# do you think RLT and EPO helped?



## lovelylaura

do you think these helped you with your labours also is there any thing you tried which you swore got your baby out? just interested to see if there is any point in doing these or not really thanks :flower:


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## emme

didn't work at all for me i don't think. but i was induced in the end so not sure if that was a factor!


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## whoops

I think RLT definitely worked for me - I ended up having a short labour, and the second stage lasted about only 20 minutes.

I was induced, but that's fair enough because RLT isn't meant to bring on labour, just make your contractions more efficient and the second stage shorter.


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## stardust599

Yes Yes Yes!! Definately I had a planned induction at 37weeks (IUGR) and by drinking gallons of RLT and using EPO in the 3weeks before I was already 2cm dilated, effaced and was having mild contractions. My induction ended up being awful but that was down to the hospital not allowing me to move and forcing me onto a pitocin drip, I really feel that RLT and EPO helped. The 2nd stage (pushing) was about 27mins for me which is fantastic for a 1st time labour, especially an induced one xx


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## Babydreams321

Yes definitely! I was in labour for three & a half hours with my first child!!! my waters popped at 6.45 am. the mw got to mine at 9am ( planned home birth ) & i was already 8 cm dilated with no pain relief!!!!! Harry was here an hour & 15 mins later!!

.....BUT who knows if it wouldve been the same or not had i not taken RLT or EPO??!!! I know i'll take them again for my next baby anyway! :flower:


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## ALM

Well I loved the taste of RLT so drank it anyway and figured if it does help then great, if not it's better than a lot of normal tea. I had a really short labour so you could say yes it worked, but then I'm a scientist too so after reading many a scientific paper I decided there was no hard evidence it worked apart from in rats.... But why not try it, you've got nothing to lose as long as you follow the guidelines and like the taste!


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## Babydreams321

ALM said:


> Well I loved the taste of RLT so drank it anyway and figured if it does help then great, if not it's better than a lot of normal tea. I had a really short labour so you could say yes it worked, but then I'm a scientist too so after reading many a scientific paper I decided there was no hard evidence it worked apart from in rats.... But why not try it, you've got nothing to lose as long as you follow the guidelines and like the taste!

or just buy the RLT capsules like I did if you dont lol xx


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## ALM

Babydreams321 said:


> ALM said:
> 
> 
> Well I loved the taste of RLT so drank it anyway and figured if it does help then great, if not it's better than a lot of normal tea. I had a really short labour so you could say yes it worked, but then I'm a scientist too so after reading many a scientific paper I decided there was no hard evidence it worked apart from in rats.... But why not try it, you've got nothing to lose as long as you follow the guidelines and like the taste!
> 
> or just buy the RLT capsules like I did if you dont lol xxClick to expand...

or...^WSS :haha:


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## HodgePodge

My labour was only 2hours and 45mins and i'd been taking RL capsules like there was no tomorrow....I would definately recommend it. My sister recommended it to me and her labours were less than 4 hours.


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## Babushka99

Yes I reckon it triggered off my labour!


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## MrsGreen

Im sorry to sound silly.... but what is RLT and EPO?? Is the first one tea??
Thanks ladies :)


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## Pearls18

I drank RLT for 4 weeks before giving birth, I was in labour for 4 hours and pushed for 25 mins during that, so I will vouch for it and will be drinking it second time round but obviously will never know for sure.


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## SazzleR

Yes I'm convinced RLT helped me! I drank it from 34 weeks. Started at one cup a day & upped it by a cup every 2 weeks. My waters broke at 12.30am & pains started about 1.30am. When I was examined at 4am I was already 8cm dilated. Got to 10cm really quick after that. Not bad for my first baby! SIL also had RLT capsules (she didn't like taste of the tea) and she had a short first labour too.


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## Pearls18

Oh and my MW was a little worried about RLT she hadn't done any research into it but near to when I was due she had a woman who had been drinking it by the bucketload (way more than recommended) and birthed within the hour (first time labour) just to pass on that story!!! (But a labour that quick isn't usually very good either it can be dangerous!)


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## sophiepaton

whats evening primrose oil how do you take it and what does it do ? x


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## RedString

MrsGreen said:


> Im sorry to sound silly.... but what is RLT and EPO?? Is the first one tea??
> Thanks ladies :)

RLT is raspberry leaf tea, and epo is evening primrose oil

with my first i drank rlt religiously. he was 3 weeks early, and i pushed with him for 5 or 10 minutes before he was born.

this one i drink rlt when i remember, and i'm a few days overdue. we'll see how the labour goes.


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## sophiepaton

RedString said:


> MrsGreen said:
> 
> 
> Im sorry to sound silly.... but what is RLT and EPO?? Is the first one tea??
> Thanks ladies :)
> 
> RLT is raspberry leaf tea, and epo is evening primrose oil
> 
> with my first i drank rlt religiously. he was 3 weeks early, and i pushed with him for 5 or 10 minutes before he was born.
> 
> this one i drink rlt when i remember, and i'm a few days overdue. we'll see how the labour goes.Click to expand...

When did you start drinking with your first ?


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## RedString

sophiepaton said:


> RedString said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MrsGreen said:
> 
> 
> Im sorry to sound silly.... but what is RLT and EPO?? Is the first one tea??
> Thanks ladies :)
> 
> RLT is raspberry leaf tea, and epo is evening primrose oil
> 
> with my first i drank rlt religiously. he was 3 weeks early, and i pushed with him for 5 or 10 minutes before he was born.
> 
> this one i drink rlt when i remember, and i'm a few days overdue. we'll see how the labour goes.Click to expand...
> 
> When did you start drinking with your first ?Click to expand...

around 32 weeks i think. it was a pretty stressful time so a lot of its still a blur, :/ i'll see if i can find any old posts on it.


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## Babydreams321

I think RLT is from 32 weeks & EPO is from 36 weeks... if other ladies are reading this please do your research first as EPO very early on in pregnancy can actually cause miscarriage so PLEASE make sure you take the correct doses at the correct point in your pregnancy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :flower:

In a nutshell to the girls that asked RLT can be taken as a drink or as a tablet & it kinda "tones" your uterus to make your contractions more effective/efficient... 

EPO come in capsule form & soften your cervix to aid dilation etc etc


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## lovelylaura

Thanks I've been drinking RLT the last week or so a little late but better late than never I a actually like the taste and I found some EPO in the house yesterday and remembered that you could take that aswell but I just wondered if it really does help or not lol but I will be doing both now its got to help a little :)


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## Babydreams321

lovelylaura said:


> Thanks I've been drinking RLT the last week or so a little late but better late than never I a actually like the taste and I found some EPO in the house yesterday and remembered that you could take that aswell but I just wondered if it really does help or not lol but I will be doing both now its got to help a little :)

Good luck with your labour hon :flower:


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## DolceBella

Yes! Yes! I used both and had a wonderful first delivery! I used the RLT capsules in the end though, b/c I couldn't drink that much tea. Before I started labor with my first, I was already 3-4cm/100% effaced. The first labor lasted only 6-7 hours and pushed for 15 minutes. I'm using it again religiously right now! :)


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## mummytori

how much RLT have people actually been drinking? as in how many cups a day? is there a recommended amount?
ive been having the capsules, 2 a day as it said on the tub, but have just run out and thought there was no point in buying a whole new full tub now that im only a week or so away, so have just sent OH to get me the teabags. i havn't had it in tea form yet so was just wondering if there are rules for how much i can have!!


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## Soos

i'm convinced that it did. my back to back first labor lasted only 7 hours. i don't remember how i was drinking it though. need to google it. and yes i'll drink it this time around too hopefully


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## Nyn

Evening Primrose Oil worked very well for me in softening up the cervix. Started 2 weeks before due date orally and vaginally. He came on his due date :) I also believe that the large amount of oil that my perinium (sp?) was exposed to helped in not having one tear at all during birth.. stretched very well :)


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## sam#3

i really believe that the RLT capsules help to tone your uterus muscles, so that the contractions are all really effective


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## Bocket

YEP!

3hr 20 established labour, only g&a at 39+6 and after each examination the midwives commented on how soft & thin my cervix was (even from the start) 

I took RLT from 34/5 weeks and EPO from 36 x


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## prgirl_cesca

I drank 2 mugs of RLT a day from about 37 weeks and I gave birth at 39 weeks. I only pushed for 6 minutes and the midwife afterwards asked if I had been drinking it as she could tell because my contractions were so strong!


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## aileymouse

I took RLT, my midwife recommended it to make the uterus work more efficiently. She says she's firm believer of the stuff.

The midwife who delivered my second said that even though my conractions didn't last very long, they were very efficient. I had 2 short labours and took RLT both times :)


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## sam#3

i think epo is very effective when inserted vaginally and the rl tablets are better than the tea as they are a higher dose


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## lynnikins

i think they helped with both pregnancys because with ds1 i dilated steadily and at my sweep she said i was starting to dilate and things looked good, with ds2 wasnt dilating but cervix was super soft and once it did go then it really went lol and it was a quick easy labor. 

with ds1 my DH swears it was th BJ that i gave him that started my labor 12 hrs later lol apparently its more effictive than sex caus you absorbe the homone into your bloodstream quicker


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