As a pregnant or postpartum mama with limited time and energy, we want you to reap the most benefits of NOA and NORA tea with the least effort possible. Learn why a loose leaf herbal tea infusion is the best option!

If you’ve purchased our NOA or NORA pregnancy tea blends, you hopefully have noticed that

We use loose leaf organic teas and;
The instructions require you to steep (or infuse) your tea for 8+ hours, overnight preferred

Maybe you’re wondering if this is necessary. You might be asking yourself, why can’t I just steep the tea for 5-10 minutes to enjoy right away? We hear you! And we’re here to explain why this step is critical for enjoying the health benefits of NOA and NORA tea.

Loose Leaf Tea vs Tea Bags

First let’s look at why we use loose leaf tea vs tea bags. Midwives generally recommend drinking about a quart a day of NORA pregnancy tea, for at least 5 days a week — possibly more in the 3rd trimester — to reap the nutritional benefits.

That’s a ¼ cup of our loose leaf tea blend for at least 5 days a week.

A typical tea bag contains about 2-3 grams of tea per bag. That’s roughly 1-3 teaspoons, on average. You would need to steep a significant amount of tea bags each day to meet that recommendation and enjoy the full nutritional benefits!

Considering that you may be drinking this tea for upwards of 2 months, those tea bags would start to add up (and so would the cost!).

Loose leaf tea is far more affordable and much easier to consume in larger quantities. It’s also more pure and potent! Tea bags can contain toxins like microplastics, pesticides, and other chemicals from processing that can be harmful to your body (and possibly even your baby). Researchers at McGill University conducted a study showing a single plastic tea bag can release 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles into the water.

They tested four tea brands found in major grocery stores. Other tea brands such Celestial Seasonings, Teavana (acquired by Starbucks), Twinings and Lipton have historically not fared well when it comes to pesticides.

There are certainly brands out there that are using plastic-free and biodegradable tea bags and organic teas, but the onus is on the consumer to do their vetting carefully. Some of these brands are using plant-based PLA, which is essentially plastic made of cane sugar. Research indicates that biobased PLA could be just as harmful to humans as regular plastics, and the amount of research we have on the impact of microplastic exposure during the periconception and embryonic period is severely lacking (but much needed).

Thankfully, we have the option these days to invest in a reusable stainless steel or silicone tea infuser, which we would definitely recommend for the everyday tea enthusiast! But, it still might not be the best option for your NORA pregnancy tea. Read on to learn why.

Herbal Tea Infusion vs Herbal Tea Steeping

Now that we’ve covered why loose leaf tea is more favorable than tea bags, we’ll explain why we want you to infuse your tea for 8+ hours (with overnight preferred!).

An herbal infusion is technically still a type of tea steeping, the biggest differences here are the amount of tea you steep and the duration — anywhere from 1 hour to overnight. If you’re cozying up on your couch to a warm cup of tea, you’ll likely only steep your tea for 5-10 minutes. This is more for taste and enjoyment rather than nutritional benefit, although there will definitely be some! An herbal tea infusion tends to have more direct health benefits as a result of higher micronutrient and phytochemical content.

By infusing your tea in hot water for a longer period of time, you are able to extract key vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytochemicals and aromatic oils. Typically, you would infuse things like roots, flowers, and leaves in a hot infusion — think herbs like nettle and red raspberry leaf (included in our NORA pregnancy tea!), ginger root and red clover. For pregnancy and postpartum, the nutrient-rich herbs in our NOA and NORA teas add an extra boost to your holistic self-care regimen and work synergistically to support your body through each stage of growth. Read more about each herb’s benefits in our NORA Pregnancy Tea Benefits blog.

Infusing your tea for longer not only draws out more minerals, but also creates a stronger herbal flavor! If the flavor is too strong for your liking, I recommend adding some raw organic honey while your brew is still hot to balance out the bitterness. I actually quite enjoyed the NORA tea without honey during my pregnancy (but would still add it occasionally for a sweet treat!). I think it all comes down to personal preference here!

Brewing your NOA & NORA Pregnancy Tea

Want specific step-by-step instructions for how to brew your NOA or NORA pregnancy tea to best support your body and your baby during pregnancy, and into postpartum? We’ve got you covered!

Check out our NORA Tea Recipe Directions page for the full breakdown.

Happy infusing, mama!

Have questions? Give us a shout on Instagram or send us an email at info@fruitofthewombherbals.com and we’d be happy to help!