Pregnant women often experience bouts of nausea and vomiting, especially during the first trimester. Certain herbal preparations, such as ginger tea during pregnancy, may help relieve the symptoms of morning sickness, but you should talk to your doctor before consuming teas with medicinal properties.
Why Ginger Tea During Pregnancy
Nausea can occur any time of the day due to hormonal changes that occur early in pregnancy. While not all women experience morning sickness, many have bouts of nausea as their bodies adjust to the increased production of hormones. Eating small meals and sipping on fluids, including tea, may help soothe an upset stomach.
Herbal Teas
While herbal teas can provide a source of some nutrients, the FDA encourages caution when consuming these drinks, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Herbal teas come from plant parts such as leaves, flowers, roots, berries, and seeds. The ingredients in some herbal teas can produce a medicinal effect on your body.
Ginger (Zingiber Officinale)
Ginger tea contains the ground root of ginger plants. This plant is native to Asia, where the Chinese have used the roots to treat digestive problems for more than 2,000 years. Ginger contains volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds; elements thought to be responsible for its medicinal properties. As with many medicinal herbs, the safety of consuming ginger during pregnancy is controversial.
Pregnancy Considerations
The University of Maryland Medical Center advises that consuming ginger for short periods, lasting no longer than four days, during pregnancy may be safe and effective for symptoms of nausea. The American Pregnancy Association lists ginger root tea as a possibly safe substance during pregnancy.
Precautions
MedlinePlus reports that concerns exist regarding ginger’s effect on fetal sex hormones and the possibility of an increased risk of miscarriage in pregnant women. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, ginger may alter the effects of both prescription and nonprescription medications, such as aspirin and warfarin. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms of morning sickness, especially if you experience severe vomiting that limits your ability to keep foods and fluids down.
