Hot drinks

[lilygirl81]

I'm in the very early days of my pregnancy (4+4 I think), but looking for advice having got myself worried thanks to google.

I used to drink a huge amount of coffee every day, when we started TTC I replaced most of it with various herbal teas.

Now I've got my BFP, I have been drinking ginger, ginger and lemon, or peppermint tea, but found an article suggesting all of these were bad! Has anyone any advice, I really do need my hot drinks to get through the day, and the ginger ones are helping with my nausea. I probably have between 5 & 6 cups a day, and vary between them all.

[clarabellski]

I've never heard of that advice but suspect it is the same as every other bit of advice on food & drink which is largely based on the fact that no one really knows the exact effect of something, so they just say abstain!

Have you ever tried decaf?

I genuinely can't tell the difference between normal tea and decaf tea (have tried tetley and twinings). Coffee is a bit more noticeable but not that much. Taylors of Harrogate do a nice ground decaf, and Clipper do a nice instant decaf.

My colleagues swear they can tell the difference but one of these days I'm going to fill the percolator with decaf without telling anyone and see if they really do!

Also, as we're coming into winter, hot water with lemon & honey or hot water with fruit squash is quite comforting? Also miso soup?

C

[queenrollo]

I am a total tea addict! When I was pregnant I drank about the same amount as you and rotated between Earl Gray in the morning (no caffeine in the am gives me a blinding headache), then Rooibos (takes a little while to get used to the flavour) and Pukka Three Ginger tea or rosehip tea.

I've never been aware of any reason not to drink them? My friend is a medical herblaist and she would have told me to stop if it was a problem. The only thing she told me to avoid was raspberry leaf tea until the end of the last trimester.

Toddler is now nearly 3 and seems to have suffered no ill effects (though is partial to ginger biscuits)

[VagueIdeas]

Post the article, I'll bet it's woo and nonsense

[goodnightdarthvader1]

Absolute nonsense. I'm motoring through peppermint tea at the moment. Nothing will hurt you except more than (I think) 3 cups of coffee a day. 200mg is the acceptable caffeine limit.

[teamrigby]

I just made the switch to decaf tea :)

[lilygirl81]

Thanks all. The article was www.babycenter.com/0_herbal-teas-during-pregnancy_3537.bc

I'm not a fan of decaf coffee, though do have rooibos tea which I quite like.

[goodnightdarthvader1]

That article seems really vague. The only one I know you have to be careful with is Raspberry Leaf Tea, due to it (supposedly) helping to induce labour.

[lilygirl81]

Great news, I thought it was probably fairly rubbish, but terrified of doing the wrong thing in an attempt to be good!

[ffauxlivia]

My midwife told me no herbal teas, as did the bumpf I got from the doctors (in the US at the mo).

However I did my own research and decided their advice was overkill (they also said no soft cheese ever including feta/mozarella etc which is rubbish!), so I have been drinking them! I think it's more that there is no proof they are safe, rather than proof they are dangerous - but anecdotally many pregnant women drink them

I did read something which said try and alternate them so you don't drink lots of the same one every day so that's what I've been doing, but I think like anything it's all fine in moderation. I also second decaf tea (Clipper organic decaf and Yorkshire decaf are both tasty - Clipper uses no chemicals in decaf process) and weak Earl Grey tea.

[April2013]

I also have been addicted to lemon and ginger tea but from same article have swapped to decaf tea, I also tried making my own honey, lemon and ginger mix with hot water occasionally (a lot of hassle when you are feeling rough). All lemon and ginger tea you buy seems to have a load of other herbs that when you Google sound to be potentially dodgy. I have also heard it is best to avoid having too much of 1 thing so I'm only having about 3-4 decaf teas a day (but that's probably me being over the top), but I'd imagine ginger should be fairly safe since women have traditionally eaten loads of it to deal with morning sickness and decaf tea is drunk by so many pregnant women it must be pretty safe. I think if there was a known issue with herbal teas the NHS would be telling us to avoid them, it is one of those grey areas where not enough is known but any risk is probably fairly low so I wouldn't worry too much - just consider an alternative. I also found hot blackcurrant high juice pretty good.

[amysmummy12345]

If only I could stomach tea... Gone right off it 😞

[MrsCrimshaw]

amysmummy me too. I used to drink it all day long, now I really can't stand it! All hot drinks make my temperature go haywire too, so I just avoid them.

Have to say though, a couple of slices of fresh ginger in hot water is a nice alternative to tea :)

[mrsmugoo]

Since when has lemon and ginger tea not been recommended in pregnancy?! Honestly.

[lilygirl81]

mrsmugoo I know, that's what confused me!

[Mermaid36]

I've gone off my tea as well (its always been decaf anyway)...I'm drinking lots of hot Vimto and Ribena instead....

[amysmummy12345]

I can only stomach hot chocolate 🍫

[queenrollo]

I get really annoyed by articles that mention studies which they neither name or link to.

[brokencrayons]

If in doubt drink hot choc that's probably why I've gained so much ...

[amysmummy12345]

Haha brokencrayons it has to have squirty cream and sprinkles... And marshmallows 😉

[lilygirl81]

I've discovered malteasers hot chocolate, which is lovely, and DH is making me a cup every evening. He also makes me fresh ginger tea in the morning which has been lovely, and I'm alternating between ginger, ginger & lemon, Rooibos and peppermint tea at work.