Looking for pregnancy friendly drinks to cool down this summer? Are you wondering what to drink during pregnancy besides water? Drinking herbal tea during pregnancy is healthy, caffeine-free, safe drink alternative. But who wants to drink hot tea when it’s hot outside? This homemadered raspberry leaf pregnancy iced tea recipe is perfect for cooling down this summer.
Many teas are safe to drink during pregnancy, including black tea, green tea, herbal tea and rooibos tea. Drinking herbal tea during pregnancy is a smart alternative because it is caffeine free AND filled with nutrients you need to grow a healthy baby. Read the post – 5 Herbal Teas You Should Be Drinking During Pregnancy (and Postpartum), to learn the benefits of drinking herbal tea during pregnancy and which teas are best to drink.
This pregnancy iced tea recipe features:
- Red raspberry leaf
- Nettle leaf
- Dandelion
- Peppermint
- Hibiscus
All of these herbal teas have specific benefits during pregnancy. Not only are they mineral rich, but they can also help to ease undesirable pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, leg cramps and swelling.
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Is it safe to drink tea during pregnancy?
The general answer is yes. But there are a few things to think about when drinking tea during pregnancy.
Look for teas that are low in caffeine or caffeine free. The recommended amount of caffeine per day when pregnant is no more than 200 g. To put this in perspective, that’s about 1 – 16 oz cup of coffee per day. A cup of black tea is only 30 mg of caffeine.
This pregnancy iced tea recipe is caffeine free.
Also make sure that you are buying quality herbal teas. Organic is not necessary, but does ensure a level of quality worth considering. The brands I trust are linked below.
Related:5 Herbal Teas You Should Be Drinking During Pregnancy (and Postpartum)
Want to learn how to get the best nutrition for you and your baby? Check out this online pregnancy course that will help eliminate the confusion about what to eat to optimize your pregnancy diet!
Why red raspberry leaf during pregnancy?
Red raspberry leaf (RRL) has an amazing history and been used for thousands of years by women for fertility, during pregnancy, during postpartum and for general reproductive health. It is commonly recommended by midwives and herbalist to help prepare the body for childbirth.
Learn more about the amazing benefits of raspberry leaf tea which includes some Moms actual labor outcomes with drinking RRL during pregnancy.
Here are just a few of the benefits of drinking red raspberry leaf during pregnancy:
- Contains a high amount of vitamin C, E, A and B complex, as well as, calcium and iron.
- Tones the uterus
- Prepares the pelvic region for birth
- Helps the cervix to soften
- Relaxes uterine muscles
Many moms looking for foods to induce labor often turn to red raspberry leaf. While research hasn’t shown that red raspberry leaf can shorten or ease labor, it also has not found any adverse effects either. So, RRL is generally considered safe to drink during pregnancy.
You will find pregnancy tea blends online and in your local grocery all featuring red raspberry leaf. I personally loved both the Earth Mama brand third trimester pregnancy tea and the Traditional Medicinals brand pregnancy tea blend.
But one thing I noticed is that the red raspberry leaf contained in 1 bag of Pregnancy Tea is low compared to what you get if you drink a cup of straight red raspberry leaf.
Have a look below.
One bag of Traditional Medicinal Red Raspberry Leaf tea contains 1500 mg of RRL, while 1 bag of Pregnancy Tea contains only 350 mg of RRL. That’s a big difference!
When you make you own homemade pregnancy tea recipe you can control how much red raspberry leaf to include so that you (and baby) can get greater benefits per cup.
The Benefits of Nettle Leaf during Pregnancy
Most pregnancy tea recipes and blends also include nettle leaf another beneficial herb for expecting moms.
Reasons to drink nettle tea during pregnancy:
- High in calcium, vitamins A, C, D and K, as well as, potassium, phosphorus, iron and sulfur
- Aids in kidney function
- Helps ease leg cramps
- Has more chlorophyll than any other herb
There is some information online that says that nettle is not safe during pregnancy. This is because the roots are thought to be harmful during pregnancy. When purchasing nettle tea make sure that in the ingredients it says “nettle leaf” to ensure that you are getting a pregnancy safe tea.
Is hibiscus tea safe during pregnancy?
This pregnancy iced tea recipe includes hibiscus. There is a lot of conflicting information online in regards to the safety of drinking hibiscus tea during pregnancy. Some information suggests that hibiscus should be totally avoided during pregnancy. Yet there are many pregnancy tea recipes that include hibiscus.
From reading the research, my conclusion is that taking hibiscus in a concentrated supplement form may be harmful during pregnancy. It would be almost impossible to drink the amount of tea equal to the amount found in a concentrated pill form. Also many of the studies were done on animals not people, so its hard to draw conclusive conclusions.
If you drank hibiscus without knowing the risks and are freaking out right now, DON’T! I personally drank hibiscus tea during my pregnancies, including the 1st trimester. During my second pregnancy, I specifically used it to help reduce my morning sickness. Honestly, I had never heard that it might have a negative effect until after having all 4 of my babies. I am grateful that I had mostly healthy, low-risk pregnancies and 4 very healthy babies.
There are many benefits to drinking hibiscus tea. Hibiscus has a high amount of vitamin C, helps with urinary and kidney function, and is a natural antidepressant.
That said, if you are concerned about the safety of drinking hibiscus follow these tips:
- Err on the conservative side and start drinking this tea in the 2nd trimester.
- If making this tea in early pregnancy, simply leave the hibiscus out.
- Drink no more that 2 or 3 – 8 oz cup per day
The research is really sparse on the actual effects of specific herbs on pregnancy. Read the section on Herbal Resources below for more tips on how to research this topic for yourself.As with many things in pregnancy, do your own research, listen to your body and consult your care provider.
Related:Tips to Relieve Morning Sickness Naturally
What you need to make Pregnancy Red Raspberry Leaf Iced Tea
This pregnancy iced tea recipe is fairly simple. You will need:
- A Gallon jug, pitcher or beverage dispenser – I’ve used all three, but prefer the beverage dispenser. This glass mason jar beverage dispenser is one of my favorite kitchen accessories!
- 1 qt pyrex measuring cup or tea pot
- Large spoon + tablespoon
- Tea strainer/infuser
You may use tea bags or loose leaf tea for this recipe. I use a combination of both. Here are the brands I like:
This recipe makes 1 gallon ofpregnancy iced tea.
First bring bring 4 cups (1 qt) of water to a boil.
Measure out loose tea into tea strainer. Place the strainer and tea bags into tea pot, or large Pyrex measuring cup.
Fill with hot water and steep for 10 – 30 minutes. The longer you steep the better your pregnancy tea will be.
Remove tea bags and strain loose tea. Then mix in honey and/or lemon juice.
Pour the tea into a 1 gallon beverage dispenser, glass pitcher or jug. Add additional cold water until filled and give it a stir.
Chill, serve and enjoy!
Related: More iced tea recipes for you to enjoy
Iced Raspberry Leaf Tea Recipe
Yield: 1 gallon
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Iced red raspberry leaf tea recipe for pregnancy and postpartum with nettle, peppermint, dandelion and hibiscus .
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp or 3 tea bags of Red raspberry leaf
- 2 tbsp or 2 tea bags of Nettle leaf
- 2 bags of Dandelion tea
- 2 bags of Peppermint tea
- 1 tbsp or 1 tea bag of Hibiscus tea
- Fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 2-3 tbsp honey (optional)
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups (1 qt) of water to a boil.
- Measure out loose tea into tea strainer. Place strainer and tea bags into tea pot or large Pyrex measuring cup.
- Fill with hot water and steep for 10 - 30 minutes.
- Remove tea bags and strainer.
- Mix in honey and/or lemon juice.
- Pour into 1 gallon beverage dispenser, glass pitcher or jug. Add additional cold water until filled and give it a stir.
- Chill, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 40Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 0g
How to make this a Labor Tea
Drinking red raspberry leaf before labor is thought to help ease labor pain and help have a faster labor. I personally drank RRL tea before and during labor with my babies. I had 4 natural births and very quick “active” labor stages. Meaning that once things got going, it was ON. I averaged less that 4 hours of intense contractions with all my births.
When I was pregnant with my 3rd, I read a birth story about a mom of 7 who swore by drinking a really strong “labor tea” when contractions started. The secret method she used was to steep the RRL tea overnight.
I tried this method and agree it helps! My 3rd and 4th labors were faster that my first 2. Now A LOT of factors can go into how fast you labor. So I’m not just saying that it’s the labor tea! But it was one of the factors that helped me.
To make this recipe a labor tea:
- Steep both the red raspberry leaf and nettle leaf overnight in 2 cups of water. This can be done with cold or hot water. I personally use cold for overnight herbal infusions.
- In the morning strain the concentrate and combine with the above recipe. Or drink straight.
- Drink this when you think labor is coming on and once labor starts.
Get the full recipe for labor inducing tea here.
This would make a great drink to take along to the birth center or hospital for extra hydration.
Recipe Adaption for Postpartum and Breastfeeding
This iced tea recipe is also a great drink for postpartum and breastfeeding with one adaption. Red raspberry leaf and nettle can help reduce afterbirth pains and help with establishing your milk supply. Dandelion and hibiscus are also considered generally safe for mom and baby after birth.
However, if you are making this tea while breastfeeding make sure to leave out the the peppermint tea as it can decrease milk supply for some moms. Substitute the peppermint for hibiscus instead.
Related –5 Surprising Foods to Avoid for Successful Breastfeeding
Helpful Herbal Resources for Pregnant Moms
If you are looking to learn more about how to safely use herbs during pregnancy I would recommend these 3 resources:
- The book Wise Woman for the Childbearing Yearis one of my favorite resources for herbal information during pregnancy and postpartum. The book goes through each stage of the journey of becoming a mother and recommends the best herbs to use and avoid during each period.
- I recently discoverBotanical Medicine for Women’s Health written by experienced herbalist, midwife, and physician Aviva Romm. It is a comprehensive guide to understanding the risks and benefits at every stage of life and takes a very balanced approach to what herbs to use.
- The site the Happy Herbal Home is another great resource for moms who want to learn more about herbs. This post on using herbs safely during pregnancy is a good place to start.
More from Birth Eat Love on Healthy Pregnancy
- Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (start here!)
- How to Start a Healthy Pregnancy Routine
- 11 Mistakes that might be making your pregnancy uncomfortable
- Tips to Relieve Morning Sickness Naturally
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