Chamomile tea and pregnancy: Is it safe to drink?

The following article includes discussion around miscarriage. We acknowledge that this topic may be difficult. We encourage you to take care of your well-being in reading such a topic as this.

Whether this is your first pregnancy or your fifth, getting a good night’s rest can sometimes be difficult. If you are like many pregnant caregivers, you’ve either tried (or thought about trying) natural remedies such as chamomile tea to help you sleep and hopefully improve your quality of life.

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Chamomile is extremely popular, it has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years and has been described in several ancient civilizations. It’s used as a folk remedy for several conditions including sleeplessness, anxiety, nausea, stomach upset, mouth sores, and some skin conditions. []

With so many people using chamomile during pregnancy, it may seem fairly straightforward to find out whether or not it is safe to use. Unfortunately, like many substances during pregnancy, it isn’t. While chamomile has been shown to be mildly effective at treating some disorders such as nausea, sleeplessness, and anxiety, there hasn’t been enough research to verify its safety during pregnancy.

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Is chamomile tea safe to drink during pregnancy?

Despite its long history, we still don’t know a lot about how safe it is during pregnancy because there aren’t enough scientific studies. For that reason, we believe it’s best to avoid using any herbal or medicinal product such as chamomile during pregnancy until its safety has been well-established through good scientific research.

Some scientific research has shown that chamomile may be beneficial both during and outside of pregnancy. Still, there simply isn’t enough quality evidence that demonstrates it is actually safe for you and your baby. Due to this lack of safety data, governmental agencies in , the United Kingdom, and the recommend avoiding chamomile – especially Roman Chamomile – during pregnancy. [, , , ]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require manufacturers of chamomile to go through the FDA’s rigorous approval process for safety like conventional drugs because it’s considered to be a dietary supplement. Even though chamomile doesn’t have to go through the FDA approval process, many organizations and researchers have tried to evaluate chamomile as a medicinal remedy, and there are some studies that demonstrate good results on its effectiveness and show some potential downsides to it as well. Unfortunately, many of those studies are small and some of them are not done very well.

Because of the limited amount of scientific data, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, through the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, has only stated that little is known about whether it’s safe to use chamomile during pregnancy and has not provided official guidance to assist in the decision-making process.

How much chamomile tea is safe to drink in pregnancy?

Please consult your obstetrician before choosing to take any herbal supplements. Chamomile tea’s safety has not been well-established through good medical evidence.

Is caffeine-free chamomile tea safe during pregnancy?

Unlike black tea and green tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant, pure chamomile tea does not contain any caffeine (sometimes found in Sleepytime ® by Celestial Seasoning). The concern many researchers have with drinking chamomile tea in pregnancy is not caffeine, but the unknown potential for pregnancy outcomes.

If you were to drink black tea or any other product that contains caffeine, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists recommends limiting caffeine to less than 200 mg per day []. That’s about four 8-ounce cups of black tea or one 12-ounce cup of coffee. Just remember, moderation is key!

Benefits of chamomile tea in pregnancy

Although we currently don’t know for sure whether chamomile is safe, researchers continue to explore the safety and effectiveness of chamomile tea during pregnancy. Chamomile may treat a variety of conditions, both during and outside of pregnancy, including:

• Sleep quality. While chamomile may not be effective in treating individuals with insomnia, chamomile may help improve sleep quality in people without insomnia. [] It is common in bedtime teas such as Sleepytime ® by Celestial Seasoning.

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  Relaxation. Symptoms of anxiety may be relieved after 2 – 4 weeks of consuming chamomile. []

• Nausea. Despite the lack of available safety data, the recommends chamomile for the relief of nausea in early pregnancy, “based on a woman’s preferences and available options. []

• Labor. Chamomile has properties that stimulate uterine contractions, and one of the concerns with chamomile is the possibility of preterm delivery. One study from Iran looked at how chamomile may help induce labor if you are past your due date [], but other researchers have not confirmed this.

• Menstrual problems. Outside of pregnancy, taking chamomile can be effective in treating painful and heavy periods. []

Risks of chamomile tea in pregnancy

Before taking any medication or supplement, it’s important to know precisely what you are consuming, especially when it comes to chamomile tea. Sometimes botanical products are sold with additional ingredients that may not be prominently labeled on the packaging.

There are some general risks of chamomile tea that you should be aware of, even outside of pregnancy. These risks include:

Blood thinning impact.

Certain anticoagulants or blood thinners could be made worse when taken along with chamomile. Fortunately, the offending medication (warfarin) is not used during pregnancy.

Sedation.

Because of the relaxing effect of chamomile, it can interact with other substances such as alcohol and benzodiazepines to cause excess sedation. However, note that alcohol and/or benzodiazepine use is generally not recommended during pregnancy. Consult with your medical provider if you have concerns.

Preterm birth and small babies.

Chamomile use during the third trimester was reported in one study [] to be associated with a higher incidence of preterm birth, shorter newborns, and low birth weight compared with non-users.

Allergic reaction.

Some people may have an allergic reaction to chamomile, and that risk may be higher in those with hay fever and bronchial asthma caused by a variety of pollens from grass, olive, and mugwort. Symptoms of an allergic reaction could include rash, red eye, difficulty breathing, or swelling. [] These reactions can happen both during and outside of pregnancy – but you should be extra careful to avoid any allergic reaction during pregnancy.

Miscarriage?

Some folk remedies claim that chamomile may cause you to have a menstrual period or that it may cause you to have a miscarriage. This myth has unfortunately carried over into the medical literature and confused the issue amongst patients and practitioners alike. For example, in 2010 a survey done in Italy associated chamomile with threatened miscarriages []. The problem is that this was a survey given to new parent’s a few days after delivering a live baby, and the threatened miscarriages were not miscarriages at all.

So while there is some evidence to show chamomile may stimulate the pregnant uterus in the third-trimester [], we could find no scientific evidence to show chamomile will actually cause an early miscarriage or abortion.

Alternatives to chamomile tea

If you are struggling with morning sickness, consider these safe alternatives from the :

• Eat dry toast or crackers in the morning before you get out of bed to avoid moving around on an empty stomach (having it on your bedside table helps!).

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  Eat five or six “mini meals” a day to ensure that your stomach is never empty.

• Eat frequent bites of foods like nuts, fruits, or crackers.

• is safe and effective for helping with morning sickness.

• Vitamin B6 is a safe, over-the-counter treatment that may be tried first for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

• Doxylamine, a medication found in over-the-counter sleep aids, can be added if Vitamin B6 alone does not relieve symptoms.

Healthy and safe sleep tips to consider

If you are pregnant and experiencing difficulties with sleep, we recommend you speak with your obstetric provider and consider the following tips:

• Follow a consistent pre-bed routine.

• Create a relaxing environment (keep the bedroom dark and cool and consider white noise).

• Try to avoid blue light from electronics before bedtime.

• Avoid chemicals that interfere with sleep (caffeine, sugar, and alcohol).

• Avoid taking as it is not known whether or not it is harmful to fetal development.

• Aim for a consistent bedtime and wake-up time within the same thirty-minute window in order to help regulate your internal clock.

Takeaway

• Chamomile is a botanical herb that has been used for its medicinal purposes for thousands of years and has been shown to help in relieving some symptoms of sleeplessness, anxiety, upset stomach, nausea, and skin conditions.

• Despite its long history, there aren’t enough scientific studies about chamomile during pregnancy. For that reason, we believe it’s best to avoid using any herbal or medicinal product such as chamomile during pregnancy until its safety has been well-established through good scientific research.

• If you are pregnant and experiencing difficulties with sleep, we recommend you speak with your obstetric provider and consider these .

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