Nettle tea is a staple of pregnancy tea blends, yet PubMed holds 0 trials of nettle alone in pregnant women. Europe's regulator does not recommend it, while searches for nettle tea benefits for women rose 65% in 12 months.
Midwife practice and regulator guidance point in different directions here, so this page sets out both and what each is based on.
Quick Answer: Is Nettle Tea Safe During Pregnancy?
It has not been shown to be safe or unsafe: 0 trials have tested nettle alone in pregnancy, and Europe's medicines regulator says that without enough data, nettle leaf is not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Some midwives use it later in pregnancy; decide with yours. In breastfeeding, LactMed finds only minimal support for a milk effect.
Key Takeaways
- PubMed holds 0 trials of nettle alone in pregnant women.
- Europe's 2010 leaf monograph does not recommend nettle in pregnancy.
- The 1 breastfeeding trial tested a blend over 1 week, not nettle.
- LactMed's 2026 entry calls the evidence for nettle as a milk booster minimal.
- A 2011 case: nettle water on a nipple gave a 17-day-old hives.
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What the Evidence Holds
For a drink so often recommended in pregnancy, nettle has remarkably little pregnancy research. We searched PubMed for nettle with pregnancy, lactation or the uterus and found 16 records, 9 of them in people, and none was a trial of nettle alone in pregnant women.
| What we searched | Records |
|---|---|
| Nettle with pregnancy, lactation or uterus terms | 16 |
| Of those, involving people | 9 |
| Trials of any kind | 2 |
| Trials of nettle alone in pregnancy | 0 |
The 2 trials were a multi-herb breastfeeding tea and a 5-plant spray used on episiotomy wounds. For the plant itself, see the plant and its evidence.
What Regulators and Midwives Say
Europe's medicines regulator reviewed nettle leaf and concluded that safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established, so use is not recommended. It also notes that reproductive toxicity tests have not been performed.
- Regulator: not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding, for lack of data.
- Midwife practice: some use nettle in pregnancy teas, often later in pregnancy.
- Common claim: nettle stimulates the uterus; we found no human study measuring it.
- Reasonable path: do not start it without your midwife or doctor.
The monograph's wording is: in the absence of sufficient data, use during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended.[1]Community herbal monograph on nettle leaf (Urtica dioica, folium) — European Medicines Agency View source
That is a statement about missing evidence, not proof of harm, and it applies to the leaf in nettle tea. Medicines matter as well: see nettle's drug interactions.
Fertility, Periods and Hormones
Searches for nettle and women's health have climbed, but the questions run ahead of the data. There are 0 trials of nettle for fertility and 0 for periods; the 1 hormone-related trial was in women past menopause.
- Fertility: 0 human trials found.
- Periods: 0 trials of nettle alone.
- Hot flashes: 1 trial of 72 women, 450 mg a day for 7 weeks.
- Estrogen-like effects: case reports of breast changes and milk discharge.
In the hot flash trial, nettle plus sham acupuncture beat placebo, and matched real acupuncture.[2]Urtica dioica in comparison with placebo and acupuncture: A new possibility for menopausal hot flashes: A randomized clinical trial — Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2019) View source A 2007 report described raised estrogen in a woman drinking nettle tea.[3]Gynaecomastia in a man and hyperoestrogenism in a woman due to ingestion of nettle (Urtica dioica) — New Zealand Medical Journal (2007) View source
Nettle and Breastfeeding
Nettle is used after birth as a tonic and is sold as a milk booster. LactMed, the US government's lactation database, says only minimal scientific support for a galactagogue effect exists, and that galactogogues should never replace help with feeding itself.
- The 1 trial: a commercial blend with nettle, 1 week, mothers of preterm babies.
- Result: milk rose 80% with the blend vs 34.3% with fruit tea.
- Prolactin: no significant change.
- On the skin: do not apply nettle to the breast while feeding.
The trial cannot credit nettle, because the tea was a mixture.[4]Effect of a galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and prolactin secretion by mothers of preterm babies — Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice (2018) View source LactMed's 2026 entry summarises the rest.[5]Stinging Nettle — Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), revised 2026 — National Institute of Child Health and Human Development View source
The skin warning comes from a 17-day-old with hives after nettle water was applied to cracked nipples.[6]Urticaria due to Urtica dioica in a neonate — European Journal of Pediatrics (2011) View source
Iron, Fatigue and the Tonic Idea
Nettle's reputation as a pregnancy tonic rests largely on iron and minerals. It is a green leaf with minerals, but a cup brewed from 2 to 4 g of leaf is not a measured iron dose, and anaemia in pregnancy needs a blood test.
- Tested: haemoglobin and ferritin at your antenatal checks.
- Measured: iron in your prenatal vitamin or prescribed supplement.
- Not a substitute: any herbal tea, nettle included.
- Tea basics: how nettle tea is brewed.
Fatigue in pregnancy has many causes, and low iron is only 1 of them. A clinician can tell which one applies.
If You Still Want to Use It
Some women and their midwives will decide nettle tea is reasonable, often later in pregnancy or after birth. If that is your decision, these steps keep it measured and visible to the people looking after you.
- Tell: your midwife or doctor, and agree a limit.
- Prefer: a weak tea over concentrated extracts or capsules.
- Check medicines: blood pressure, diabetes and blood thinners.
- Stop: if you notice cramping, bleeding, rash or breast changes.
Outside pregnancy and breastfeeding, our own nettle capsules give a fixed 1,000 mg of leaf.
Do Not Start Nettle Without Your Midwife or Doctor If
- You are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding
- You take warfarin or another blood thinner
- You take lithium, a diuretic (water pill) or blood pressure medicine
- You take insulin or another glucose-lowering medicine
- You have been told to limit fluids because of heart or kidney disease
Frequently Asked Questions
Is nettle tea safe during pregnancy? +
It is not proven either way. 0 trials tested nettle alone in pregnancy, and Europe's regulator does not recommend it for lack of data. Decide with your midwife or doctor.
When can you start nettle tea in pregnancy? +
There is no tested start date. Some midwives suggest it only in the 2nd or 3rd trimester, but no trial supports a specific week; agree it with your midwife first.
What teas should be avoided during pregnancy? +
Ask your midwife for a list. Europe's regulator does not recommend nettle leaf in pregnancy, and caffeinated teas count toward a daily caffeine limit of about 200 mg.
Does nettle increase estrogen? +
Not shown in trials. 1 case report from 2007 described raised estrogen in a woman drinking nettle tea, and the cause was never tested further.
Is nettle good for fertility? +
There is no evidence either way: we found 0 human trials of nettle for fertility. If you are trying to conceive, the regulator's pregnancy caution is worth applying early.
What does nettle do for periods? +
No trial of nettle alone has tested periods. Its traditional uses in Europe are minor joint pain and urinary flushing, not menstrual problems, across its 2 listed indications.
What does nettle do for a woman? +
The same as for anyone: traditional joint and urinary uses, a tea, and a small allergy trial. The 1 trial in women tested 450 mg a day for hot flashes after menopause.
Can I drink nettle tea while breastfeeding? +
Europe's regulator does not recommend it for lack of data. LactMed notes it is used as a postpartum tonic with minimal evidence; never apply it to the breast, after 1 infant reaction.
Does nettle increase milk supply? +
Not shown. The 1 trial used a multi-herb tea for 1 week, so nettle's share is unknown, and prolactin did not change. LactMed calls the support minimal.
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