Organic pregnancy tea is on the rise nowadays. It is a beverage that is an alternative to caffeinated drinks such as tea or coffee. Organic tea is naturally caffeine-free and has all-natural ingredients such as flowers, or leaves.
Caffeine is best avoided during pregnancy due to the high tannin levels that interfere with iron consumption in the body. This can hinder your well-being while pregnant as iron is essential during pregnancy.
Many flavors and blends are available in organic tea. Ranging from honeybush to ginger and raspberry leaf, the options are plenty.
The best part is that there are many benefits of organic pregnancy tea, it is not only soothing but provides many conveniences to you such as helping you fight morning sickness, providing a boost to your immunity, and much more.
However, there are a few setbacks when it comes to consuming organic pregnancy tea. Some of them include:
- Insufficient research on the pros and cons of organic tea
- diarrhea
- chances of miscarriage by untimely usage
- cramping
What Are Cramps?
Cramps are sudden, involuntary contraction or spasms of muscles in a localized area of the body. Cramps are what you would call a sudden tightening of the muscles of any part of the body that causes pain and discomfort.
Cramps are a common problem faced by many people and it can happen due to multiple reasons. Cramps are most common in the legs, shin, and stomach area.
When a cramp occurs, you will have an onset of muscle tightening that is usually painful and feels like someone is jabbing something inside, it will linger on for a minute or a couple of minutes and then fade away. Usually, cramping happens in intervals or could be a one-off thing as well.
Cramping is quite common in women during pregnancy and usually feels like period pain in the beginning.
What Causes Cramping During Pregnancy?
Cramping is a common issue during pregnancy and happens sporadically during different phases of pregnancy. You might feel cramping at every stage during your pregnancy which is usually not a sign of danger as mild cramping does happen.
First Trimester
Cramping is common during the first trimester for several reasons. Some of the more common reasons are:
- Implantation – Implantation happens after the egg is fertilized by the sperm. During implantation, the fertilized egg attaches itself to the lining of the uterus and then starts to grow. During the implantation phase, it is common to have light cramping along with bloating and in some cases, light bleeding.
- Hormonal Changes – During pregnancy, a woman goes through a series of changes, including hormonal changes. The hormones in your body change and increase in order to adjust to the new developments happening inside. A common side effect of these hormonal changes is light cramping.
- Growing Womb – Your womb will start to grow and make other bodily adjustments and that could lead to cramps.
Second Trimester
You might feel cramping during your second trimester due to:
- Growing Uterus – The uterus is constantly expanding along with your growing baby. When the uterus expands, you might feel a cramping feeling inside.
- Round Ligament Pain – Round ligament pain is often the root cause of cramping in this phase. When your body reaches the latter half of pregnancy, your muscles around the pelvis and groin start loosening up in order to prepare the body for delivery. When this happens, you might feel slight cramping.
Third Trimester
Cramping does sporadically occur in the third trimester as well. The reasons are:
- Braxton Hicks – Braxton Hicks are false pains that you will start getting by the 8th month of pregnancy. This is because the body starts preparing you for labor. Braxton Hicks feels like abdominal cramping and usually goes away in a few minutes.
- Labor – The beginning of labor starts off with cramping-like pain that gradually intensifies and turns into labor pains.
Are Cramps Safe During Pregnancy?
Cramps are generally considered safe during pregnancy and nothing to worry about. However, sometimes cramps are also a sign of alarm, usually in the first trimester.
If your cramps are intense and rhythmic, this could be a hazardous sign and you should contact your healthcare provider because sometimes, cramping can be a sign of miscarriage.
Can Raspberry Leaf Tea Cause Cramps During Pregnancy?
Raspberry leaf tea is one of the many organic pregnancy tea blends readily available. Raspberry leaf tea is a great source of antioxidants and nutrients and is usually recommended for use at the end of your pregnancy as it stimulates labor.
It increases blood flow to the uterus strengthens the muscles and gives a boost to contractions which helps in jump-starting labor.
However, raspberry leaf tea, should not be consumed at all during the early phase of your pregnancy as the increase blood flow to the uterus could increase contractions, and cause severe cramping and diarrhea which could lead to miscarriage.
Raspberry leaf tea when consumed in the early phase of pregnancy can cause cramps and other serious issues.
Conclusion
Organic pregnancy teas are a great source of nutrients and are completely naturally derived so they should not pose too many risks. However, like all things, they should be consumed in moderation as overdosage of anything can be harmful to you and the baby.
The other most important thing is that you should be well informed about the different tea blends available and which tea to use when. This is the only important thing you need to know about organic teas, when to drink which one.
For example, raspberry leaf tea should NOT be used in the early stage of pregnancy and should only be consumed at the end when you want to stimulate labor.
If you are unsure about the different teas and can’t figure out which one to drink when, or if you don’t want to keep on switching to different flavors, the best would be to go for ones that you can have throughout your pregnancy, such as rooibos tea or honeybush tea.
Organic teas are great for you and are beneficial, you just have to know the differences and the potential of each.
