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Is valerian safe during pregnancy?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says women who are pregnant or nursing should not take valerian without medical advice, because the possible risks to the fetus or infant have not been evaluated. NCCIH says little is known. A 2023 laboratory study found valerenic acid equilibrated across donated placentas. Ask your doctor first.1,2,3

Key facts

  • NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says pregnant or nursing women should not take valerian without medical advice, because the possible risks to the fetus or infant have not been evaluated.1
  • NCCIH says little is known about whether it is safe to use valerian during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.2
  • In a laboratory model using donated term placentas, valerenic acid from valerian equilibrated between the maternal and fetal sides over a 4-hour perfusion.3
  • The same study saw no effect on the placenta's metabolic or structural measures during the perfusion, and a cell-layer model suggested valerenic acid does not cross.3
  • None of the sources we read describes a trial or cohort study of valerian in pregnant women.1,2

What do NIH sources say about valerian in pregnancy?

The two NIH sources that cover valerian use similar words for pregnancy: the risks have not been looked at. The Office of Dietary Supplements gives the firmer instruction. Its fact sheet says that women who are pregnant or nursing should not take valerian without medical advice, because the possible risks to the fetus or infant have not been evaluated.1

NCCIH's page is softer but arrives in the same place. It says little is known about whether it is safe to use valerian during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Neither source names a harm. Both describe a gap in the evidence, and both treat that gap as a reason to ask first.2

What do laboratory studies show?

One 2023 study looked at whether a compound from valerian reaches the fetal side of the placenta. Researchers perfused donated term placentas in the laboratory for 4 hours and measured valerenic acid, a marker compound in valerian root. It equilibrated between the maternal and fetal compartments, and it did not change the placenta's metabolic, functional or structural measures during the experiment. A separate cell-layer model suggested it does not cross.3

The authors drew a cautious conclusion: unlike the compounds they tested from St. John's wort, fetal exposure to valerenic acid could not be called minimal. This is a laboratory model using term placentas over a few hours. It does not show harm, and it does not show safety across a pregnancy, so it is context, not an answer.3

What is still not known?

The sources we read describe no clinical trial or cohort study of valerian in pregnant women, so nothing is known from them about miscarriage, birth outcomes or a child's development. They also do not separate early from late pregnancy.1,2

A second uncertainty is what a product contains.1

In the United States valerian is sold as a dietary supplement. Because supplements are not always checked for manufacturing consistency, NIH says their composition may vary considerably between production lots.1

What about valerian tea or blends?

The NIH sheets are about valerian root products and supplements. None of the sources we read measured the valerian in a bedtime tea blend, so they do not say whether the caution carries over to tea. Because the tea may also contain other herbs, the label is the starting point for a conversation with a doctor.1,2

Who should ask a doctor about valerian in pregnancy?

Ask your doctor or midwife before using valerian in any form if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or unsure whether you might be. If you took some earlier, mention it, since the sources do not say what that means for one pregnancy.

  • Bring the label of any supplement or tea, including every herb listed.
  • Mention other medicines or supplements that cause drowsiness, because NIH says valerian might add to the effects of sedatives.1
  • Mention alcohol, since NCCIH says valerian should not be taken along with alcohol or sedatives.2

Questions people ask

Is valerian root safe during pregnancy?

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says pregnant women should not take valerian without medical advice, because the risks to the fetus have not been evaluated. Ask your doctor.1

Is valerian tea safe during pregnancy?

The sources we read do not measure valerian in tea. NIH's advice about pregnancy refers to valerian generally. Ask your doctor before using it in any form.1,2

Is valerian root OK during pregnancy?

NCCIH says little is known about valerian during pregnancy, and NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says the risks have not been evaluated. Ask your doctor.1,2

Is sleepytime tea with valerian safe during pregnancy?

A blend adds other herbs to the question, and none of the sources we read tested blends. NIH advises medical advice before valerian in pregnancy. Ask your doctor to look at the label.1

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Sources

  1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Valerian: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 15, 2013. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Valerian. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. Last updated May 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Spiess D, Abegg VF, Chauveau A, et al. Transplacental passage of hyperforin, hypericin, and valerenic acid. Front Pharmacol. 2023;14:1123194. Opened 2026-10-11.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.