Expecting

Caffeine-free is not the same as suitable during pregnancy.

Most people arrive here having been told to cut caffeine, and reasonably assume that any herbal tea is therefore fine. It is not. Several caffeine-free herbs are commonly flagged for caution in pregnancy, and they turn up routinely in ordinary supermarket blends.

This page is how we decide what belongs in this collection. It is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for asking your midwife or doctor.

What the guidance actually says

The NHS advises no more than four cups of herbal tea a day, and to avoid any tea containing liquorice root. Caffeine overall is capped at 200mg a day.

There is no official list of pregnancy-safe herbs. Health authorities publish limits and things to avoid; they do not endorse herbal teas. That is why this collection is called Expecting rather than pregnancy-safe. We can tell you what is in a tea. We cannot tell you it is safe.

What we look for

Rooibos, peppermint, spearmint, ginger, lemon balm, and plain fruit.

What we avoid

  • Liquorice root, which the NHS names outright
  • Hibiscus, lemongrass, moringa and sage
  • Anything contested, including chamomile, raspberry leaf and nettle

What a tea has to meet

  • Every ingredient named. No natural flavours, no unspecified herbal blend
  • Naturally caffeine-free, not decaffeinated
  • No pregnancy or health claim from the maker
  • Certified organic

What is here so far

One tea. Karoo Rooibos is a single-ingredient loose-leaf red bush tea grown in the Cederberg region of South Africa. Rooibos is on the list above, and there is nothing else in the tin.

One tea is not a collection and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The rest of our range is built on moringa, which is on the avoid list, and we would rather show you one tea that meets the standard than a shelf full of teas that do not.

One caveat, on the fourth criterion. The grower describes this tea as organic but does not name a certifying body, and we have not confirmed which one it is. So we are telling you what they told us rather than claiming a certification we have not seen. If that matters to you, treat it as unverified until we can say otherwise.

Where this comes from

NHS guidance on foods to avoid in pregnancy; MotherToBaby (OTIS) on herbal products; the UK Committee on Toxicity statement on raspberry leaf; and the American Pregnancy Association's herbal tea ratings.

Always check with your midwife or doctor about what is right for you.