Thyme is a well-known and popular medicinal plant, which is widely used not only in folk medicine, but also in everyday life. The aromatic herb can be added to baths and homemade cosmetics, and is used to make aromatic sachets and essential oils. A few branches of this plant allow you to turn the simplest tea into an exquisite fragrant drink. But there are situations when food and drinks need to be chosen especially carefully, for example, expectant mothers while expecting a baby. Therefore, they often wonder whether thyme can be taken during pregnancy, whether it will be beneficial and whether it will harm the mother and fetus.
General information about thyme
This is a perennial medicinal plant with a wide spectrum of action. It is used as an expectorant, anticonvulsant, diuretic, diaphoretic, anthelmintic and analgesic. Our ancestors recommended thyme for colds and diarrhea, insomnia and hemorrhoids. Even in the anti-alcoholism industry, thyme is known as an effective and inexpensive medicine.
In science, thyme is called thyme. It is a low-growing shrub or subshrub with purple flowers. All parts of the plant have a pronounced aroma.
Thyme contains approximately 0.1-0.6% essential oil. Its main components are thymol (approx. 30%) and carvacrol. It also contains tannins, valuable bitters, numerous minerals and organic pigments, terpenes and triterpenoids. It is this rich composition that ensures its wide application.
What is thyme
Creeping thyme, a low-growing herbaceous shrub, is known by this name. For medicinal purposes, leaves, stems and flowers containing a complex of biologically active components are used. The raw material has a characteristic spicy aroma and is used in fresh and dried form: alone, in combination with other medicinal plants, as an additive to cosmetics.
Thyme contains:
- ascorbic acid;
- retinoids;
- B vitamins;
- vitamin K;
- iron;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- zinc;
- flavonoids;
- volatile compounds;
- tannins;
- thymol.
The concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the plant allows it to be used in herbal medicine for various pathologies.
Useful properties of thyme
Many of us love thyme tea because of its excellent taste, pleasant aroma and refreshing effect. People often drink it without thinking that it is a very effective medicine, the use of which can lead to side effects. Abuse of the fragrant drink is especially dangerous for women during pregnancy and lactation.
The effect of thyme on the body of a pregnant woman is ambiguous. It can be beneficial, but excessive consumption can cause serious problems, so you should only drink it after consulting a doctor.
The list of beneficial effects of thyme is impressive:
- It facilitates expectoration and effectively softens cough during respiratory infections;
- For viral diseases, a warm drink with the addition of thyme more effectively removes toxins and speeds up recovery.
- Thyme decoction can be used to gargle for colds, sore throats, or simply to soften the throat.
- Consuming thyme before childbirth increases the tone of the uterus, intensifies contractions and speeds up the process of delivery.
- For rheumatism, some skin diseases and injuries, you can make compresses from thyme tincture, as it is a good antiseptic and also has an analgesic effect.
- Tea with thyme can be recommended for hypotensive patients, as it raises blood pressure.
- This plant helps improve metabolism and saturates the body with useful substances, such as vitamins C and B.
- Thyme fights bacteria and viruses, some protozoa and even helminths quite effectively.
Indications
The use of any medications during pregnancy, including those of herbal origin, should be under the strict supervision of a physician. Thyme during pregnancy is not a first choice medicinal plant and is prescribed only for strict indications. When can thyme be prescribed?
For dry, persistent cough. During pregnancy, thyme acts as a mild expectorant for coughs. It is prescribed for chronic and acute bronchitis and pneumonia. It also relieves attacks of asthmatic cough well.- For external use. Thyme is a natural bactericidal and antiseptic agent. For sore throat, stomatitis, gingivitis, you can rinse your mouth with thyme decoctions, and for sinusitis, wash your nose with it. For skin diseases, acne, boils, rheumatic pain, you can make compresses and lotions from thyme.
- For diseases of the digestive system. Heartburn, increased flatulence, intestinal colic, and constipation can bother a woman in the first trimester. Thyme has an antispasmodic effect and helps eliminate these unpleasant symptoms.
- For anxiety, poor sleep. Thyme has a mild sedative and calming effect. In the early stages of pregnancy, a woman often experiences mood swings, anxiety, and anxiety. Thyme tea helps to find peace and restores physical and psycho-emotional strength.
Tea is considered the safest medicinal form of thyme during pregnancy. It contains the smallest amount of essential oils, including thymol. It is not recommended to use essential oils, extracts, or alcohol tinctures from thyme in any trimester of pregnancy. These drugs can cause nausea, vomiting, and an allergic reaction in a pregnant woman.
Tea with thyme during pregnancy
Tea with thyme during pregnancy, according to some women, is considered a fragrant “delicacy” and a pleasant ritual. However, do not confuse the concepts of “tea” and “decoction”. To prepare a decoction, a large (medicinal) dose of raw materials is required - 1 or 2 teaspoons of dry herbs per glass of boiling water. And to make tea, just throw a few leaves and flowers into regular tea. It is unlikely that a cup of thyme tea once or twice a week will harm the health of a pregnant woman. But a good mood will be guaranteed. You can add honey and lemon to this tea. This is a good sedative for insomnia.
Decoctions and aqueous tinctures of the herb should be used strictly as prescribed by a doctor when treating coughs due to ARVI and colds, as well as for diseases of the digestive system. You need to be extremely careful when taking baths with thyme decoctions, as well as the frequent use of thyme in cooking as a spice.
Is it possible to take thyme during pregnancy?
Only a doctor can give a definite answer to this question after a face-to-face meeting. The ability to raise blood pressure and increase the tone of the uterus makes thyme relatively dangerous during pregnancy. In addition, it has a huge number of contraindications. Therefore, internal use of thyme preparations is possible only after consultation with a doctor and strictly according to indications.
External use of thyme during pregnancy is permitted. If you like its smell, you can use cosmetics based on this plant, add a little infusion to bathing water, or use it in very small quantities as a seasoning for food and drinks.
Contraindications
Tea with thyme is strictly contraindicated for high blood pressure. A particular danger is that it does not increase blood pressure immediately and sharply, like coffee, for example. Usually, after drinking a drink with thyme, a person does not feel any changes. The pressure is realized very gradually, but also lasts a long time. This leads to long-term unpleasant consequences. Also, tea with thyme is contraindicated for any problems with the heart and blood vessels:
- cardiosclerosis,
- atrial fibrillation,
- cerebral atherosclerosis,
- heart failure,
- at risk of heart attack,
- in the post-infarction period.
Thyme contains a lot of thymol, which is contraindicated for liver and kidney diseases. Thyme is also contraindicated for diseases of the thyroid gland and any disturbances in its functioning. Even if you have a hereditary tendency to thyroid diseases, it is better to avoid thyme.
It is known that thyme inhibits the functioning of the thyroid gland. Even if an absolutely healthy person drinks tea with this herb for a long time, he may develop hypothyroidism. For people with increased thyroid function, this herb, on the contrary, will be useful. But we cannot determine at home how often and how much tea to drink. Therefore, it is better to refuse self-medication.
Not only problems with the thyroid gland, but also any diseases of the endocrine system, for example, diabetes, are a direct contraindication to drinking tea with thyme. This drink is also prohibited for patients with pneumonia and tuberculosis, stomach and/or duodenal ulcers, and chronic constipation. Thyme can increase the production of gastric juice, and in such conditions this can be dangerous.
The most dangerous consequence of consuming thyme during pregnancy is increased uterine tone. This can lead to premature birth or early miscarriage.
Naturally, the use of thyme is contraindicated if you are allergic to any components of this plant. It is rich in essential oils, which often cause allergic reactions. In case of individual intolerance, even the external use of this medicinal plant is prohibited.
Features of use during pregnancy at different stages
In the first months of pregnancy, the safest ways to use thyme are gargling and rinsing the nasopharynx. They are often prescribed by doctors, since the use of many pharmaceutical drugs for diseases of the ENT organs is contraindicated for pregnant women.
Frequent use of thyme tea in the 1st trimester should be avoided, since the essential oils contained in the plant can cause spontaneous abortion. If mom does not have chronic diseases, she can sometimes drink a glass of tea with a sprig of grass after breakfast.
In later stages, a woman can drink no more than 2-3 glasses of aromatic tea per week. If pregnancy is complicated by various diseases, especially hypertension or thyroid dysfunction, such drinks should be avoided.
In the 3rd trimester, the fetus increases significantly in size and puts significant pressure on the woman’s internal organs. The kidneys and urinary system suffer the most. A drink with thyme will further increase the load on the kidneys, as it has a diuretic effect.
Tea with thyme during pregnancy
Depending on the stage of pregnancy, thyme can bring different benefits and different risks to the body. Its external use is safe, but drinking tea with thyme is quite risky. Therefore, you must take into account your pregnancy period, as well as indications and contraindications if you want to drink this drink.
Thyme in the early stages
During this period of pregnancy, it is very important to avoid any harmful effects on the mother’s body, as all the baby’s organs are formed. Any disease in the first trimester is very dangerous for the fetus, so you must try to maintain health. Some expectant mothers use thyme tea to strengthen their immune system.
Indeed, the esters contained in it can inhibit the development of infections and increase resistance to bacteria and viruses. It is also able to facilitate coughing if the disease has already occurred. But before you start treatment with thyme, you need to consult a doctor. If you have uterine hypertonicity or a history of miscarriages, thyme is contraindicated in the early stages.
Thyme in later stages
In the second and third trimesters, increased blood pressure is a symptom of dangerous complications - preeclampsia and eclampsia. In order not to accidentally miss them, you must refrain from any foods that specifically provoke an increase in blood pressure. Thyme is especially dangerous in this regard, since its effect is felt even after giving up tea with this medicinal plant.
Tea with thyme does not pose any significant danger to expectant hypotensive mothers. But they shouldn’t abuse this drink either. It is better to avoid such controversial drinks during pregnancy.
Use of medicinal plants in early and late stages
One of the most famous properties characteristic of thyme is an expectorant, which is why many people from childhood remember the taste of a decoction of this herb that they were given during a cold. When expecting a baby, a woman is very susceptible to viral diseases, and thyme can help fight them.
- The first trimester of pregnancy is characterized by the fact that it is during this period that most miscarriages occur. And, despite all the undeniable benefits of thyme, it should be used very carefully at this stage. And if the expectant mother has uterine tone, then the medicinal herb is strictly contraindicated for her.
- In the second trimester, many women experience such unpleasant phenomena as flatulence and hemorrhoids. Thyme in the form of tea or ointment containing the essential oil of this plant can improve the situation. But be sure to pay attention to your blood pressure status. If it is elevated, then using thyme will be very risky.
- In the third trimester, medicinal herbs can provoke premature birth. But tea made from it, consumed during labor, can speed up the birth of your baby and facilitate the separation of the placenta.
Eating thyme will not necessarily lead to miscarriage or premature birth. On the Internet you can find many posts of women who drank tea with thyme at different stages of pregnancy without any negative consequences. But the body is different, so there is still a minimal risk.
If you decide to use thyme during pregnancy, be sure to consult your gynecologist before you start using it.
Treatment with thyme during pregnancy
Expectant mothers are not recommended to drink tea with thyme, but this restriction does not apply to rinses and compresses. Many diseases can be cured without taking thyme internally. Aromatic rinses, baths and compresses, of course, cannot be considered a complete treatment in serious situations, but they help cope with some unpleasant symptoms quite effectively.
Gargling a sore throat with thyme
Many acute respiratory viral infections and colds are accompanied by a sore throat. This is an unpleasant sensation that prevents you from swallowing normally and prevents you from eating regularly. And during pregnancy, proper nutrition is more important than ever. Therefore, the expectant mother must try to get rid of pain by any permitted methods. One of these methods is gargling with thyme infusion.
Thyme not only relieves pain, it also helps destroy harmful bacteria in the throat and relieves inflammation, so it will be an excellent addition to the treatment prescribed by the doctor.
An infusion for rinsing is prepared from two tablespoons of dry raw materials and a glass of boiling water. If your thyme has stems, they will need to be removed before brewing. Then you need to pour boiling water over the herb and leave it in a jar until the liquid cools to room temperature. You can gargle with this infusion often as soon as discomfort or a feeling of dryness appears.
Rinsing for inflammation in the mouth
Thyme infusion helps to cope not only with sore throat, but also with inflammatory diseases in the oral cavity, for example, stomatitis, glossitis, gingivitis, etc. Doctors usually recommend treating inflamed areas with antiseptics. In parallel with this, you can rinse with thyme infusion. It is prepared in the same way as an infusion for gargling.
A more concentrated infusion of thyme with the addition of peppermint herb can be used as a gargle for toothache. But we should not forget that a sick tooth is a dangerous source of infection, so you should try to get to the dentist as soon as possible.
Compresses with thyme
Thanks to its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, thyme can be used for joint and muscle pain. You just need to take dry raw materials and brew it with boiling water in a thermos for 3-4 hours. Then squeeze it out lightly. If necessary, you can cool it a little beforehand. A lump of grass can be immediately applied to the sore spot or first wrapped in a bandage or thin cloth. You can keep this compress for 1-2 hours.
If the pain does not subside the next day, it is better to consult a doctor and find out its cause.
Local baths
Baths with thyme help soothe skin with irritation and eczema. Water for the bath is prepared at the rate of 50 grams of dry herbs per liter of water. The raw material must be poured with hot water and boiled for 10 minutes over medium heat. Then it is wrapped in a blanket and left for about 3 hours.
For the bath, use an infusion at a temperature of 36 degrees. A hand bath can be a little warmer, but not hot; foot baths can only be lower than body temperature. Full baths in thyme infusion are prohibited, as is the treatment of large surface areas of the body.
Even the external use of thyme is strictly limited. If you use it for more than three days in a row, you need to measure your blood pressure regularly. If there are any signs of its increase, it is necessary to immediately stop treatment with thyme.
Is it possible to use a medicinal plant during pregnancy?
Many women love to drink tea with thyme, as it has a pleasant aroma. During pregnancy, they do not want to give up their taste habits and continue to drink this drink.
Doctors do not recommend expectant mothers to drink it constantly - the herb has an effect on the circulatory system. Thyme can be used by pregnant women for medicinal purposes, provided that they do not have any health problems.
Useful properties of thyme for pregnant women
The pleasant aroma of thyme is due to the content of essential oils, and they, as you know, are strictly prohibited for pregnant women. At the same time, this medicinal plant has many beneficial properties that can help pregnant women with various diseases. That is why thyme is sometimes used for medicinal purposes, but with extreme caution so as not to harm the health of the mother and baby.
The body of a woman carrying a child is susceptible to acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, especially during the cold season. If the disease is accompanied by a frequent dry cough, inhalations with thyme will be useful, promoting the separation of sputum. Gargling with thyme decoction will help cope with attacks of acute sore throat.
Expectant mothers often experience skin rashes and inflammation of the mucous membranes. Gingivitis, stomatitis and other bacterial diseases are dangerous to treat with pharmaceuticals in this condition. Thyme is considered the best natural remedy for these purposes, as it has high antimicrobial activity. Gargling, rinsing the nasopharynx and lotions using thyme help reduce pain and quickly cope with the disease.
Lightly brewed tea with a sprig of thyme helps cope with nervous tension and mood swings in the early stages of pregnancy. This drink, drunk before childbirth, increases the tone of the smooth muscles of the uterus, accelerates its contractions and reduces painful syndrome.
Indications for use for expectant mothers
Thyme is used during pregnancy to eliminate symptoms of the disease only if necessary. Doctors prescribe procedures using thyme if the expectant mother is diagnosed with one of the following diseases:
- infections of the throat and nasopharynx, when a remedy for expectoration, elimination of dry cough, relief of spasm and source of inflammation is required;
- cystitis and other diseases of the urinary system;
- skin rashes, rheumatism, bruises, in which there is a need to relieve inflammation and eliminate pain;
- hypotension that persists for a long time;
- decreased immunity and lack of vitamins B and C in the body;
- helminthic infestations;
- anemia caused by iron deficiency;
- severe headaches;
- nervous disorders accompanied by insomnia;
- disruption of the digestive process.
