Help - I've just had a cup of licorice root tea

[ButterflySally]

Hello

I'm 11+4 weeks. This morning I really fancied a cup of some tea I have (which I have, the past, drunk loads of). It was licorice root blended with peppermint and fennel. It went down really well (I've been having morning sickness and there are certain things which go down 'well' and others that don't).

However, afterwards it occured to me that it's a herbal tea (yes, I know, I'm a bit slow, I should have thought about it before I drank it) so I thought I'd better look it up.

Info on internet says licorice root can be linked to miscarriage as it mimics the role of estrogen in the body.

Now I'm really worried. Do people think a single one-off cup is unlikely to cause any problems??

Highly unlikely - even if it's proven (which it probably isn't) one cup won't contain much anyway. Relax

No!!! I have heard this guff about herbal tea, but there's nothing in the official, medical guidelines to support any theories of harm. There may be a case for avoiding Raspberry Leaf tea in early pregnancy, but that's it.

People who print all this guff on the internet and worry pregnant women for no good reason should be shot!

I've just remembered that I ate LOADS of licorice when pregnant. It was fine!

Thanks for the reassurance, it's good to hear.

I asked the doctor about herbal tea and was told as long as you're not drinking 20 cups of the same tea every day they're fine. Plus I checked on a herbal tea website and their guidelines stated their teas are perfectly safe in pregnancy as they contain such a low dose of herbs, don't think they could claim that if there were likely to be problems.

Oh dear, I've recently taken a fancy for licorice - I had some yesterday AND today! Is normal licorice by the truckload allowed?

Should I not eat the mint Panda bar I was planning to have as a snack when I got home tonight?

[worries]

Good grief you lot, relax and enjoy your pregnancies! There really aren't any foods you can eat that will make you miscarry. Humans are designed to carry babies!

There are bacteria and parasites that might make you ill enough to miscarry (listeria for example). But this very unlikely and there are sensible guidelines from the NHS about what you should avoid.

Hurrah. I was quite upset at the thought of having to forego my minty Panda.

There's so much information out there about what (not) to eat, it's hard to know what to pay attention to. Especially for a first timer, as you have no experience of anything.

Maybe I should just stop reading!

Yes - don't read and don't google

Seriously, you will already have heard about the foods that actually carry any risk, and even then the risk is really quite tiny (stuff like pate, soft boiled eggs etc).

If anything random (like licorice for example) was seriously dangerous believe me you would have had it rammed down your throat by now (excuse the pun). imho there's far too much scaremongering about what you should and shouldn't do as a pregnant woman.

I wouldn't worry. I drink pukka licorice and peppermint tea every night. They even give a breakdown of approved FDA levels of licorice root on their website herewww.pukkaherbs.com/contact-and-social/frequently-asked-questions/. Relax and drink in moderation ☺