Red Raspberry Leaf Tea - your thoughts

[bunni84]

hey ladies

im a bit confused about red raspberry tea

some say drink it throughout your pregnancy..some say only after 30 weeks up until birth

help? what to do?

also which one would be the best one to get? i found one in holland and barratts but its got other ingredients in it too, its not pure red raspberry leaf tea.

 

[pebbie1]

I drank it with my daughter and it was amazing! It's not to induce labour but its to make you dilate quicker and it sure as helped for me as I went from 2-8 cm in half an hour
I started drinking it at 32 weeks and will do the same again this time. It makes your cervix softer, hence why it is not recommended to drink it earlier.
This is the one I ordered last time and will be using again:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000WGWYYW
X

 

[summer rain]

I think RLT may have been a factor in me having super fast, extra painful labours with my middle two boys so with my youngest I didn't drink it at all. My labour with him was longer and more drawn out but the pushing stage was the shortest ever and despite him being in an almost back to back position, the pain wasn't as unbearable as with my middle two. I won't be drinking it this pregnancy either xx

 

[xsadiex]

I started drinking it at about 30 weeks and will do again. I drank quite a lot but I still had a 37 hour labour so not sure if it actually does what it's supposed to do. Although found pushing him out quite easy so maybe it did something?

 

[danielle1984]

I drank it with my daughter and it was amazing! It's not to induce labour but its to make you dilate quicker and it sure as helped for me as I went from 2-8 cm in half an hour
I started drinking it at 32 weeks and will do the same again this time. It makes your cervix softer, hence why it is not recommended to drink it earlier.
This is the one I ordered last time and will be using again:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000WGWYYW
X

Interesting!! I had no clue it could do that. I might try it.

 

[bunni84]

Thats the same one i saw in holland and barratts.and WOW I shall deffo try it

I drank it with my daughter and it was amazing! It's not to induce labour but its to make you dilate quicker and it sure as helped for me as I went from 2-8 cm in half an hour
I started drinking it at 32 weeks and will do the same again this time. It makes your cervix softer, hence why it is not recommended to drink it earlier.
This is the one I ordered last time and will be using again:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000WGWYYW
X

 

[bunni84]

Really? wow
I think i will try it and see how i go, if its painful as you say i wont try it again

I think RLT may have been a factor in me having super fast, extra painful labours with my middle two boys so with my youngest I didn't drink it at all. My labour with him was longer and more drawn out but the pushing stage was the shortest ever and despite him being in an almost back to back position, the pain wasn't as unbearable as with my middle two. I won't be drinking it this pregnancy either xx

 

[pebbie1]

Definitely give it a go. I quite liked the taste as well.
They recommend 1 cup a day from 32-34 weeks and then go up to 4 cups a day. X

 

[MamaTex]

Interesting!! Thanks for the post. I learned something new today.

 

[MrS. MaBrEy]

my doula highly recommends drinking it from 30 weeks on to strengthen uterine muscles. I will def. be getting some when I get further along!

 

[Athena]

I think I will give it a go. Also I think using evening primrose oil as a suppository is supposed to help with something lol! I will remember to research that one in a few weeks

 

[Guppy051708]

My MWs said you could drink it your entire pregnancy, even while TTC bc it doesn't induce labor it simply supplies the uterus with all the special nutrients it needs to tone it and be more effective for birth. I drank it during my entire pregnancy with DS2. My labor was fast! About 1 hour and 15 minutes. My contractions double peaked so they were a million times more intense than my first labor, but honestly i would rather have a speedy, more intense labor, than a slow painful one. It hurts either way so i just assume id rather get it over with! I didn't take it for my first birth and that one took forever. even pushing took forever but with my second i took it the entire pregnancy and from 4CM-placenta was less than an hour and a half. It was def better than having a 30 hour labor like i did with my first! I also didn't have trouble with the placenta coming out that time either. I had major issues with it the first time. Im pretty sure the RLT was to thank for the difference.

 

[Dtswife]

I've been drinking Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea (or the one I made myself - way cheaper to buy the ingredients separately at a dry goods store) since before I was pregnant. All the stuff in it is crazy good for the female system, and it's pretty good too. I have been doing 1-2 cups a day, but will start drinking more the farther along I get. I think it's fine the whole way UNLESS you're having an iffy time with bleeding etc. I have sort of come to the conclusion that it won't START anything, but it can tip the scales.

 

[Anderson8]

I drank it from 35 weeks. Went into Labour at 36+5, in labour for 44 hours and ended up with a section

 

[bunni84]

Interesting!! I shall ask my MW about this on my next meeting with her.
Sorry to hear about the not so good experiences with RLT.

 

[pebbie1]

It does take a few weeks before it starts to work and you'll advantage from it, hence the start at 32 weeks. It doesn't work after a week.
X

 

[JWandBump]

With my first I only had about 2 cups altogether. I just diddnt really like the taste tbh, but my labour was fast. 6 hours in total and I diddnt know I was in labour for about 3hours lol also the pushing stage was very quick, I was only in the hospital for an hour before she arrived

So I can't say if it helps or not but I don't think I will bother this time x

 

[FLU77ERBYE]

I didn't like the tea and I had the capsules! They where like bullets! I started taking them at 35 weeks and went into labour at 38+2 and my labour was only 1hr 40 mins from start to finish! x

 

[Dtswife]

I didn't like the tea and I had the capsules! They where like bullets! I started taking them at 35 weeks and went into labour at 38+2 and my labour was only 1hr 40 mins from start to finish! x

Sweet Baby Moses! Totally getting me some capsules in a couple weeks! Not going to hurt anything!

Someone mentioned Evening Primrose Oil as a vaginal suppository to help speed up / induce labor. Evening Primrose Oil mimics prostoglandins, a hormone which helps ripen and dilate your cervix, so if you ingest it or put it on your cervix (don't do if you are GBS positive or have ruptured membranes - the less vaginal interference the better in those cases) it acts like your body's own prostaglandins.
Incidentally, this is also why you can take it pre-ovulation to increase your cervical fluid for TTC.