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Is Rasa safe for pregnancy and nursing?Updated 2 years ago

Many people ask if you can consume Rasa during pregnancy and nursing. The official answer is that there is not enough information about several of the herbs in Rasa to determine safety for either. That said, our gentlest blends— Original, Cacao, and Dirty— have no herbs that are contraindicated at one serving (one 8oz cup) per day during your 2nd and 3rd trimester or while nursing. Please consult your midwife or medical provider prior to use and always, always listen to your body!

Please note that our Dirty blend contains real coffee, and therefore caffeine (35mg/serving).

We do not recommend any of our blends during the 1st trimester and do not recommend Golden Chai, Spice Rose Cacao, Elderberry, Super Happy Sunshine, Calm, or Bold at any time during pregnancy.

Our Founder & CEO, Lopa, started Rasa shortly after the birth of her first child and during the pregnancy of her second. Here is her personal experience and how she approached drinking Rasa during that time:

Lopa’s Story

Please excuse the long answer, I like to give both sides so you can make a choice that feels best for you & your baby!

The official answer is that there is not enough information about several of the herbs in Rasa to determine safety for either pregnancy or nursing.

HOWEVER, our conventional Western medicine is simply not as familiar with some of our herbs as Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda—the traditions that these herbs hail from—are. These traditions have investigated these herbs in practical daily life application for hundreds, even thousands of years.

I actually co-created Rasa when I was breastfeeding my first son at 5 months old. I wanted something that would help me cope with the stressors of motherhood, and provide more sustainable energy than coffee could.

The Rasa Original formula was expertly crafted by an herbalist, & I've since had it run by over a dozen herbalists, Chinese medicine doctors, & Ayurvedic practitioners, all with decades in their fields. They all saw no major contraindications, including pregnancy or nursing.

In fact, the two primary Ayurvedic herbs in our formula, ashwagandha & shatavari, are frequently prescribed during pregnancy and to help support healthy lactation.

Here’s a fun & illustrative contradiction, though: Western science says ashwagandha is NOT safe for pregnancy or nursing, while Ayurveda practitioners will often prescribe it during these times! There was a study indicating that ashwagandha can cause abortion...at EXTREMELY high doses in rats. You won’t get even close to that even drinking large quantities of Original, Cacao, or Dirty! Ayurveda actually often recommends ashwagandha at normal therapeutic doses for a healthy pregnancy.

Anecdotally, I nursed my now 6-year old for 2 years while drinking Rasa Original regularly, drank it most days during my recent pregnancy, & continued to drink it while nursing my 2nd child. That babe is probably 30% Rasa. 😄

That said: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND YOUR BABY.

For me, I personally felt almost repulsed by Rasa in my first trimester, so I didn’t drink it! From the second trimester on, I craved it and drank it plentifully.

If you have a complicated pregnancy, maybe best to wait. If your baby has a very sensitive digestive system, maybe best to wait. If you feel unsure...maybe best to wait!

And if the fact that our medical system has not conclusively determined safety is sufficient information for you to make your decision, we wholeheartedly support you in that choice! Rasa will be here with open arms when you're ready. 🤗

I’m giving you all perspectives that I know so you can make the right decision for you, with your own (& your healthcare practitioner's) wisdom.

💛, Lopa

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