This is what the end of my pregnancy looks like, lots of sitting on this big blue ball and drinking all sorts of tea.

This tea specifically is a “red date tea” – once I hit 36 weeks I started drinking it daily (as it’s best to not consume this any sooner).  

In your third trimester consuming dates has been shown to help improve labor.  According to a study in 2011 women who consumed 6 dates daily for the last 4 weeks of their pregnancy had significantly higher cervical dilation upon arriving to the hospital; they had a shorter first phase of labor, had a better chance of not having medical interventions, and significantly lower need for drug interventions! 

Chinese red dates (also called jujubes) in a “tea” are thought in traditional Chinese medicine to help replenish and nourish your blood (which improves energy), improve blood circulation, and keep the body warm which is especially important postpartum and winter months. Better circulation and nourished blood can help liver and digestion function which also means a stronger immune system ! 

While I’m drinking my tea cold here (since I’m still pregnant) this tea is best drunk warm or HOT while in postpartum since you want to avoid all cooling foods while healing (according to traditional Ayurveda).  

Check out the recipe below for this super easy to make “Red Date Tea”!  

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups of filtered water
• 2 cups of red dates (rinsed and cut in half)
• 1/2 cup of goji berries

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. bring your 6 cups of filtered water to a boil.
2. once boiling add your red dates and goji berries, turn off the heat and cover. Let steep for 30 min to an hour.
3. Strain out your dates and goji berries and enjoy!

this tea makes about a week’s servings, feel free to store in the fridge and heat up when ready to drink (or enjoy cold if you’re not postpartum). This tea will stay good for up to a week in your fridge.