I gave up most tea during the first tri because I was so paranoid about miscarriage after IVF etc. but now I am 20 weeks and I have found that the MOST effective thing for my never ending constipation in one oversize mug of hot caffienated earl grey tea every morning. Just like clockwork, it gets everything moving. And this is coming from someone who has tried, prunes, prune juice, metamucil, colace and miralax with just varying degress of success. thank you caffiene and tea!!

Anonymous wrote:My OB says up to 200mg of caffeine a day. A cup of black tea has anywhere between 25-60mg depending on the size of your cup. So totally fine.

This exactly!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about McDonald's $1 sweet iced tea? <serious question> I'm TTC, and I drink a large cup at least 4 times a week. Will I have to give that up if I manage to get pregnant?

I would consider cutting that back regardless of where you are in your TTC process, not because of the caffeine content necessarily, but because it is so high-calorie and nutrition-free. And I think McD's iced tea is *delicious,* so I know where you're coming from. I'd drink it all the time if I could get away with it, but for me, high consumption of sugary drinks is linked to unwanted weight gain. (each large cup of sweet tea is 230 calories, for example, and it's not like the drink keeps me from wanting to eat regular food!)

Anyway, if you're drinking four of the 32-ounce cups a week , that's a gallon's worth of calories and sugar that you'll probably want to steer in the direction of food that has more to offer you in terms of nutritional sustenance -- proteins, vitamins, healthy carbs. Also, during pregnancy you'll have to watch for issues such as gestational diabetes, and consumption of sugary drinks may make that more difficult to control.

I've been craving sugary drinks during my pregnancy and giving in more as the pregnancy progresses. No GD here. I would just cut down the size and contiue to treat yourself. You can't be a martyr about everything.

The main thing with tea is simply that you need to watch your caffeine intake. I've actually swtched from coffee to black tea for the reduced caffeine, even though my dr. says a small cup of coffee every day is fine. I now drink black tea -iced or hot- a few times a week. Just watch your caffeine intake, ie: don't go nuts and drink 5 per day.

Why are you reviving a 4 month old thread to provide an answer that many of the PPs have already provided??

Pulling Down the Moon sells different herbal teas designed for different times of your cycle. I've tried them all except the Pregnancy 1st Trimester formulation. They are loose leaf teas, so you will also need to buy the filters too, or just use a metal/mesh tea ball. They are a little expensive, but I bought them for myself as a treat. Plus, it is an easy alternative to coffee or other caffeinated teas and it is safe and specifically tailored to your needs so you can just sit back and enjoy a hot beverage guilt free. I was strict about the no caff thing when I did my IVFs and this helped me relax and feel a little more in control. I think there is nothing wrong with being cautious and avoiding the caffeine. There are different blends: "Nourish" for general use or cycle prep, "Stimulation Support" for when you are going through a stim cycle, "Hope" for during the 2ww, "Cleanse" after a failed cycle (I've had lots of this), and "Pregnancy 1st trimester" (never been lucky enough to get to this stage). I recommend it. Good luck!

http://shop.pullingdownthemoon.com/store/p/190-ARTeas.html

Yes, there are people out there that insist that you should have no caffeine at all. Crazy. I drank my cup of black tea every morning. If you want to give it up completely, that is up to you. I didnt w/ my fist pregnancy and never had an issue. And the doctor scoffed when I asked - a cup of tea is no big deal.

Actually, red raspberry leaf is probably one of the herbals teas that you can drink safely during pregnancy -- it's supposed to support your uterus health and make labor easier. (It's also prescribed by naturopaths to help with LPD).

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/herbaltea.html

I'd avoid anything with red raspberry leaf ( can cause pre-term labor) or licorice root (can spike blood pressure)

I wonder if some of the fear about herbal teas have to do with the fact that before modern medicine, many of the herbs we now see in teas (dandelion, nettle, chamomile) were also ingredients used as part of those old fashioned abortion cocktails. I know my Filipino great grandmother has told me about all kinds of old fashioned abortion remedies.

There would be no babies in Ireland if tea was a problem!

People please get a grip!!!!! I know that the TTC process has made us all a bit crazy. There is nothing wrong with up to 200mg of caffeine during pregnancy, even in the first trimester. If you want to give it up because you believe it is interfering with gettting pregnant, that is your business. Nothing I have read anywhere or any advice from my doctor or nurse says that you can't have a cup of coffee or tea even after IVF during the TWW.

I know that we all want to believe that we can control this process to the extent that every little change we make is going to make the difference between getting pregnant or not or not miscarrying, but it just isn't true. For those of us that are on this IF road we lose a bit of perspective.

The cup of coffee (and I mean one cup, not the whole pot)or tea or that extra two or three trips up and down the stairs or the orgasm you had in your sleep because of all the hormones pumped into your body isn't going to be the reason why you do or don't get pregnant.

Before everyone jumps down my throat, I'm advocating common sense, not reckless abandon. I wouldn't drink alcohol or go horseback riding for example but really, a cup of tea?

Ask your doctor, not the internet! The internet will drive you crazy

Anonymous wrote:What about McDonald's $1 sweet iced tea? <serious question> I'm TTC, and I drink a large cup at least 4 times a week. Will I have to give that up if I manage to get pregnant?

I would consider cutting that back regardless of where you are in your TTC process, not because of the caffeine content necessarily, but because it is so high-calorie and nutrition-free. And I think McD's iced tea is *delicious,* so I know where you're coming from. I'd drink it all the time if I could get away with it, but for me, high consumption of sugary drinks is linked to unwanted weight gain. (each large cup of sweet tea is 230 calories, for example, and it's not like the drink keeps me from wanting to eat regular food!)

Anyway, if you're drinking four of the 32-ounce cups a week , that's a gallon's worth of calories and sugar that you'll probably want to steer in the direction of food that has more to offer you in terms of nutritional sustenance -- proteins, vitamins, healthy carbs. Also, during pregnancy you'll have to watch for issues such as gestational diabetes, and consumption of sugary drinks may make that more difficult to control.

Anonymous wrote:What about McDonald's $1 sweet iced tea? <serious question> I'm TTC, and I drink a large cup at least 4 times a week. Will I have to give that up if I manage to get pregnant?

It is probably fine since that is more sugar water than tea, but the cup size is so large (if you are talking about a large size McDonald's soda cup) that it probably has more than the 25 mg on a regular size cup of tea from one tea bag. However, if you can't cut it out, it is at least better than getting a soda from McDonalds. Pregnant or not, you might want to rethink this as a dietary choice (and I say this as someone who has an unhealthy relationship to Swedish Fish herself.)