We’ll raise our teacups to that! How tea can help relieve morning sickness
If you are one of the estimated 70 to 80% of all pregnant women who experience morning sickness, please know you’re not alone in hugging that toilet bowl. So much for the peachy glow of pregnancy, huh?
Whoever coined the term ‘morning sickness’ seriously has something to answer for. Reality: morning sickness actually equals nausea and often vomiting that can persist at ANY time of day or night.
Symptoms typically peak in the first trimester between weeks 6 and 14 of pregnancy, though it can last longer. Morning sickness varies greatly in severity from person to person and can differ between pregnancies, too.
One of the tricky things about morning sickness is that you have to be careful only to use pregnancy-safe remedies to manage it and chances are, you’ve googled just about everything to try find a quick-fix! From does tea help with pregnancy nausea to how can I calm my morning sickness while pregnant? Yep, morning sickness really does suck big time.
If you’re looking for a gentle option that you can try for yourself, have you considered herbal tea? The good news is that there are plenty of pregnancy-safe teas to drink. Keep reading as we delve deep into the benefits of tea for morning sickness.
Ginger tea
Ginger is probably one of the most widely known and used remedies for morning sickness and nausea in pregnant women. There’s actually some solid research to back up the use of ginger, it’s not just an old wives’ tale! Ginger contains compounds called gingerols and shogaols which promote gastric motility (i.e. food continues past your stomach and is digested instead of coming back up!).
It is safe to use ginger in pregnancy provided that you’re not consuming more than approximately one gram of pure ginger each day. Consuming approximately 2 to 3 mugs of ginger tea, such as Planet Organic’s Ginger Tea, across the day is a safe way to use ginger for morning sickness relief.
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Peppermint tea
Peppermint tea is known for its ability to soothe your tummy, relieving cramping, gas and indigestion. It does this by helping to relax the muscles within your digestive tract.
The soothing qualities of peppermint may also help to relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Simply the aroma of mint can reduce nausea and vomiting episodes.
Combined with its antispasmodic effects, this makes peppermint tea a great option to try when you’re feeling queasy – take a moment to breathe in the aroma as the tea brews (check out Planet Organic’s Peppermint Tea Bags).
Stick to one mug of peppermint tea per day during the first trimester. Consuming large amounts of peppermint has been traditionally associated with promoting menstruation, so keep to a moderate intake.
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Lemon balm tea
Lemon balm is a herb that actually belongs to the mint family, and has similar soothing effects. In addition to supporting digestion, lemon balm has traditionally been used to ease anxiety and promote sleep.
Lemon balm leaves have a mild lemon aroma, which is another reason why this herb is a great choice for morning sickness. Lemon scent may help to ease nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
If you’re not a fan of mint, lemon balm is a great alternative as it has similar benefits but a more gentle, sweet flavour. Stick to around one mug per day during pregnancy. Lemon balm tea isn’t specifically known to be harmful, but during pregnancy it’s best to avoid large doses of herbs.
Planet Organic’s Lemon Balm Organic Herbal Tea, $6.96, buy it here.
Teas during pregnancy
During pregnancy, the best approach to using herbal teas is to use a variety, as this prevents over-dosing on individual herbs (although overall the risk is lower anyway, because you’re only infusing the leaves rather than ingesting the whole plant).
If possible, choosing organically-grown teas can also help to reduce your chemical exposure while you nurture a new life inside.
While you might be feeling under the weather, why not brighten up your tea time with a gorgeous teapot or a teacup and saucer set to make the experience a bit more enjoyable?
T2’S Brooke Sutton Teapot Healing Country, $72, buy it here
Morning sickness really is the pits! But there’s no harm in testing out pregnancy-safe herbal teas and seeing how they sit with your stomach – especially if they can give you some sweet relief from feeling nauseous. Good luck, mama. Here’s hoping for far less trips to the loo for you.
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