Is Ginger Safe During Pregnancy?

Ginger ale… 🍻

Gingerbread lattes… ☕

Gingerbread men, in their gingerbread houses at Christmas… 🎄

A versatile plant, ginger is used in numerous food and drinks, all year round — perfect for any occasion, right?

Well, some say possibly not when you’re pregnant. 🤷‍♀️

Yet, others say ginger is a great way to tackle that pesky pregnancy nausea.

So, which one is it?!

And why is ginger on the ‘needs investigation’ list of foods to avoid when you’re pregnant?

Let’s find out together. 👇

In this article: 📝

Can you eat or drink ginger when you’re pregnant?

Good news, mamas-to-be!

In most cases, ginger is safe to eat or drink during pregnancy [1]. 🫖

But, if you have certain medical conditions, like diabetes, or vaginal bleeding, it may not be the plant of choice for your pregnancy. 🌱

That’s why it’s really important to check it over with the doc first before you start including ginger into your pregnancy diet.

Can ginger affect early pregnancy?

Potentially — but, in most cases, ginger is safe for early pregnancy.

A lot of women may choose a nice cup of ginger tea to calm down their nausea (more on this later 👇), but knowing if it’s safe for you and bump beforehand is crucial.

In general, eating or drinking ginger in small doses has little side effects [2].

But, a high dose of ginger — more than 1g a day — could increase your chances of side effects [3].

That’s why, when you’re pregnant, that doctor’s green light is the best thing for both peace of mind, and to make sure you’re doing what’s best for bump.

Benefits of consuming ginger when pregnant

So, let’s jump right into why ginger is held in such high esteem for women who are pregnant:

Nausea 🤢

First, off, ginger already has a rep as being helpful to combat nausea [4] — pregnant, or not.

That’s because it benefits gastrointestinal motility [5] — basically, how quickly food exits the stomach, and continues along the digestive process.

It gives your food a helping hand to digest efficiently, rather than lingering in the gut and causing that icky-sicky feeling.

A helpful little plant!

So, during pregnancy when nausea and vomiting can be at an all-time high, ginger is recommended [6] by health experts to help settle your stomach.

Go, ginger!

Bloating and flatulence 💨

As well as supporting digestion to combat nausea, a by-product of this is also helping to settle bloating and uncomfortable gases. 😮‍💨

Constipation can be a common symptom of pregnancy, but it’s thought that ginger can help reduce this [7].

It possesses a carminative effect [8] (reducing flatulence), which means it can lessen any intestinal cramping, and prevent gas and bloating.

💨 Get moving: 6 Positions to Relieve Gas While Pregnant

Pain relief 😣

Did you know, ginger is also thought to help reduce period cramps? [9]

What can’t this little plant do, hey?!

It’s thought ginger may be an effective and safe therapy for relieving pain [10] in women with menstrual cramps, or abdominal cramps.

So, that would naturally then extend to pregnancy abdominal cramps, too, as many women experience uterine cramping in their first trimester [11].

Blood sugars 🍰

This one’s for all the mamas-to-be with gestational diabetes.

It’s thought that ginger could lower your blood sugar levels [12]. 📉

And, sometimes in pregnancy, women can develop what’s known as gestational diabetes [13] — a type of diabetes that only develops in pregnancy.

This study [14] found that ginger could improve gestational diabetes, as it modifies your metabolism — but, since it was performed on pregnant rats, clinical human trials would need to be conducted to validate this theory.

But, some say that large doses of ginger could actually prove problematic for diabetic pregnancies — more on this below! 👇

Potential risks of taking ginger when pregnant

So, we’ve heard the good — now it’s time for the bad (or potentially bad):

Blood thinning effects 🩸

As well as being a great tool for combating nausea and pain relief, ginger can also be an anticoagulant — more commonly known as a blood thinner. [15]

Some evidence [16] suggests that ginger shouldn’t be consumed if you’re close to labor, as ginger could increase the risk of bleeding.

One study [17] says that pregnant women with a history of miscarriages, vaginal bleeding, or blood clotting should avoid ginger.

But, another academic review [15] into the studies of ginger says ginger hasn’t been found to increase the chance of miscarriage in humans.

The long and short of it is, speak to your doctor if you have any of these previous health conditions, and they can advise whether taking ginger is the best choice for your pregnancy.

Blood sugar 🍰

“Wait a minute, wasn’t this on the benefits list?!”

It sure was.

But, it’s worth pointing out how lowering blood sugars in a diabetic mama-to-be could actually be dangerous.

It’s still being researched into whether high dosages of ginger could affect insulin, and lower blood levels.

So, for now, diabetics can enjoy normal quantities of ginger in their foods, but shouldn’t be taking high-dosage supplements, or drinking/eating extensive quantities.

Again, your doctor will be able to advise you on what’s best here. 👩‍⚕️

Can I take ginger shots while pregnant?

In some cases, yep — you probably could!

But, it depends on the dosage — around 950ml a day (4 cups of ginger tea, for comparison) is considered safe. [16]

But, if you have pre-existing medical conditions (such as previous history of miscarriages, vaginal bleeding, or diabetes), the dosage of the shots may be too high for you to take safely.

Best bet?

Ask your doc. 🩺

Can I drink ginger ale everyday while pregnant?

Well, this study [16] says that these sorts of drinks could contain higher ethanol levels than what’s indicated on their labels. 🤯

You heard that right — some non-alcoholic beers still actually contain some alcohol — around 0.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), while an alcoholic beer would be around 5%.

And, as alcohol is a big no-no for mamas-to-be, the study recommends you abstain from drinking these types of non-alcoholic drinks, too, to be safe.

Also, on top of this, ginger could affect your pregnancy if you’ve had a history of vaginal bleeding, miscarriages, or diabetes — so, it’s best to check it all over with your doc, first.

So in a nutshell, ginger is safe during pregnancy.

But, like everything when you're pregnant (and when you're not, for that matter!), moderation is key.

Want to chat with other moms-to-be about whether ginger was a "hell-yes" or a "hell-no" for their pregnancy symptoms?

[Join us on Peanut]https://peanut.app.link/blog — we're having the conversation. 🥜