I love tea!!!… Did I mention this before?! … I really do love tea!
And since I am pregnant I drink it all the time… Redbush (Roibush, Rooibos), Darjeeling, Yogi Tea, Herbal Tea, such as Peppermint, Camomile, Verbena, Hibiscus, Rosehip, Lavender, Thyme, Earl Grey, Green Tea,… I drink it with milk and without, with sugar or lemon but mostly just pure.
I am having a hard time to drink cold water in winter, so tea is a warmly welcomed alternative for me, alhamdulillah.
I love the history behind tea and like the meaningful ceremonies it requires in some cultures.
It is the oldest and most drunken liquid beside water. It is a sign of warmth and hospitality and in some cultures it even is a sacred thing.
I tried to get some more information through internet about the effect of some tea, because I heard that for example Saffron or Blackberry leaves can cause early contractions and black tea or coffee (and even the caffeine in chocolate) can cause a bad or slower growth of the baby.
I am not sure if all of that is true, but I try not to drink more than one or two cups of black tea now and to make sure that all the other liquids I drink are healthy, rich in vitamins, varied and of a good effect.
So do you have any further information about the effect of some tea on pregnant women?
Or do you have some great new tea recipes or can you tell me just some new ideas of other tasteful sorts you like?
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5 January, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Umm Nassim
Assalam Alaikum Itto,
Try mixing some Jasmin tea with “nana”. I use El Babour The au Jasmin. It’s a green tea and you might be able to find it in the souk. It comes in a round black/red tin can (is always fresh, really) and is imported by La Societe Inducaf. I usually put a spoon of Jasmin tea, then the “nana” and sugar. Love it! If you need a picture of the can, tell me. During pregnancy I used to drink red raspberry tea and lemon balm tea.
5 January, 2009 at 6:51 pm
flifla
as salam aleykoum sister
hope u and ur family are well and still to the best of ur eeman
i do like tea especialy our maroccan tea but i try to put less sugar, i do like what we call in arabic dialectal louisa it is verbena
i want to warn u about tea with milk read this article please
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6241139.stm
take care sister
6 January, 2009 at 10:41 am
vala
assalam alaikum……
well at the moment im drinking raspberry leaf tea to prepare for the birth and then ill probably add fennel tea as it helps with milk flow….I love to drink my tea out of a really big wide cup…..and ofourse take some relaxing me time while drinking it….its my excuse to sit down in peace during the day….my husband loves toucha tea and when im not pregnant I drink that as well….
6 January, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Umm Ibrahim
Assalaamu alaikum,
I normally drink English tea with milk, no sugar but pregnancy always puts me off tea. This pregnancy I am having a hard time finding any drink I like.
You gave me the idea to go through hubby’s tea selection and try to find something I like! The Camomile was OK, the apple and cinnamon tasted sour and the apple tea was OK as long as I drank it hot. Lavendar tea sounds nice… wonder if I can find it here. There is a selection of Twinings in the supermarket so I must look to see what to try. I always take tea with no sugar unless it’s Arabic mint tea, in that case I have the obligatory spoonful of sugar!
Have you ever tried sage tea? Not to my taste but I was offered it this week… I think it is popular in the Shami countries.
7 January, 2009 at 12:21 am
Iman
as salaamu `alaykum…
Ah
A kindred spirit 
I LOVE tea too!! I have tea with milk (condensed milk is lovely!) daily – MUST have my fix 
In Pakistan, I simply adore pink tea in winter.
Floral teas are nice too. We should have a tea swap
7 January, 2009 at 4:49 am
Raihanah
assalamu alaiki,
Sage tea, also known as mayramiyah in Arabic is good for after birth, as it relaxes the muscles, including the uterus. As you’ve probably found after giving birth (the 2nd, 3rd, etc) you have more uterus cramping up to a week. Mayramiyah is a must have in those days!
Raspberry leaf tea is supposed to help tone the uterus during pregnancy, but is generally used only at the very end stage. You can make tea with cumin seeds to get contractions started and tea of fenugreek seeds (methi, halabiyya) brings in more foremilk for nursing.
Rooibos is supposed to be generally good for everyone. It is good for teh skin and for people who suffer from eczema.
Green tea without sugar can be taken after meals to kill bacteria in the mouth.
Have you ever seen any of the Chinese flowering teas? They are lovely to look at, though the taste might not be that great. Here in Singapore I’ve heard of a tea called pu-er which is aged for years and years. I’ve never had it, but have seen the cakes of tea in some tea shops.
7 January, 2009 at 5:50 am
brookeakaummbadier
Asalamu Walaikum,
I shipped in a bunch of pregnancy-tea-herbs to Morocco while I was pregnant with #3–I paid more in custom fees than I did for the herbs! How do you get your “stuff?” I only received medical care to take the blood test and then for a sonogram (external!) then I didn’t see anyone until I got back here and found the midwifes who attended.
Anyhoo, I drink Raspberry leaf through out my pregnancies, as well as alfalfa, nettles, dandelion, parsley, mint and with #2 (marsh)mallow. I also drank yellow dock sometimes, but it tastes horrible! To “infuse” it, I would pour boiling water onto the tea in a jar, twist the cap on and then let it seep overnight.
Caffeine has been extensively studied with regards to pregnancy and it is dangerous. All my midwives (and I have had several) brow beat me for too much caffeine intake.It robs YOUR body of calcium and nutrients, so imagine what it does to the developing baby. Drink as little as possible–with two little boys, you are going to be exhausted anyway! Nap with them every chance you get.
Have your heard of the book “Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year”? It is a midwifery standard. The author has kindly posted the info online-
http://www.herbalgardens.com/articles/herbs-for-pregnancy.html
You know nana is lemon verbana? I love how it smells. Does your family put thyme in coffee when someone is sick? I thought that was so, um, unusual, but I researched it when I got home and some alternative practioners believe thyme strengthens the blood. Still, gross in coffee!
Love and Peace
7 January, 2009 at 6:02 pm
always in the kitchen
Oat straw alfalfa and nettle were my favourite pregnancy tea.
Qatstraw for vein health,nettle and alfalfa for iron.Red rasberry stengthens and tones the uterus.It contains calcium.
7 January, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Umm Hibaat
I love tea too! My usual is PG Tips, milk, no sugar! But I love trying out herbal and floral teas. Iman, looking forward to that tea swap!
I absolutely love those little tea cups in your top pic sis. Where did you get them from? I’m thinking, I should get some plain ones and do a bit of glass painting!
10 January, 2009 at 6:29 am
ittosjournal
salam sisters,
and thank you so much for all the good ideas! I would love to have a tea swap with you!
and I will try some of the things you were talking about. Usually I geet my teas from Germany. I tell people to bring when they ask about a gift-idea for me, or I bring it myself; I’ve never been stopped at the airport, alhamdulillah, but probably it was never that much …
the little glasses are from Marrakech, it is at my friend’s home, they are industrial made. but you are right Umm Hibaat, I’ve seen them hand-painted too, I think you could easily do it yourself…
dear “always in the kitchen”, do you have a blog? I would love to visit!
dear sister Iman, what is pink tea?
and dear sister Vala, what is toucha?
masalama, itto
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