Women all over the world regard chamomile tea as the best sleep enhancer and they suggest consuming chamomile tea during pregnancy to have a good night’s sleep.
Etymology
The word chamomile, or camomile, is a derivation of the French and Latin words ‘ground’ and ‘apple’. Chamomile is a flowering plant that is native to Eastern and Southern Europe, Western Asia, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. The plant comes from the family of Asteracaea and looks similar to a daisy, although smaller in size.
Chamomile has been used in herbal remedies from ancient times and has a high regard in all ancient societies. Ancient Egyptians considered it sacred, due to its immense benefits.
Chamomile is full of nutrients that are considered anti-aging, and that is why Egyptian women used to rub the flowers on their skin, to make their skin tight and supple.
Chamomile is full of a naturally occurring alcohol Linalool, which has a light spicy and floral undertone of flavor and smell and is known for its sedative properties and that is why chamomile tea is considered a natural antidepressant.
What Is Chamomile Tea?
Chamomile tea is an organic pregnancy tea and has been used as a herbal remedy to fix sleep deprivation for a long time. It is a naturally caffeine-free tea and has many benefits that can help you, during pregnancy and in other days as well.
Chamomile tea is made from the flowers of the chamomile plant. The flowers are dried and packed while maintaining regulations and getting appropriate approvals and that is why it is safer to have commercially produced chamomile tea during pregnancy, rather than going after fresh chamomile flowers and brewing tea.
Significance of Chamomile Tea in Pregnancy
Chamomile tea has great significance during pregnancy. It is not only a light beverage that will not create digestion problems but it is also a soothing drink that will make you feel better. An Iranian study done a few years ago suggested that women who consumed chamomile tea in the third trimester had quicker labor than women who did not.
The benefits claimed are by women across the world who have used chamomile tea, or by small independent studies done by people or groups. There is still not enough scientific research done to back these claims.
There are many supposed benefits of drinking chamomile tea in the second and especially third trimester.
Benefits
- The compound linalool is a natural sedative that helps induce sleep and curbs sleep deprivation.
- It helps cure anxiety that people develop during pregnancy.
- It stimulates labor.
- Helps with digestion.
- It is naturally caffeine-free.
- It is known to be a natural anti-depressant.
There are many benefits associated with drinking chamomile tea during pregnancy, but you should only consume it in the second, or preferably third trimester and never in the first trimester.
Is It Safe to Drink Chamomile Tea During Pregnancy?
Even though it is relatively safe to have chamomile tea during pregnancy, research does suggest that it may not be viable to consume in the first trimester because of some of the risks that it might pose.
Risks
Some of the risks associated with consuming chamomile tea are:
- It causes preterm labor
- It has led to a higher rate of miscarriages
- It stimulates the uterus
- Can cause circulations problems for the baby
Due to these circumstances, it is best to avoid chamomile tea in the first trimester and even when consuming it in the second or third trimester, it would be beneficial to consume it in moderation, 1-2 cups a day are good enough.
When to Drink Chamomile Tea in Pregnancy?
Due to the nature of the tea and the risks it poses in the first trimester, it is best to avoid drinking chamomile tea in the first trimester of pregnancy. If you are a tea addict, you can go for rooibos tea, ginger tea, or honeybush tea in the first trimester.
Chamomile tea is a safer option to choose during your second and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, in your second trimester, there are many better options to go for such as peppermint tea which actually curbs the second trimester problems.
Anxiety and depression are things that usually hit in the third trimester and that is when chamomile tea comes in use. Sleep deprivation is common in the third trimester and getting enough sleep is equally vital because once the baby arrives, you will forget what sleep even means.
That is why chamomile tea is best for the third trimester of pregnancy as it helps with the needs of the hour.
How to Make Chamomile Tea
A lot of times, trivial knowledge like how to make a cup of tea may seem funny to people because duh, who doesn’t know how to make tea, right? But, did you know that most of the time, you end up not liking certain teas only because you did not brew them correctly or didn’t follow a particular method that should have been followed and thus end up not liking the cup of tea you made?
This is why it is essential to know the correct method of brewing tea to bloom the tea leaves and get a heart-warming cuppa.
It is suggested that you only buy commercially available chamomile tea flowers and not use fresh chamomile flowers to make tea because commercially available ones are usually regulated and are safe for consumption.
You could enjoy chamomile tea in two ways:
Warm Chamomile Tea
To make a cup of chamomile tea, all you need to do is:
- Bring one cup of water to boil
- When it has reached a rolling boil, turn off the heat
- Add a teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers and steep for 8-10 minutes (depending on how light or strong you want your tea)
- When the color has changed, strain the flowers out.
- Additionally, you can add a drizzle of honey if you wish to sweeten your tea.
- Enjoy a nice and warm cup of tea.
Iced Chamomile Tea
To enjoy a cold glass of chamomile tea, all you have to do is:
- Bring 150 ml of water to a boil.
- When it has boiled, turn off the heat and add a teaspoon of chamomile tea flowers and let it steep for about 8-10 minutes.
- Strain the tea flowers out using a tea strainer.
- Let the tea cool down or come to room temperature.
- Once it is cooled, add 100ml of chilled water and ice cubes.
- Enjoy a nice and refreshing glass of iced tea.
Additionally, you can:
- Add honey to sweeten your tea.
- You could also add popping boba to your iced chamomile tea to enhance the flavor.
- Add lemon or raspberry ice cubes to your tea.
Conclusion
Chamomile tea is great to have if you are facing sleep issues and cannot sleep during the third trimester of your pregnancy. Some of the best blends of chamomile tea that are commercially available are Earth Mama Peaceful Tea, Traditional Medicinals Chamomile Tea, Buddhas Tea Chamomile, Numi Organic Chamomile Tea, and Tazo Chamomile Tea.
However, it would be best to avoid chamomile tea early on in your pregnancy.
