Yes. Yes. Yes!
Not only is manuka honey good for pregnancy, it exudes a bundle of health benefits.
We know that manuka honey is great for the following:
It’s also been said to help with insomnia, vitality, and any coughs and colds during pregnancy.
With manuka honey, you’re eating the honey with the highest concentration of antibacterial properties on the planet. You’ll likely be better prepared to fight off any bacteria that you might encounter, speed your recovery, and prevent you from getting sniffly next time.
Eating manuka honey while pregnant is like bringing nature’s living systems to your own ecosystem.
The only question now is… which one should you get?
Manuka honey comes in different strengths, and these are precisely measured.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of fake manuka honey circulating the globe, so it’s important to pay attention to true quality markers.
The manuka honey industry is highly regulated by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). But it doesn’t stop there.
The most comprehensive and trustworthy rating of manuka honey is the UMF™ grading system. This measures the Unique Mānuka Factor of the honey, a system developed by the Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) to protect beekeepers and the authenticity of the industry.
A jar of manuka honey that is labeled with a UMF™ grade means that that particular batch has passed rigorous tests and is held to the highest honey testing standards in the world.
Read more: Why is manuka honey expensive?
Our UMF™ grades start at UMF™ 5+ and go up to UMF™ 26+.
Which strength of manuka honey should you eat during pregnancy?
We recommended choosing any strength between UMF™ 5+ and UMF™ 20+.
This is potent enough to feel the benefits, yet gentle enough to be introduced to your system easily.
Find out which UMF™ strengths are ideal for different uses.
Read more: Manuka Honey MGO vs UMF™ Calculator
We recommend one generous spoonful of manuka honey per day.
This allows you to reap the benefits of it in a quantity that you can easily digest, without loading up on free sugars.
As always, it’s best to consume honey in moderation while you’re pregnant.
There are a few safety precautions to keep in mind.
It’s a good idea to stop eating manuka honey in the following circumstances:
Now that we’ve talked about eating manuka honey through your pregnancy, let’s have a look at how it can be helpful afterwards.
Just like your birthing journey doesn’t stop after pregnancy, neither do the beneficial uses of manuka honey!
There are three ways that it can be especially helpful.
Yes, the antibacterial activity of the honey can help soothe your tender nipples in your breastfeeding period.
Medical grade manuka honey is recommended by Birth Care NZ for mothers with damaged nipples from breastfeeding.
Applying high grade manuka honey on breast pads can help to soothe and repair damage. You can keep your manuka honey in the fridge if you’d like it to be cooling too.
This is what the experts say:
“A person with sore, cracked nipples will do absolutely anything to bring relief to the pain and heal the damage… Rich in antioxidants, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, manuka honey can be used between feedings to heal nipples fast.”
“Sterile, medical grade manuka honey is one of the most unique and beneficial forms of honey in the world. Rich in antioxidants, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, medical grade manuka honey helps to rapidly heal injured wounds, making it ideal for irritated and sore nipples.”
Is it any surprise that growing a tiny human inside you might have stretched your skin in the process?
After you’ve recovered from your birth and been drenched in newborn snuggles, you can focus on your long-term road to optimal health.
A stretch mark is essentially a type of scar that forms when our skin stretches or shrinks quickly.
Manuka honey is effective on scars and stretch marks. The anti-aging properties can get to work on the scars and start to regenerate the tissue.
While you don’t end up scar free, the antibacterial properties of manuka honey can do an incredible repair job and leave you with less of a trace than if you weren’t using it. We can aid our skin with the incredible, natural process of healing.
Manuka honey can also assist in getting your energy back.
The combination of giving birth and caring for a newborn is stressful, tiring, and disorientating to say the least.
If you’re looking for a natural way to get a bit of a boost in the morning, manuka honey could be the first thing you taste after getting out of bed (or before, if you keep it bedside!).
From stirring it into your tea, to licking it off the spoon, there are plenty of ways you can add manuka honey into your diet.
Have you picked up on the fact that there are a few decisions to make when buying manuka honey?
We’re here to make it as simple as possible for you, and guide you to the right manuka honey for you (take our quiz here!).
Before you buy, have a quick look at our checklist. This ensures you’re getting the real deal when you buy manuka honey.
Read more: The Best Place to Buy Manuka Honey? Tick These 7 Boxes
