Passionflower is not considered safe during pregnancy. Both the Mayo Clinic and the European Medicines Agency recommend against using it while pregnant or breastfeeding, citing insufficient safety data to confirm it won’t harm a developing baby. If you’ve been using passionflower tea or supplements for sleep or anxiety, this is one to set aside until after pregnancy and nursing.
Why the Warning Exists
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is widely used as a mild sedative and anxiety remedy in teas, tinctures, and capsules. It works by boosting the activity of a calming brain chemical, which is what makes it effective for sleep and nervousness. The problem is that no one has done the controlled studies in pregnant women needed to confirm that the plant’s various compounds don’t affect the uterus, cross the placenta, or interfere with fetal development.
The European Medicines Agency’s official monograph on passionflower states plainly: “In the absence of sufficient data, the use during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended.” This applies to both its well-established medicinal use and its traditional use. It’s not that researchers have found clear evidence of harm. It’s that the safety question simply hasn’t been answered, and with pregnancy the default position is to avoid anything unproven.
Passionflower and Breastfeeding
The same caution extends to the postpartum period if you’re nursing. There is no reliable data on whether passionflower compounds pass into breast milk or what effect they might have on an infant. The Mayo Clinic’s guidance is direct: do not use passionflower if you’re breastfeeding. Until studies specifically evaluate this, the safest approach is to wait until you’ve finished nursing.
Herbal Alternatives During Pregnancy
If you’re dealing with anxiety, restlessness, or trouble sleeping during pregnancy, you might assume other herbal options are a straightforward swap. The reality is more complicated than it appears. A 2022 safety assessment published in Planta Medica evaluated several well-known calming herbs, including valerian, lavender, hops, California poppy, and St. John’s wort, for their potential use during pregnancy. While some showed promising safety profiles in lab testing, the European Medicines Agency does not recommend any of them during pregnancy either, again due to a lack of sufficient human safety data.
That said, some herbs have more real-world evidence behind them than others. Lavender essential oil showed no detrimental effects in any of the lab experiments conducted in that study. And valerian has a notable track record: data from a Swedish birth registry covering over 860,000 women between 1995 and 2004 found that valerian preparations were among the most frequently used medicines during pregnancy, with no unfavorable effects on pregnancy outcomes reported. That’s reassuring observational data, though it still falls short of the formal clinical trials regulators want to see before issuing a green light.
The gap between “no evidence of harm” and “proven safe” is where most herbal remedies for anxiety sit during pregnancy. None of the popular calming herbs carry an official endorsement for use in pregnant women.
What Actually Helps With Pregnancy Anxiety
Anxiety during pregnancy is extremely common, affecting roughly one in five women. Rather than searching for the “right” herbal supplement, approaches with a stronger evidence base are worth considering first.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Effective for anxiety during pregnancy with no chemical exposure to the baby.
- Mindfulness and relaxation techniques: Breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and prenatal yoga have all shown benefits for pregnancy-related anxiety and sleep trouble.
- Sleep hygiene adjustments: Consistent bedtimes, limiting screens before sleep, and keeping the room cool can meaningfully improve the insomnia that often drives people toward passionflower in the first place.
- Lavender aromatherapy: Inhaling lavender essential oil (not ingesting it) is one of the gentler options with a relatively reassuring safety profile, though you should still mention it to your provider.
For moderate to severe anxiety, prescription options do exist that have been studied in pregnant populations. That’s a conversation worth having with a healthcare provider who can weigh the specific risks and benefits for your situation, rather than self-treating with supplements that lack safety data.
If You Already Took Passionflower
If you drank passionflower tea or took a supplement before realizing you were pregnant, or before learning about the recommendation, there’s no reason to panic. The warning is precautionary, based on missing data rather than documented harm. A cup of passionflower tea contains a relatively small dose of active compounds. The concern is about regular, ongoing use during pregnancy, not a single exposure. Stop using it going forward and let your provider know at your next visit so it’s part of your record.