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Hi all,
I took Raspberry Leaf tablets from 33 weeks with DD and I think they helped with my quick labour. I'm currently 34 weeks with #2 and am wondering about when I should start this time. I have heard that second timers should start later - should I wait even longer as DD was born at 37+6?
Thanks.
My chriopractor suggested raspberry leaf tea for uterine strength but didn't mention anything about quicker labour. She suggested starting from 30 weeks and this is my second bubs
i am not sure but would like to know. i started taking them while i was pregnant with DD2 and had a 4 and half hour labour (induced) whilst first time round it was over 12 hours (induced). not sure if they helped or it was just the way it went. i cant remember when i started taking them, i think i just followed the instructions on the bottle. third trimester for sure though.
I definitely felt RL helped my body labour more efficiently (and therefore quicker). First labour, 6 hours from first niggle. So I'm also wondering the same lol!
Great for milk production too :)
Great to know, thanks Kelly:
I was given advice to drink raspberry leaf tea from 35 weeks if you have had previous labours and especially if they were quick!! Ds1 was 6 days early and 6 hrs, dd1 was
On her due date and 1.5 hrs....ds2 was my third bubs and went to 41 weeks with a 40 minute labour!
So go figure....who really knows!!!!!
Dunno if it was the loooonnnggg walks every day, DTD, eating spicy food, bouncing constantly on my fit ball or the copious amounts of raspberry loose leaf tea I drunk but something certainly helped my DD to hurry her little bum up and join us earth side sooner than her EDD :) I'd try it again with the next bub and do recommend it!
Just an aside, raspberry lead does not induce labour or make you go into labour sooner, it's a uterine toner. Your uterus is one big muscle, and raspberry leaf tones that muscle, making it work more efficiently :)
It seems to make my intermittent pre-labour contractions more painful so I stopped taking it, I will start again in a few weeks but couldn't bear the thought of having more pain for all those weeks. I took it with DS#2 and had a long prelabour and 2 hour (probably less) labour with bubs arriving ten minutes after I arrived at the birth centre. Right now I am having an attack of prelabour so the thought of taking it isn't appealling for me!
I started at 30 weeks and had a pretty standard 9 hours of active labour. 2+ hours of second stage though, which is what it's been proven to reduce. So good thing I had it!
PP can you ask your midwife?
I took RLT in all three pregnancies. From 34 weeks with DD1 she was born at 36+2, from 35 weeks withh DD2, she was born at 35+6 and from 36 weeks with DD3 who was born at 37+4. I had approx 6hrs active labour with each, drug free, unassisted vaginal deliveries for all of the girls. I was worried about not it taking after having a good labour with previous pregnancies and wasn't sure whether the RLT played a big part in how well my labours progressed. After each birth I had midwives comment on how quickly my uterus shrunk too, not sure if that was related to the RLT.
I had lots of prelabour with dd3 and found the higher doses of RLT gave me cramps, so I reduced what I was taking and had no problems after that. I used the supplements as Im not a tea drinker
good luck
Yes that's right, it's a wonderful tonic herb, rich in loads of vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. It's even great for men who need to build up their nutrients! But such a friend for the entire women's reproductive system. I use RRL in my Pregnancy tea, Birth Vibes tea, Birth tea and Babymoon post partum tea, and yes it is a minor galactogue too, probably because it is so nourishing.:
I was once told that adding Peppermint enhances RRL and helps your body absorb the nutrients - but I have not been able to find any info since to support this.
I have used RRL with all my pregnancies and labours, love it, and they were all great.
JulieDoula, did you have prelabour pains with your subsequent bubs? I am suffering from them and so I am staying away from the RRLT-do you think that is right?
Thanks for your feedback, everyone! I had some left after DD was born and took it during my periods once they started up again. Definitely improved matters there!
Pud is breech and looks pretty happy there, so an attempt at a manual turn at 37 weeks looks likely. Would a stronger uterus help or hinder this??
Hey Purple - Oops is sitting breech too. I've started going to the chiropractor, and will be seeing an acupuncturist on Monday both to loosen and open my pelvis and encourage her to turn on her own. Have you thought about these as options before manual turning? My Chiropractor has an 80% turn rate using the webster technique and no risk of placental detachment, where I know there is a risk in manual turning. Just some thoughts.
I second Dr. Tal's comments - heaps of better options than ECV - I also know lots of babies who turn back after them anyway. Also a chance it can set you off into labour meaning a c/s.
rebozo moved my bub, more than once cos he changed position again.
Thanks everyone, I'm looking for a chiro and accupuncturist now. (Any recommendations for Western Sydney please PM me!) I just read an article by an accupuncturist about other signs and symptoms for liver disharmony, which apparently often present with breech position: "a pregnant woman who gets frustrated easily, is moody, gets constipation, has tense muscles, wakes up during the night consistently between one and three in the morning"... uhhhhh... tick, tick, tick, tick and tick. I read it out to my DH and as much as he's usually a bit sceptical about CAM, he suggested I look into it.
Awesome news PP, make sure they have good experience :)
Hi there Purple pixie,
As an acupuncturist and Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner, i recommend all of my clients who want to use RLT to start from 34 weeks onwards as a uterine toner and to commence prelabour acupuncture from 36 weeks onwards.
This is providing the whole pregnancy is progressing smoothly.
I would definately recommend giving Acupuncture a go first before even considering a ECV, feedback from the women I see who have opted for the procedure have mentioned that it is very uncomfortable and in the end still not being able to turn the baby.
What I do in a treatment to turn the baby involves using Moxa to warm up the lateral(outer) part of the little toe and using points to help descend and move qi and blood. The point at the outer end of the little toe is an emperical point for turning breech babies and I have used it with great success. I also get my clients to bring home some moxa sticks to perform the treatment at home.
Now the key part is when the baby does turn, do not stop the moxa. Continue the moxa treatment. In my experience bubs would not turn back when treatment is prolonged.
When moxa treatments cease straight after bubs turns, they tend to turn back into breech. Continueing the moxa would help ensure they stay in the correct position.
Regards
Chris
purplepixie -
Unfortunately I can't give you any advice for either a chiro or an accupuncturist in Sydney. Sorry. Just wanted to let you know that THEY DO WORK! I had my first chiro to turn Oops on Tuesday. She'd been presenting alternating between transverse and breech for quite a number of weeks but she'd not been head down since early on in the 20 weeks. Had an Ob appointment on Friday and the ultrasound showed she'd turned head down. I felt heaps of movements after my chiro on Tuesday and then Wed, Thursday and Friday she just felt different, so she must have turned some time Tuesday night after my adjustment. I'll be continuing my treatments, both chiro and acupuncture, just to make sure everything is the way it should be for birth.