Didn't realise there was echinacea in my juice and am 7 weeks pregnant!

[Curlygirly]

Hi,

I just discovered there is echinacea in the juice I was drinking for the past two days and am worried it will affect the bub. It says not recommended for consumption during pregnancy.

What are the chances if I only had some for the past two days to cause a negative effect?

Thanks

[leckert]

you should be fine - it takes a while for the umbilical cord to take over.

[purplepixie1978]

I came across this as I was about to ask about echinacea and l-lysine in pregnancy. I've been taking both recently to get over a long-lasting upper respiratory tract infection and will be TTC from this cycle... so should I stop taking them? I was really healthy during my last pregnancy so I'm hoping I won't need them anyway...

Thanks.

[glenny_c]

Echinacea is suggested as not safe during pregnancy as it could stimulate the uterus and cause premature labour or miscarriage. Other people say not to take it as during pregnancy your immune system changes to accomodate the growing baby and Echinacea could interfere with that. HOWEVER, there are studies that show it to be safe during pregnancy and any ill effects on pregnancy are anecdotal and after repeated exposure. Please try not to worry (easier said than done I know) there wouldn't be a very high dose in the juice you are drinking. There are no studies that prove that Echinacea is harmful in pregnancy and I'm sure the small amount that you drank wouldn't do any harm.

[Sopdet]

echinacea shouldn't be used for a period longer than about 2 weeks by anybody - your body builds up an immunity to it

There are lots of things we consume daily that shouldn't be used in pregnancy because of a risk (usually in high doses) of stimulation of the uterus (rosemary being one of them).

Drop into a chemist that has a naturopath on staff and have a chat to them if you're worried.

2 days worth in a drink shouldn't be an issue, the concentration won't have been high enough to do anything

[belle75]

At 7 wks bub is still nourished by the yolk sac and the placenta hasn't taken over, so I wouldn't worry too much. You are unlikely to have taken a high enough dose for it to be of any consequence anyway. Talk to a naturopath if it's really bothering you, but try not to worry hun

[Victoria Tsoleridis]

Hi,

I just discovered there is echinacea in the juice I was drinking for the past two days and am worried it will affect the bub. It says not recommended for consumption during pregnancy.

What are the chances if I only had some for the past two days to cause a negative effect?

Thanks

You will be fine don't worry. Unless you're taking a 500ml bottle a day, I wouldn't stress too much. Echinacea is not 'unsafe' during pregnancy, it's just a precaution. Also it's safe to take if you have a cold during your pregnancy. Just not for long periods of time. I took it during my pregnancy to help me get over a shocking cough - my baby is just fine (ok, she's not a baby anymore, but you get the idea.)