NORA Pregnancy Tea

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NORA Tea — A Nourishing Tea for Pregnancy and Lactation

NORA Tea is an important part of your Prenatal Care, because it is very nourishing, especially for the Pregnant or Nursing Mama. It stimulates your system to optimal health, optimizes mineral absorption, guards against anemia’s and maximizes the health of the liver, thereby helping to prevent many common pregnancy complaints, or minimize them. In my experience it prevents possible complications during the birth by helping to promote proper contractibility of the uterus, release of the placenta and by doing so it prevents hemorrhage and because of the health of the tissues, it reduces tears and the degree of them. After your baby is born, it will help your milk come in quickly, and the amount of production to stabilize. Also, it will help reduce the amount of time that you have a lochia flow postpartum.

NORA Tea consists of four ingredients: Nettles, Oat Straw, Raspberry Leaf, & Alfalfa. Begin to drink NORA Tea after the 16th week of pregnancy. Try to drink a quart daily, since then it will become a daily habit to prepare the tea. If you find it difficult to drink it daily, it is important to drink it at least 4 times a week, or half the quart daily.

Blend the herbs:

Mix 2 parts (8 oz.) Raspberry Leaf and Nettles to 1 part (4 oz.) Alfalfa and Oat Straw. Mix well and place in a ziplock baggie. A large plastic Rubbermaid type container works well for mixing it. You can also add either Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemon Balm, or Rose Hips (a slightly tangy taste) for flavor. Buy small amounts at a health food store, in order to try them.

Prepare the tea:

(In the Evening) Place a half an inch of herb in the bottom of a quart size canning jar (a handful or two). Experiment with the amount of herb and strength of the taste to find what works for you. But please make sure there is at least approximately 1⁄2 an inch in the jar. Fill the jar to 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 of an inch from the top with boiling water. Stir the herbs down into the water so that they are all wet and mixed in and not floating. Cover the jar with a lid or small plate to retain the essential oils and let sit overnight. In the morning, strain using a small mesh strainer into another canning jar and your “tea” (technically an infusion, a concentrated tea) is now ready. Since this is a highly nutritious drink it is also strongly flavored. Some women love it and cannot get enough of it!! Some tolerate it and others have a difficult time. These suggestions are offered to help you maximize the amount you do drink. Feel free to experiment, so that you are sure to drink it frequently

To use:
Add some of the flavorful herbs listed above to make the flavor more enjoyable.
Add ice.
Add Honey, blackstrap molasses (source of iron), molasses, sorghum, or maple syrup to sweeten.
Blend 50:50 (or desired ratio) with fruit juice.
Add a squeeze of lemon, or lime, especially nice with Lemon Balm.
Cut with water (50:50 or desired ratio) to reduce strength of flavor.
Blend 50:50 (or desired ratio) with another herbal tea.

Please do NOT use artificial sweeteners in this tea.

(My favorite blend includes rosehips and lemon balm, and I like to mix it with lemonade over ice.)

Throughout this post I have linked to my trusted herbal sources for dried bulk herbs. I recommend buying in bulk (8-16oz) for the main herbs considering you will go through a lot of this tea if you drink it throughout your second and third trimesters, and into postpartum… but if you prefer buying in smaller quantities then you can purchase through Rosemary’s Garden. For the flavoring herbs I linked to smaller quantities (about 4 oz per herb).

*Here is a link to some handy large glass storage containers for your bulk herbs and teas.

During the postpartum period, I like to also add echinacea leaf to this mix in order to help ward off infections and mastitis during that sensitive time. During postpartum you should NOT use spearmint/peppermint as they may reduce milk supply.

Herbal info:

Nettles:

Scientific Name: Urtica Dioica

Active Ingredients: Histamine, Tannin, Saponins, AcetylcholineFormic Acid, Sterols, Chlorophyll, Glucoquinine, Serotonin, Iron, & Vitamin A, C, D and K in an easily absorbable form, very high in minerals, including silicon.

Actions: Astringent, diuretic, nutritive, detoxifier, galactagogue, decongestant, hypoglycemic & tonic.

Astringent means it reduces discharges. Galactagogue means it supports the production of breast milk.

Nettles are one of the most widely applicable plants we have. They strengthens and support the whole body. This is one of the most powerful plants we have to deal with allergic rhinitis, or more commonly known as pollen allergy or hay fever. Studies are also showing that it has a broad range anti-inflammatory usage, so is useful with migraines, arthritis, lupus pain etc. It is an extremely nutritive plant, high in vitamins and minerals, particularly iron, silica and potassium, and is showing broad antifungal effects as well. Through its diuretic effect it promotes detoxification and works to prevent bladder infections. It also strengthens the kidneys and adrenals, an important function during pregnancy with their increased work load. The readily assimilated high calcium content helps to diminish muscle pain in all areas of the body during pregnancy including the legs, round ligaments, cervix, back and also during labor as well. With its high Vitamin K content, it also is proactive in preventing excessive bleeding after the birth. Because it strengthens the blood vessels and maintains arterial elasticity it helps prevent hemorrhoids and varicose veins, because of this, it also helps to maintain a normal blood pressure. After the birth, it helps in the production of breast milk making it nutrient rich for the newborn. It has also been said to reduce postpartum hair loss.

Oat Straw:

Scientific Name: Avena Sativa

Active Ingredients: 50% starch, proteins, alkaloids, saponins, flavones, sterols, Vitamin B, silica, & calcium, magnesium, silicon, potassium, & iron.

Actions: Nervine tonic, anti-depressant, nutritive, demulcent, vulnerary.

Demulcent means soothes irritated tissue, and Vulnerary means aids in healing of wounds.

Oats is one of the best remedies for “feeding” the nervous system. It is useful for exhaustion and depression; it strengthens the whole nervous system, making it a preventative and protective herb to enhance your ability to cope with stress.

While being stimulating and energy-giving, they are also relaxing and an aid to sleep. Oats is also a uterine tonic, and works on strengthening the thyroid and balancing hormone production. It can be helpful for high blood pressure, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. It is also a soother for the digestive tract. It also lowers blood sugar and is useful for fluid retention.

It is one of the best sources for magnesium, helping irritability and calcium absorption.

Raspberry Leaf:

Scientific Name: Rubus idaeus

Active Ingredients: volatile oils, pectin, citric acid, malic acid, tannin, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, & zinc, Vitamin A, B, C & E. Has the highest known herbal source of manganese.

Actions: Astringent, tonic, toning, pelvic and uterine relaxant.

Raspberry leaves have a long tradition of use in pregnancy to strengthen and tone the tissue of the womb, assisting contractions and preventing excessive bleeding. Raspberry also tones the mucous membranes through out the body; soothe the kidneys and urinary tract, and preventing excessive bleeding after the birth. Raspberry works on the digestive tract, stabilizing it. It continues its good benefits after birth by working to help milk production and recovery.

The tonic and relaxant actions on the smooth muscles of the uterus act to reduce the pain of uterine contractions during childbirth and makes them more effective and productive, shortening the duration of labor.

Currently there is some controversy surrounding the use of Raspberry leaf during pregnancy, which is unfortunate since it use has been associated with pregnancy and birth since ancient times according to their writings. The concern is early miscarriage. For this reason, it is recommended to use NORA tea after 16 weeks of gestation. I sincerely hope this controversy is settled quickly, so that women can again enjoy Raspberry’s wonderful help in dealing with the nausea of pregnancy, with out concern for their growing baby.

Alfalfa:

Scientific Name: Medicago sativa

Active Ingredients: Vitamin K, iron, chlorophyll, Vitamin A, B-6, E, D, & K, beta-carotene, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fatty acids, saponins, high in copper.

Actions: bitter, general tonic, alterative, diuretic

Alfalfa has a history going back to ancient times, cherished for its nourishing abilities for people and their animals. It has a deep tap root and grows in rich soils, making it very rich in trace minerals that it pulls up from deep below the surface. It purifies the blood, and is a powerful tonic. It balances the blood sugar preventing the swings of hypoglycemia common in pregnancy. It soothes the digestive tract, and contains the digestive enzyme betaine, and the saponins balance the intestinal flora.

Peppermint: 

(Mentha piperita)

Soothes the digestive system, and circulatory system and relaxes the nervous system.

NOTE: Discontinue usage of Peppermint after you give birth as it is a lactation suppressant.

Spearmint: 

(Mentha Spicata)

Same usages as Peppermint, it is a different species in a plant family.

Lemon Balm: 

(Melissa Officinalis)

Soothes the digestive system, reduces stress, and has a tonic effect on the heart and circulatory system. Traditionally it has been used to bring the afterbirth. Combats allergies.

NOTE: Using large amounts of Balm may inhibit the body’s utilization of Thyroid hormones. Added as a flavoring to NORA tea, I feel is a safe usage of the herb, and not a “large amount”, which would mean 12+ cups daily.

Rose Hips: 

(Rosa canina)

Nutritive, one of the best natural sources of Vitamin C we know of. Excellent tonic, aids the gall-bladder, kidneys and bladder. Strengthens connective tissue and helps relieve stress.

Bibliography:

The Complete Woman’s Herbal, Anne McIntyre
Nutritional Herbology, Mark Pederson
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, Susus S. Weed
The New Holistic Herbal, David Hoffman

This info was originally compiled by Vickie Liguori of In Due Thyme, 2006 (Source.)

Edited + added to by me, Kate Rose.