Numerous plants belong to the salvia, or sage, species, which falls under the lamiaceae, or mint, family. You might regularly consume some forms, such as salvia officinalis, as a seasoning in foods. Others, such as salvia divinorum, are used as a street drug for their hallucinogenic properties. When you're pregnant, particularly in the first trimester, when your baby's organs and tissues are forming, some forms of salvia might cause harm. Do not take any type of herbal preparation in pregnancy without your doctor's approval.
Salvia Officinalis
Many herbs used for cooking have no harmful side effects in small quantities but might cause problems in pregnancy in larger quantities. Common cooking sage, known as salvia officinalis, falls into this category. This herb can act as an abortificant, meaning it could stimulate uterine contractions and cause miscarriage in the first trimester of pregnancy. While the doses used in foods will not harm you, avoid sage teas, oils and capsules.
Salvia Divinorum
The Mazatec Indians have used this herb for centuries, believing that it is the incarnation of the Virgin Mary, but the effects of this herb, used in teas or smoked, have not undergone testing in pregnancy, so no one knows what side effects it might have. Since salvia divinorum has potent hallucinogenic properties, it could cause you to do things you might not ordinarily do, which could injure you or your fetus. Decreased coordination could cause you to fall; other potentially harmful side effects include a decreased heart rate and dizziness. This drug also can increase nausea, a common complaint in early pregnancy. Avoid this herb during pregnancy.
Other Reactions
Sage oil contains camphor and thujone, which, when ingested, has caused seizures in rats, the website Medicinal Plants warns. Sage also can decrease the absorption of minerals such as calcium and iron, two minerals that play important roles in your health and your baby's during pregnancy.
Considerations
Many people consider herbs, which you can buy without a prescription, to have fewer harmful effects than prescription medications, but this is not necessarily true. Preparing herbs in a certain way, such as brewing them in tea, can concentrate the chemicals in them, such as sage, thus making them more potent than using them in cooking, Baby Center states.
