Explore how simple it is to craft your custom prenatal tea blend, whether you intention is to de-stress and relax or build up the nutrients and strength of your prenatal body from now and through labor

I just hit my 16th-week in my pregnancy and it’s time to make my favorite nutritive and soothing prenatal tea blends! I love to make the loose-leaf blends in bulk so I can enjoy from now until the time my baby arrives.

While an array of pre-bagged prenatal teas exist on the shelves of your favorite supermarket, it’s often more cost-effective (long-term) and health-supportive to make your own blends. Many pre-portioned teas sit in bags for months (and we don’t know when they were harvested prior to packaging) so the medicinal quality may be minimal by the time it makes its way into your teacup. Often, teas add “natural flavors” to enhance the taste of the tea to make it’ more appealing—especially if the herbs have lost their potency overtime. Recent findings have revealed that some tea bags have notable concentrations of mold—which is an even greater concern during pregnancy.

By making a tea blend from scratch, you’ll be more certain it’s loaded with nutrients and health and body-supportive benefits, free from any unknowns (as long as you get your bulk herbs from a trusted source).

It you talk to any provider or herbalist, opinions will vary on what herbs are best for pregnancy—and your health provider may disapprove all together. Of course, go with what you’re comfortable with. But do note that herbs have been utilized during pregnancy long before we began birthing in hospitals—and the research-backed benefits of prenatal herbs have been revealed overtime.

WHEN TO START ENJOYING YOUR PRENATAL TEAS

So why 16 weeks? Again, this opinion will vary, but it is important to be more cautious of any remedy or herb you put in your body during the first trimester as the risk of miscarriage is always a bit higher. One amazing prenatal herb (red raspberry) is a uterine tonic and can actually help prepare your uterus for labor and delivery, but because it can a prepotency to aid in strengthening contractions, it’s advised (by some) to hold off on this herb until about the 16^th week. If you want to include a gentle nutritive tea earlier on, herbs such as nettle, oatstraw, alfalfa, and mints are generally safe and loaded with essential minerals and vitamins—and mint can even help with first trimester nausea. However, my aversion are always tricky during first trimester, and a slightly bitter, herbaceous tea has yet to sound appealing until about the 16^th week. Listen to your body, of course.

So let’s talk herbs. There are number of herbs that work well in these blends, but I will also provide some additional pregnancy-safe herbs at the very end that you can play around with substituting or adding based on taste preferences or intention (if you desire). I always find it helpful to understand what I am putting in my body and what’s the benefit—it helps me connect more to the formula and how it’s serving my body and mind. If you’re interested, I’ve provided thorough descriptions (and brief summaries) of the relevant benefits of the herbs included in the formulas defined below if you’re someone that also likes to know how you’re benefiting from these amazing plants.

SIDE-NOTE:

While it’s great to take prenatal to meet your nutrients needs, I love supplementing my supplements with whole herbs as the minerals and vitamins may be more bioavailable and more easily assimilated into the body since they are coming from a wholefood, natural source. When we take supplements, we extract specific elements from whole plants, causing supplements to lose some of the synergistic qualities that whole herbs, and especially herbal formulas provide. The synergic quality works wonderfully with the human body as it’s how nature designed us to co-exist. So take your prenatals, but know you’re getting amazing bonus benefits by including whole herbs in your self-care regimen!

KEY PRENATAL HERBS AND THEIR BENEFITS

RED RASPBERRY LEAF

Red raspberry is abundant in essential nutrients, like manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that helps to protect our cells from free radicals, while vitamin C enhances our overall immune function. You may find B vitamins to be helpful with first-trimester morning sickness and nausea, along with overall energy, but they, along with the other minerals present in red raspberry, can also greatly help with leg cramps that often occur later in pregnancy.

Red raspberry leaf may be one of the most famous prenatal herbs as it supports overall reproductive health and has a direct effect on the uterus, specifically with increasing uterine tone and promoting a healthy and strong uterus through all stages of pregnancy. Having a toned and strong uterus may encourage stronger and more productive contractions during labor, which could shorten your labor as this makes contractions more efficient. And as an added bonus, it’s also been observed to reduce the risk excessive post-partum bleeding, making this such a key prenatal addition!

Summary:

• High in minerals and vitamins
• Immune-protective
• May help with nausea and leg cramps
• Uterine tonic
• May prevent post-partum bleeding

ALFALFA

Alfalfa is another potent nutritive herb, packed full of vitamins and minerals like A, C, E, K, along with calcium, magnesium, and iron. Calcium is helpful in supporting mother and baby’s bone health, and natural occurring iron is great for preventing anemia. As it’s notable rich in Vitamin K (which is important for blood clotting), it makes it possibly helpful in third trimester in reducing postpartum hemorrhage risks

Alfalfas has been observed to act as a gentle detoxifier, mild laxative, and overall digestive support, while also lowering cholesterol in some. More notably, alfalfa supports blood sugar regulation—which may be just what you need to prevent those unfortunate hypoglycemia swings that are so common in pregnancy.

Summary:

• High in minerals and vitamins
• Prevents blood clotting and anemia
• Digestive support
• Blood sugar regulation

NETTLES

Another nutrient-packed herb. Nettles is rich in amino acids, chlorophyll, calcium, magnesium, potassium, silica, iron, and vitamins A, C, E and K. As with alfalfa, the iron is helpful in preventing anemia, and the calcium, magnesium, and potassium support bone health, but also can preventing those unfortunate, obnoxious leg cramps that sometimes comes with pregnancy.

Overall, is high in antioxidants, making it supportive to the immune system and in kicking out inflammation (which we know inflammation to be at the root of many uncomfortable symptoms). It’s a hormone-balancer that’s also been traditionally used by indigenous peoples to help ease postpartum hemorrhage. Nettles strengthens the adrenal glands, helping to improve overall energy levels and provide more resilience through stressful times (like pregnancy!).

Summary:

• High in minerals and vitamins
• May prevent anemia, hemorrhaging, and leg cramps
• Immune support
• Adrenal/stress support

OATSTRAW

Oatstraw is rich in nutrients, like magnesium and B vitamins, that are famous for supporting overall nervous system health. It has calming properties so it may help reduce stress and anxiety, while also nourishing the nervous system, creating more resilience to stressors long-term and regulating overall energy and exhaustion. As this herb promotes relaxation, you may even find it to help get better sleep and overcome insomnia during pregnancy.

It also contains a good amount of calcium and iron, and that in combination with magnesium, supports overall cardiovascular health, bone development, and may prevent leg cramps later in pregnancy. Finally, oatstraw is known to regulate blood flow, having a prepotency to even keep one’s blood pressure in check—another common concern later in pregnancy.

Summary:

• Reduces anxiety and stress
• Promotes restful sleep
• May prevent leg cramps
• Lowers blood pressure

ROSEHIPS

Rosehips has one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C of many herbs available today, along with being quite rich in antioxidants and bioflavonoids. This is a powerful combination when it comes to keeping the immune system strong and fighting off little germs that one may be more vulnerable to during pregnancy. It also is known to encourage collogen production and improve skin elasticity—this may help reduce the occurrence or appearance of stretchmarks that you may be prone to during pregnancy.

Rosehips aids in the absorption of iron from foods and other herbs, so it pairs well with other prenatal herbs mentioned above that may help with anemia. As an added bonus, this herb has a lovely fruity taste, making it an even more appealing herb to add to any prenatal tea!

Summary:

• Potent immune support
• Improves skin elasticity
• May help prevent anemia
• Yummy, fruity taste!

LEMON BALM

Lemon balm has notable effects on both digestion and stress/sleep. Lemon balm gently soothes the digestive system by easing gas, bloating, and other indigestion symptoms common in pregnancy. It also has mild antiviral and antioxidant properties, making it a nice addition to other immune-boosting prenatal herbs mentioned above.

It’s probably most utilized for its calming and mood-enhancing effects: lemon balm aids the nervous system, thus adding in promoting relaxation, reducing anxiety, and improving overall mood and well-being during pregnancy. Because it’s so soothing, it’s also noted to promote better sleep and reduce insomnia—a good herb to keep on hand even as you move into the beginning days of the postpartum period where baby blues and insomnia are also quite common.

Summary:

• Eases digestive symptoms
• Immune-supportive
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Promotes better sleep

CHAMOMILE

I wouldn’t be surprised is you aren’t already familiar with this herb as it’s one of the most famous herbs used for promoting relaxation and improving sleep. Chamomile does have an incredibly calming effect and is one of the most widely used herbs when it comes to supporting better rest, reducing mild cases of anxiety, and increasing resilience to stress.

Lesser known, chamomile also greatly benefits the digestive system. It’s a gentle digestive herb that helps to alleviate bloating and water retention, along with other common digestive complaints. It can also help with nausea early on in pregnancy. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it can be a use addition to treating pregnancy-related inflammation.

Summary:

• Promotes deeper rest and relaxation
• Eases bloating and digestive upset
• Anti-inflammatory

SPEARMINT/PEPPERMINT

Both spearmint and peppermint are widely used in supporting an array of digestive complaints, like bloating, gas, stomach cramps, and even nausea/morning sickness (especially during the first trimester). However, it’s important to note that peppermint may cause or worsen heartburn if that’s a concern in your pregnancy. Spearmint is a bit milder and gentler (in taste and effect) so it’s often the preferred mint in prenatal formulas.

Mints also act as a natural decongestant and may relieve headaches and tension, while also having mild antibacterial and antioxidant properties. It’s an invigorating herb family that wakes up the senses and can improve mental clarity and relieve mental exhaustion. It has a sweet, minty taste enjoyed by most, making it a great addition to any tea blend. It’s also important to note that adding a potent digestive herb to any formula is important for supporting better digestion and assimilation all the formula in general—so don’t skip out on adding mint or another digestive herb!

Summary:

• Eases common digestive complaints
• Helpful with morning sickness
• Natural decongestant
• Invigorating to the mind and senses

THE PRENATAL TEA FORMULAS

Now the fun part! We get to put on our herbalist hat and utilize these herbs in supportive tea formulations to aid our pregnancy journey. You can mix and match herbs that resonate with you and what you’re needing in your unique pregnancy expedience, but I wanted to provide a few formulations that you may enjoy. Try one or, even better, try them both!

Many of the herbs recommended for pregnancy are very nutritive and high in minerals and vitamins that in turn aid various systems in the prenatal body. So the first formula is the Nutritive Prenatal Blend that nicely combines these comprehensive herbs:

Prenatal Nutritive Blend

• Red Raspberry (2 parts)
• Alfalfa (1 part)
• Nettle Leaf (1 part)
• Rosehips (1/2 part)
• Spearmint (1/2 part)

As reducing stress and getting a good night sleep is essential in a healthy (and more comfortable) pregnancy, the second formula includes a nice combination of herbs that support the nervous system in countering stress and promoting better sleep. A number of the herbs also have a supportive effect on easing digestive complaints common in pregnancy:

Worry-free Prenatal Tea

• Lemon balm (1 part)
• Oatstraw (1 part)
• Rosehips (1 part)
• Chamomile (1 part)

MAKING YOUR TEA BLENDS

Making a tea blend is so simple and is almost impossible to mess up—especially when using gentle and safe herbs. All you need is:

• A glass jar (with tightly sealing lid)
• A scoop (a quarter cup and/or tablespoon work great)

I included “parts” with my formulas so you can make any size batch you desire. For the nutritive formula, red raspberry is the “chief” herbs so the formula will be dominate in this herb. When it denotes “2 parts” that simple means you will include twice as much red raspberry as alfalfa and nettle, and four times as much as rosehips and spearmint. It could look something like this:

• ½ cup red raspberry
• ¼ cup nettles
• ¼ cup alfalfa
• 1/8 cup rosehips
• 1/8 cup spearmint

**if your use these measurements, it will make just over 2 cups and will likely fit in a quart jar

For the Worry-free blend, you can add equal parts of the herbs listed or include more or less of the herbs based on intention or taste-preferences. Again, it’s near impossible to mess up. An example formula could look like:

• ½ cup lemon balm
• ½ cup oatstraw
• ½ cup rosehips
• ½ cup chamomile

**this would make about two cups and would fit in a quart jar

After combining the herbs, mix thoroughly and get ready to enjoy! (You can always mix together in a bowl before transferring to the jar)

TO ENJOY YOUR TEAS:

For a single cup of tea, scoop out about a tablespoon of the blend and place in either a metal tea ball, reusable mesh tea bag, or other form of tea strainer. Add about 12 ounces of hot water and let steep for about 5-10 minutes, keeping covered if possible. Enjoy up to 3 cups a day. Sweeten with honey or a good quality sugar, if you desire.

As always, listen to your body. You know you better than anyone else, so if a tea or specific herb isn’t sitting right with you, discontinue drinking it. You can also modify any of these formulas or combine herbs from each to make a soothing nutritive tea blend. Have fun with it and embrace your inner herbalist.

Other safe prenatal herbs that can be used alone or in tea formations:

• Lavender: Helps relieve anxiety, stress, and tension; encourages relaxation and better sleep; may also help reduce headaches and mild aches related to pregnancy.
• Dandelion leaf: Mineral and vitamin rich; gentle detoxifier and supportive to digestive health; mild diuretic properties may help reduce fluid retention and swelling.
• Skullcap: Eases stress, anxiety, nervousness, and muscle tension, and may support better sleep, especially during later stages of pregnancy.
• Lemon verbena: Mild calming effects, helping with anxiety, stress, sleep, and muscle tension; eases digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, and indigestion.
• Red clover: Rich in vitamins and minerals; supports circulatory system, and reduces inflammation; promote hormone balance and can help tone the uterus.
• Fennel seeds: Relieves gas, bloating, and indigestion, along with nausea; contains phytoestrogens, which may support overall hormonal balance.

**because it’s a seed and not a leaf/petal, it has different steeping/decocting recommendations to get the most out of the harder part of the plant, and thus may not blend the best with other herbs mentioned in this article