went dairy free for six months.

[ChristusG]

I believe the board uses the euphemism to deter those who may be searching the internet for sex related things....not because of fear of saying the actual word.

[mathmarm]

My Dr. told me to give up tea because I was having so many fertility struggles. I could get pregnant, but I wasn't able to stay pregnant for years. I had several miscarriages and failed attempts. It was more of a precautionary thing, I guess. But I gave them up because I wanted a baby. Now I've been advised against nursing while drinking teas. I have never cared for coffee really.

 

So, what now: can I have tea or can't I?

[*Michelle*]

I imagine the British empire would have faded to nothing if people didn't drink tea while nursing.  I think you'll be okay.

[bolt.]

Mama's milk production varies from woman to woman, the body's response to caffeine varies from person to person: therefore some women experience that caffeine disrupts their baby's sleep, and some do not. Generally speaking, the majority do not have any trouble with the strategy of 'some, but not too much'.

 

The only way to find out for you and your baby is to check.

[Mama Geek]

I had some tea while nursing but I had mostly water.  I gave up all caffeine before I got pregnant and stayed off it until I was done nursing, I got hooked again, but I think I have finally given it up for good.

 

By the way my first thought was the other TeA as well, so I had a good chuckle.

[marbel]

My Dr. told me to give up tea because I was having so many fertility struggles. I could get pregnant, but I wasn't able to stay pregnant for years. I had several miscarriages and failed attempts. It was more of a precautionary thing, I guess. But I gave them up because I wanted a baby. Now I've been advised against nursing while drinking teas. I have never cared for coffee really.

 

So, what now: can I have tea or can't I?

 

If you trust your doctor, and believe he/she is well-educated on the topic, then follow that advice.  It's great to ask questions here but none of us can give medical advice.   We don't know if you have a specific condition that makes tea-drinking risky.  If you think your doctor is being overly-cautious, do some more research.   Here is an article from La Leche League; it's rather old but might be useful:

 

http://www.lalecheleague.org/faq/caffeine.html

 

Are you being warned against specific herbal teas, or black tea, or all tea? 

 

Seems like the general consensus here is:  have some tea, see what happens.   

 

(I thought teA was also used as a euphemism in case moms are reading here and kids come up and start reading over her shoulder.)

 

I hope you are enjoying your baby, tea or no tea!  :grouphug:

 

[Twigs]

Here's a link to the thread that started the TeA euphemism. See posts #9 and #74 if you don't want to take the time to read the entire (very long) thread.

[nmoira]

I believe the board uses the euphemism to deter those who may be searching the internet for sex related things....not because of fear of saying the actual word.

No. It's because it was brilliantly and spontaneously coined and allowed people who otherwise were unable to discuss sex to do so. I can't easily link the thread because I'm on mobile. ETA: But someone else already did. :)

[elfgivas]

lol.... it took me a moment, too. 

 

i really like how media aware our group is, and that mostly we have managed to avoid the nutters who use their search engine to find unsavory sites, and find us instead.  so for the few of you who actually spelled out the word accurately, maybe you'd like to consider editing your post so we don't end up with folks who aren't so much interested in homeschooling?

 

hopefully,

ann

[nmoira]

for the few of you who actually spelled out the word accurately, maybe you'd like to consider editing your post so we don't end up with folks who aren't so much interested in homeschooling

No.

[KungFuPanda]

I believe the board uses the euphemism to deter those who may be searching the internet for sex related things....not because of fear of saying the actual word.

And because it's funny now :-)

 

I say drink the darned tea. It's water with leaves in it! A weak salad really. I assume you're still using herbs in your cooking! As long as you don't down a gallon of sweet tea then wonder why your nursing infant won't settle, you should be fine. (Yes, I did that when I started drinking tea again after pregnancy. That was a rough night.) A cup of tea in the morning and afternoon is just one of those little Life is Good perks that is nice to have in your day. It's about overall well-being. By the second pregnancy, I was no longer afraid of a cup of tea and was happier for it.

[KungFuPanda]

No.

::snort:: I'm drinking tea right now and narrowly avoided a spit-take.

[Moxie]

Have some tea and don't worry about it! I was pregnant with #4 after a miscarriage and commented to my high risk OB that I had given up caffeine. He laughed and told me to have a beer and relax. I didn't have a beer but I did go back to enjoying my morning cuppa.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I would think that any tea that doesn't have an excessive amount of caffeine would be ok......not an expert though.....I had caffeine throughout my pregnancy too.....

[nmoira]

OP, what do you mean when you say "tea"? Are you including herbals/tisanes? There's reason for children and at least some pregnant women to keep caffeine ingestion low, because their bodies take longer to metabolize it. I don't know how much caffeine ends up in breast milk, but it can't be very high relative to the same volume of tea (ditto for alcohol... breast milk "proof" is very low).

 

DD the Elder has a cup of Numi Rooibos Chai every night. It's very relaxing.

[Parrothead]

Drink the tea.

[emzhengjiu]

Thank you for a wonderful laugh this morning.  I'm among those who thought you meant the TeA not the drink!  

[In The Great White North]

 

I believe the board uses the euphemism to deter those who may be searching the internet for sex related things....not because of fear of saying the actual word.

 

No. It's because it was brilliantly and spontaneously coined and allowed people who otherwise were unable to discuss sex to do so. I can't easily link the thread because I'm on mobile. ETA: But someone else already did. :)

 

Another side benefit is to deter spam.

[nmoira]

Another side benefit is to deter spam.

 

Does it? Spambots seek out forums, any forum. Not using the word "sex" doesn't appear on any list of preventative measures I've ever seen.

[AimeeM]

Oh my GAH.

I was like "she wanted TeA three times a DAY?".

Never mind. *sigh*

[Liz CA]

If it's the caffeine you are avoiding, the Redbush/Rooibosch would work - it doesn't taste quite like tea, but it's close and you can drink it with milk or lemon.  There are also decaffeinated real teas.

 

L

 

I second the Rooibos suggestions. It gets spelled in various ways. Just ask for "African Redbush tea."

Celestial Seasonings has an assortment of herbal teas.

 

Just in case you were not aware, there is a sort of code on this forum. Tea can mean two very different things, which is why people have made some comments about that. Just make sure you spell "tea" as a beverage in lower case letters and you are fine....:)

 

[Eagle]

I avoided tea (the drink! -- still laughing, thinking your post was about TeA) while pregnant but am back to drinking it now while nursing. I drink green tea.

 

I also avoided chocolate while pregnant and during the first few months of nursing, but now indulge in the occasional chocolate snack.

[KungFuPanda]

Oh my GAH.

I was like "she wanted TeA three times a DAY?".

Never mind. *sigh*

IKR! It's ladies like this that led my husband to believe that the mythical "Horny-mester" was a normal phase of pregnancy. He was sorely disappointed.

[Aura]

IMO, if your doctor outlaws ALL teas, then I doubt he really knows much about herbal teas at all and is just trying to be safe. This has been my experience, anyway.

 

Doing a little research over the net is pretty easy, if you feel comfortable taking the responsibility of researching yourself.

 

In general, red raspberry, nettle, peppermint, lemon balm and chrysanthemum are all teas that should be good for you and taste good. Mix and match as you like. These are all caffeine-free, too. Red raspberry and nettle are two that are highly recommended for nursing moms.

 

 

[swellmomma]

I realized halfway through that you were talking about actual tea. That changed the whole post. No advice though, just laughing!

 

I made the same mistake, tea 3 times a day, oh my!  I haven't had teA in 7 years lol

[Joyofsixreboot]

Frankly I wasn't above a beer or two while nursing so I can't imagine a cup of tea would hurt anything.  I suspect mothers in China, India and Britain have done so for centuries.

[nmoira]

I made the same mistake, tea 3 times a day, oh my!  I haven't had teA in 7 years lol

 

Way back in the hazy days of parenting-with-young-children-in-the-house fatigue, I was discussing the (then) sad state of affairs our sex lives with a group of women friends. We were all beyond tired and all not interested, and were a little sad about it. Familiar story, right? Next day I was talking with another friend and she was complaining about being tired. I asked her if the baby was still teething and she said, "No, it's ________ (insert DH name)!" And then more detail I didn't want to hear. *They* were having *all* the sex the rest of us weren't and we were doing our part to keep the overall average down. :D

[Mom in High Heels]

I never stopped drinking tea during either pregnancy.  I might have gone crazy.  I *need* my tea.  My OB in Germany said Americans are crazy with the whole avoidance thing.  He said we like to scare each other and advised me to eat and drink whatever I liked, even the occasional glass of wine.  When I was having contractions at 27w with Han Solo (not strong enough to warrant meds to stop at that point), he advised me to drink a glass of red wine to help relax the uterus (this is also good during that time of the month, when you're cramping).  

[waa510]

My midwife recommended Red Raspberry Leaf tea once I was about 20-ish weeks as it's great for toning your uterus so your contractions are more efficient during labor. It's an acquired taste, but not horrible. Just a tip for next time. :)

 

Anyway, I'd only be concerned about herbs like sage that can drastically affect your milk supply. I stayed away from caffeine as my girls both were allergic to sleeping as babies and I didn't want to exasterbate the problem. I've had the KellyMom website recommended to me by LLL leaders as well as my former pediatrician. I believe they have a page of which herbs to avoid. I'd say those that aren't on the avoid list are safe, just by default, but you can ask your doctor if you aren't sure.

[lea_lpz]

In my pre-pregnancy days, I was a bit of a tea-fiend. I had at least 3 cups a day and I drank a wide variety of them. I gave up virtually all  of my teas during my pregnancy and had planned to resume tea after I'd given birth, but since I am breastfeeding, it's not quite that easy!

 

 

Oh my goodness.  Until after this first intro I didn't realize she was talking about actual tea but the WTM kind  :lol:

 

Have to share a story though. 

 

So at my older sister's baby shower this weekend my brother in law (my other sisters husband), someone asked me how far along I was into my pregnancy and he over heard the remark 15 weeks.  So a couple second later while I was somewhat distracted he asked, 

 

"15 weeks- no sex?"  

 

I thought he was asking if it had been 15 weeks since I had sex.  

 

I responded, "Well I try.  I mean, when I can you know."  :laugh:

 

He meant did I know the gender yet.  

[blondeviolin]

Jaw-dropping at the thought of teA three times a day! Lol!

[Alicia64]

I realized halfway through that you were talking about actual tea. That changed the whole post. No advice though, just laughing!

 

I had the same reaction!!!

 

Alley

[Hypatia.]

If I had to give up tea (and coffee) while nursing then DS1 would have been an only child.

 

eta:  And you could say the same thing about WTM teA.  

[Guest]

I just have to say that WTM euphemisms make reading posts here endlessly engaging, even if (or especially if) they are NOT meant euphemistically! (I still can't hear a women say she's tearing out all her carpeting and going bare without snorting my tea...) 

[LaxMom]

My midwife recommended Red Raspberry Leaf tea once I was about 20-ish weeks as it's great for toning your uterus so your contractions are more efficient during labor. It's an acquired taste, but not horrible. Just a tip for next time. :)

 

Anyway, I'd only be concerned about herbs like sage that can drastically affect your milk supply. I stayed away from caffeine as my girls both were allergic to sleeping as babies and I didn't want to exasterbate the problem. I've had the KellyMom website recommended to me by LLL leaders as well as my former pediatrician. I believe they have a page of which herbs to avoid. I'd say those that aren't on the avoid list are safe, just by default, but you can ask your doctor if you aren't sure.

I was going to recommend KellyMom, too. And the only herb that I can think of that would be common in non-medicinal herbal teas would be sage, for the potential supply issues. (I don't think it's that common in those, anyway)