Herbal Tea When Pregnant or Trying to Conceive: What to Check First

Quick answer: The NHS advises pregnant women not to drink more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day, to avoid teas containing liquorice root, and notes that there is little research on herbal teas in pregnancy. Caffeine should stay under 200 mg a day. “Natural” and “caffeine-free” do not mean pregnancy-safe: the NIH says ashwagandha should be avoided in pregnancy and fenugreek is not safe in pregnancy above food amounts, so we do not recommend our PCOS Glow Tea during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Note on ingredients: this guide covers the four named herbs: cinnamon, shatavari, fenugreek and ashwagandha. The product page also lists “special herbal ingredients” without naming them. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, allergic or taking medicine, ask us for the full ingredient list before you drink it.

Many women with PCOS are trying to conceive, and many switch to herbal tea in the hope it is a gentler choice. It is a sensible instinct, but it needs one important correction: herbal does not automatically mean safe in pregnancy. This guide sets out what the NHS and the US NIH say and how we apply it to our own teas.

What the NHS says about herbal tea and caffeine

The NHS pregnancy guidance says there is not much research on the effects of drinking herbal teas in pregnancy, so it is safest to limit how much you drink. Its specific advice:

What the sources say about the herbs in PCOS Glow Tea

Our PCOS Glow Tea contains four herbs. Here is what authoritative sources say about each in pregnancy, and what we advise.

If you are trying to conceive

PCOS and conception are closely linked: WHO lists PCOS among the leading causes of difficulty conceiving. If you are trying to conceive, our suggestion (this is our advice, not NHS guidance) is to choose herbal products as though you might already be pregnant, and to ask your doctor before using any herb that carries a pregnancy warning. You may not know for a few weeks, and some herbs are best avoided from the start.

“Caffeine-free” is not the same as “pregnancy-safe”

Genuine herbal infusions such as spearmint, chamomile and the herbs in our blend contain no caffeine, which helps you stay under the 200 mg limit. But what is in a tea matters as much as what is not. Caffeine-free tells you nothing about whether the herbs themselves are suitable in pregnancy.

What to ask your midwife or doctor

• Is there any herb on this ingredient list that I should avoid at this stage?

• How many cups a day is reasonable for me?

• I have PCOS and take medicine for it; does that change the answer?

• If I am breastfeeding, is the answer different?

For the full checklist of who should check first before our blend, see who should avoid PCOS Glow Tea, and for the herbs one by one, ashwagandha (asgandh) and fenugreek (methi dana) and PCOS.

Sources

• NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

• NCCIH (US National Institutes of Health): Ashwagandha, usefulness and safety

• NCCIH (US National Institutes of Health): Fenugreek, usefulness and safety

• World Health Organization: Polycystic ovary syndrome fact sheet

• German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): FAQ on coumarin in cinnamon and other foods

More on how we choose and describe sources is on our Editorial Standards page, and our Ingredient Research and Sources page summarizes the herb studies. This article is general information, not medical advice.