Nettle Iced Tea for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
This refreshing herbal iced tea is a delicious way to stay hydrated for pregnant and nursing mothers. Nettles contain a lot of wonderful nutrients and this tea makes it easy to regularly consume them to get the most benefit.
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Jump to RecipeWhen I Grow Up I Want to Be an Herbalist
I love herbs! I think it is pretty amazing that God’s creation offers so many natural remedies for ailments we suffer in this life. Herbs are powerful and can really help, but because they are powerful it’s important to know how to use them safely.
For now, I just research herbs to benefit myself and my family, but maybe some day I will have the time to study herbs in more depth and become a real herbalist. I want to know what all the herbs do and how to use them as well as learn to make herbal tinctures for medicinal use.
Growing fresh herbs in my garden for cooking is a wonderful and safe way to use herbs regularly until I expand my herbal knowlegde. Most herbs are easy to grow and maintain, and some are perennials meaning they come back year after year.
The Benefits of Stinging Nettle
The fresh nettle herb can sting if you touch it with your bare skin, hence the reason for the name stinging nettle. But when dried or cooked it loses its stinging power.
There are many herb remedies that aren’t considered safe during pregnancy and nursing. However, nettle is one of the herbs that is safe to use. It contains many beneficial healing properties.
Not only is it a wonderful herb to consume when pregnant and nursing, there are also many benefits to drinking it when you aren’t pregnant and nursing.
Stinging Nettle Benefits:
- Contain some essential trace minerals: calcium, magnesium and chromium.
- Helps to reduce inflammation in the muscles and joints.
- Helps with seasonal allergies.
- Can help ease growing pains in children.
- Can help a mother to start milk flow in the early days of nursing and continue to maintain her milk supply throughout nursing.
- Some benefits can even be passed to the baby through the mothers milk. Possible benefits for the baby include: keeping baby calm and helping with gas pains.
Source for the list above: Herbs for You, Build a Better Health Naturally by Dr. A.B. Howard
There are also many other wonderful benefits that come from stinging nettle as well. Here’s a more thorough article on the benefits of stinging nettle if you are interested.
A Refreshing Herbal Iced Tea
When I was pregnant with my 3rd child, I was having a lot of trouble consuming the recommended amount of water. Having two other children was keeping me very busy and distracted. Also, water just didn’t taste good to me and made my stomach feel funny.
My midwife suggested making an herbal tea with nettles. I’d had nettle tea before and found it hard to drink because of its strong grassy flavor. So she suggested adding some other things to it to make it more palatable. She casually tossed out a list of possible things to add.
Based on some of her recommendations, I created this delicious herbal iced tea. I really found this refreshing during the heat of the summer last year when I was very pregnant. My husband and children also love to drink this iced tea as well.
It was great to know that I was also gaining the benefits of the nettles while staying hydrated during the summer heat.
Tools You Need
A medium pot with a lid
Measuring cups and spoons
1 gallon or 2 half gallon jars or pitchers – I usually use two half gallon mason jars
A lemon squeezer or juicer – I love my lemon squeezer and use it all the time.
Recipe for Nettle Iced Tea for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
The great thing about making things from scratch is that recipes are very customizable. If you like it more sweet, just add a bit more honey if less sweet, add less. It’s as simple as that.
I like to start with less then add more if I think it needs a bit more sweetness.
Ingredients
1 gallon of water
1/4 cup of dried nettle leaves
1/8 cup of dried mint leaves or 10 sprigs of fresh mint
1/3-1/2 cup of raw honey
2 freshly squeezed lemons
Optional for added mineral benefits: 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
Instructions
Bring 2 quarts of filtered water to a boil then stir in the dried nettle and mint. Simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes.
Let the tea cool for about 1 hr to around room temperature. This will create an infusion which is more potent than just a tea.
Next, use a metal fine mesh strainer to strain off tea leaves. Add another 2+ quarts of water to your tea water to make a full gallon.
Add honey, the juice of two lemons to the tea, and (optional: an 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt). Stir until the honey is completely dissolved.
Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or pour over ice to drink right away. Then enjoy the refreshing benefits of this delicious herbal iced tea.
Other Pregnancy Related Post
First Time Mom’s Positive Natural Hospital Birth Story
Positive Natural Home Birth Story – Rainbow Baby
Accidental Unassisted Home Birth Story
Other Recipes From Our Kitchen
Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Popsicles
Simple From Scratch Chicken Vegetable Soup
Overnight Cinnamon Maple Steel Cut Oats
Print Nettle Iced Tea for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers Recipe
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you would come back and give it 5 stars! *****
Herbal Nettle Iced Tea
Nettles contain a lot of wonderful nutrients. This tea makes it easy to regularly consume them to get the most benefit.
Ingredients
- 1 gal filtered water
- 1/4 cup dried nettle tea leaves
- 1/8 cup dried mint tea leaves or 10 sprigs of fresh mint
- 1/3-1/2 cup raw honey
- 2 freshly squeezed lemons
- 1/8 teaspoon salt optional for mineral boost
Instructions
-
Bring 2 quarts of filtered water to a boil then add the dried nettle and mint leaves. Simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes.
-
Let the tea cool to around room temperature. This will create an infusion which is more potent than just a tea.
-
Next, use a metal fine mesh strainer to strain off tea leaves. Add another 2+ quarts of water to your tea water to make a full gallon.
-
Add honey, the juice of two lemons to the tea, and (optional: an 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt). Stir until the honey is completely dissolved.
-
Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or pour over ice to drink right away. Then enjoy the refreshing benefits of this delicious herbal iced tea.