one cup of coffee per day is generally allowed in pregnancy. up to 200mg of caffeine are allowed and most coffee or tea contains 137-150 mg. although some herbs are okay to drink or eat be careful of others that can have an effect on the uterus or blood flow to the uterus. star anise is helpful to increase breastmilk production but not enough is known about it during pregnancy. because of this i would not recommend that you take it during pregnancy. some relatively safe herbs to have during pregnancy include ginger root (for nausea & stomach upset) peppermint leaf and citrus based products. hope this helps. talk to your doctor if you are concerned.
is it safe to drink chai tea (with anise) during pregnancy? . i have heard the star anise can be harmful however i can't imagine one small starbucks chai could become fatal or be poisonus in my second trimester. . however i don't want to push it for the safety of my baby. here in utah it's very cold and i'm used to needing to start my winter mornings with a drink but don't like drinking coffee while pregnant the caffine is too much for me as well as the smell. . please advise. thank you!