People trying to scare me about drinking raspberry leaf tea

[june2013]

At my 30 week appointment I had asked my midwife about the safety of drinking raspberry leaf tea. She told me all the benefits of it and said to go ahead and start having one to two cups a day. She said it was perfectly safe but just to not drink too much. So I've been drinking it now for the past two weeks.

I had my baby shower on Saturday and at it I had mentioned that I was drinking the tea. My aunt then announced to everyone how dangerous it was and that it caused her friend to have a miscarriage. Another friend in the room who did drink it (but only in the week before her due date) then said that I was drinking it way to early and that I should only start 2 weeks before my due date or else it would send me into preterm labour. Everyone then started telling me how I was putting my baby in danger and that night my mom was freaking out at me for being irresponsible by taking it. Even though I told everyone my midwife was the one who told me it was perfectly safe to take!

I'm so frustrated! I've since stopped drinking it because now I'm terrified that if for some reason I go into early labour everyone will blame it on that and judge me for putting my baby's life in danger. Ugh I'm so upset. Clearly I would never do anything that posed any risk to my baby. I would never drink the tea if the midwife hadn't told me it was safe. Have any of you experienced people judging your decision to drink the tea? Is there actually any proof that it is not safe?

 

[austinsmom]

https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/herbaltea.html
Seems that it's most likely safe. If your midwife says ok, go for it. You don't need to defend your decision to your friends/family.

 

[Cassie96]

It's a uterus toner, it will give you a shorter labour and birth, but will cause postpartum bleeding if you drink too much. Just be careful you don't drink too much and you should be fine, I have 1 cup a day but I started at 38 weeks.

 

[Julesillini8]

I never heard about this tea until I joined the boards this pregnancy. I have read a few things, including the article the previous poster cited, thanks. I am going to keep reading about it, but I was wondering where you got it? Is it at the grocery store?? ( sorry if this is a stupid question)

 

[HopinAndPrayn]

I never heard about this tea until I joined the boards this pregnancy. I have read a few things, including the article the previous poster cited, thanks. I am going to keep reading about it, but I was wondering where you got it? Is it at the grocery store?? ( sorry if this is a stupid question)

I didn't find mine at the regular grocery store but I found it at Whole Foods. You can also get it on Amazon.com.

 

[Julesillini8]

Excellent thank you! I have now looked on amazon and found one I'm going to try. ( earth mama) thanks for your recommendation!
To the OP, if your midwife says its safe, then do what you feel and don't worry about families comments. She is the medical professional and expert in the pregnancy field! I am 30 wks and am thinking about starting to drink it in maybe a few ( maybe 2) weeks.

 

[Bun87]

It isn't recommended in early pregnancy, as it can cause preterm labour. However if your midwife said it's ok then I would follow her advice. Just make sure you build it up gradually I can't believehow your aunt did that at your baby shower without knowing the facts. As if you don't have enough to worry about already... X

 

[SparkleUK]

Absolute rubbish!!
It's us a uterine toner! It does not cause you to have the baby any earlier as if that was the case ladies wouldn't need inducing would they!!!
It does cause BH which, in early day ie: before 30 weeks could cause preterm labour. I take raspberry leaf capsules 1 a day from 32-35 weeks then 3 a day 36-37 then 4-5 a day after that!!
My me doesn't even believe in its effects therefore she said take it whenever I want!!
Some ppl are just scaremongers you take it if you want to!! X

 

[pebbie1]

It might have caused the miscarriage if she started drinking it too early.
I drank it with my daughter and it worked fabulous!
I'm now drinking it again. 2 cups at the moment and I'll be going to 4 cups a day from 37 weeks. As its a uterus toner you'll need to start it from your early 30's weeks so you get the time to make it work. Starting it 2 weeks before is very likely to be not as effective.
So I'd say, just get back on it and hopefully you'll get all the benefits of it during labour!

 

[Dani_Ldn]

How silly, a million different things could have caused a miscarriage.

I have started drinking it a week or so ago, only 1 cup per day. I am not sure if it will do anything, but am willing to try it out.

 

[izzlesnizzle]

I drank 3 cups a day from 32 weeks onwards and I went overdue by 2 weeks. Don't worry about it, its a uterus toner which is meant to make the 2nd stage shorter. Babies come when theyre ready to come, not because you had a couple of cups of tea!

 

[fudgecake251]

It's just a uterus toner. I used it with my first and it was extremely effective. My labour was 4 hrs 50 mins from start to finish. Your aunt shouldn't of said that to you. If your midwife says it is fine then it is fine. There is nothing in this that would cause miscarriage, it could of been a million different things as a previous poster said. To be honest I don't even seem to get braxton hicks with it, although to be honest I have loads of aches and pains so wouldn't have a clue if I was having one or not. I use the capsules as I did in my previous pregnancy, I started them last week and I am having 3 -4 capsules per day. I would say maybe just stick to 1-2 cups a day for now and then by 36 weeks you can build it up and start having around 4 per day. It won't do you any harm and will not induce labour. Good luck.

 

[CaT1285]

It's a uterus toner, it will give you a shorter labour and birth, but will cause postpartum bleeding if you drink too much. Just be careful you don't drink too much and you should be fine, I have 1 cup a day but I started at 38 weeks.

Is that true? I've heard that EPO can cause postpartum bleeding, but not raspberry leaf.

 

[readynwilling]

Butting in from 2nd Tri. I started to drink 1 cup a day from 24 weeks with both pregnancies. I increase to 2 cups a day about 30 weeks, then 3 cups at 34 weeks, then 4 cups from 37 weeks on or so.

There is A LOT of conflicting information out there. I know people who drank it their entire pregnancy. It is very sad when people loose their pregnancies but for everyone who says it caused my MC - they don't know that, but its something to blame, and my heart goes out to them. And for every "bad" story you hear, you will hear 50 that are positive.

 

[BabyDragon]

I started at 32w, slowly increasing it to 6 cups a day.

I also did EPO.

I had a very LONG labor, more than 48 hours, even with the help of pitocin and them breaking my water, I never dilated past 7cm, hence never even got to push.

Ended in an EMCS. . I was exactly 40 weeks, right on my EDD.

 

[MrS. MaBrEy]

both my doula and OB have said past 30 weeks I can start drinking 2 cups per day everyday to help shorten labor and tone the uterus. I would be asking these people where they got their medical liscenses and that if they have a problem with something you are doing they can discuss it with your midwife on their own time. sorry they are stressing you out!

 

[xsadiex]

If it caused pre-term labour there would be many more women with early babies! Mine was late and I drank lots
Ignore them, they obviously haven't done much research as you're supposed to drink it a good while before your due date as it slowly builds up. Your midwife wouldn't say it was ok if it wasnt x

 

[sue_88]

Can anyone recommend a brand in the UK of the tea?

I'm thinking of getting some in the next week.

 

[sevenofnine]

I had 3-4 cups a day near the end. All is well!