Raspberry Leaf Tea

[{sarah}]

I know Rasberry Leaf tea or tablets are supposed to help late in pregnancy to get your uterus ready for birth. What I wondered though is when are you supposed to start taking it & how much?

I thought I'd have a look around the net & see what I can find out (will post my results here). But I'm also interested in what you guys have to say about it....

TIA

[Ambah]

I heard something along the lines of that once you reach your due date (or maybe even 2 weeks before?) you can drink up to three cups a day. But if its before that time then only one cup a day as having too much could help stimulate contractions.
I'm not sure if this is correct info or not, my memory is very fuzzy on this!!!

[Antheia]

I read on the box of the tea that you can take it from 2nd trimester

[Trish]

Sarah, when I had my last visit with my Midwife at 28 weeks she told me then that it was fine to start drinking it then. So yep, once your in your into your third tri seems to be about right. Basically all its supposed to do is to help tone your uterus and help you to have more affective contractions. Don't know that my uterus need ths much more convincing to contract although the closer the big days I hav have them connect an IV to me with it flowing through it. LOL

Take care
Trish

[christy]

mmmm my midwives said 34 weeks...

[runnermum]

well...i religiously drank my raspberry leaf tea and it must of toned up my uterus so much that I ended up having a very, very long labour with the most intense pain...only 1 cm dilated after 20 hours...and then decided it was time for drugs...finally after 28 hours I had my lovely baby..

I will NOT be drinking it again...ever.

[bon]

I drank it from late 2nd trimester onwards, just one cup a day. Towards my due date it gave me cramping after drinking it, like it caused my uterus to contract. It didn't seem to have any affect my labour and birth though, but I was augmented with synto so I didn't have a 'natural' labour.

[Lulu]

I just I remember that I was given fairly strict instructions about the timing. I think you could only have a certain amount, you could have TOO much tea.
All I know is that after a big day of shopping I had two cups spaced out about 1/2 hour...... and began contracyions approx 40mins later.

I think I was a 50/50 combination of the tea, and finding the perfect outfit for labour.!

[Gemma]

Thanks for the info ellen.

I have also done some research on RLT and found similar to your info. I don't like herbal teas so I am going to start taking tablets in a couple of weeks. From what I read, the tablets are stronger but I'm sure it would depend on the strenght of each.

[mummy46]

i heard it was 30 weeks or somehting around that

[Zee]

From 32 weeks I took the tablets & it did nothing for me.. I still went 8 days over & had to be induced. I will take it again though just incase,lol

[Mum0809]

I was told 28 to 30 weeks. I only drink 1-2 cups a day but I think you can have more than that.

[Nicole Tracy]

It is safe to take Raspberry Leaf for the second and third trimesters - up to three cups a day, or 1.2 to 2.4g/day in tablet form. In the lead up to labour you can increase the dosage of tea to six times daily. It doesn't have any safety issues, except that it should be avoided in the first trimester, and it should be taken away from mineral supplements as it can reduce your absorption of the minerals. Let me know if you would like any detailled info about this special herb x

[Heaven]

Did you ever find out the answer Sarah??
I've been reading about it but am a bit scared to start taking it yet. I was thinking 34-35 weeks.

[visitor1]

Ive been drinking the tea since 28 weeks and its not given me any problems yet...LOL

[Nicole Tracy]

There is no need to be fearful of this beautiful herb. It contains high levels of Calcium and Magnesium, and also Iron, and really does have the ability to aid the uterus to both contract AND relax. It will not cause lengthened labours etc.

Try to look at it more as a food that contains many of the nutrients that your uterus requires during the labour process. It is very safe, and can be used from the second trimester onwards.

xxx

[Heaven]

Thanks Kim and Nicole!

[SamiH]

I used a raspberry leaf tincture this time around - I would like to think it definitely helped - my acupuncture practitioner made it for me - started at 36 wks, he didn't want me to start it any earlier.

my history was #1 - spurious labour, contractions irregular for 48 hours, then ARM and epi cos I was so damn tired after 2 days. I had used the Blackmores RL tablets

#2 - waters broke, no contractions, start/stop/start/stop - synto drip with peth - drank tea from 34 weeks

#3 - acupuncture from 20 weeks, tincture from 36 weeks, epo orally only from 36 weeks, and waters broke, contractions started 24 hours later (we were checked etc and everyone was ok) - then once they started - 6 hr labour with textbook contraction increase in intensity etc - 3 minute second stage LOL

Anyway, I would take the tincture again, believed in really helped in the uterus toning - belief is a powerful thing -