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Beverage and nutri ve teas that are known to be safe in moderate amounts (i.e., red raspberry, spearmint, chamomile, lemon balm, ne les, rose hips) can be considered reasonable for regular use in pregnancy. Using normal amounts of cooking spices is considered safe as well. There are a number of herbs, whose cons tuents (chemical composi on) are mostly gentle, nutri ous substances such as carbohydrates vitamins, and minerals and which can be used safely in pregnancy as basic daily tonics, for example, ne les (Ur ca Dioica), milky oats (Avena Sa va), and red raspberry leaf (Rubus Idaeus). Several herbs have also been scien fically proven to be safe during pregnancy. These are presented in the first chart, below. An herbalist, midwife, or naturopathic or integra ve physician trained in the use of botanicals during pregnancy should be consulted when using herbs medically – that is, to treat a specific symptom or medical condi on beyond those described in this ar cle. In addi on to common pregnancy symptoms, when we're pregnant and nursing we also get the same run of the mill mild illnesses everyone else gets – colds, indiges on, headache, etc., for which herbs can be helpful and even safer than OTC meds. Many of these problems can be addressed safely and gently with mild herbs such as Echinacea, ginger, or chamomile respec vely. The following chart provides an overview of a number of herbs that have been demonstrated to be safe for use during pregnancy through clinical trials or scien fic evalua on of safety. Herbs Considered Safe in Pregnancy Common Name Botanical Name Reason for Use Clinical Trials in Pregnancy Typical Daily Dose Comments Red Raspberry Leaf Rubus idaeus Mineral rich nutritive tonic, uterine tonic to promote an expedient labor with minimal bleeding. Can also be used as an astringent in diarrhea Positive 1.5-5 g/ day in tea or infusion Highly astringent herbs can theoretically interfere with intestinal nutrient absorption Echinacea Echinacea spp Reduce duration recurrence of colds and URI Positive 5-20 mL tincture The dose listed here and considered safe by herbalists is higher than that used the study by Gallo et al Ginger Zingiber officinalis Anti-nauseant, anti-emet- ic for NVP, hyperemesis gravidarum, and generally nausea Positive Up to 1g dried powder/ day Higher doses of ginger are traditionally considered emmenagogic Untreated hyperemesis gravidarum in pregnancy can cause serious adverse outcomes Abby's Magazine - Volume 5 Issue 5 | Page 39