red raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil?

jeapplegate · January 2013

I went late and was induced last time. I really don't want that to happen to me again. I heard alot about people using these last time and I'm just wondering if anyone here did.

I'm not sure, but I've read you can start the tea in the 2nd trimester and the oil after 36 weeks. I would love to hear how other people did it and what they thought about if it helped them or not.

Foxinsocks · January 2013

I used both. Those the primrose was after I began labor. I think that, the relaxed laboring situation, and the olive oil my MW used kept my va-jay-jay tear free!

rhek003 · January 2013

My midwife told me to wait to take evening primrose until I was full-term. I ended up waiting until I was 39 weeks and had my son three or four days later. There's really no way to tell if it helped or not, but at that point I was willing to try anything!

CDMay2006 · January 2013

My mw said it was fine to drink red raspberry leaf tea right now and can help with good uterine muscle tone. EPO i think isn't meant to be used till full term (but i don't know for sure).

LCass · January 2013

I read some things that said not to use the tea until 3rd tri. Theoretically, it's just supposed to strengthen your uterine muscles to make labour and delivery go more smoothly, not to bring on labour. What I read said that the trouble is that if you take it too early (like in 1st tri) it can cause uterine contractions, which you don't want. No idea if it's true or not, but I wasn't willing to chance it. I did drink it every few days starting at about 34 weeks last time. My daughter was born 5 days early and I had a super quick/easy delivery; but there's absolutely no way to know if the tea had any effect on that.

No clue about the oil.

mrscratty · January 2013

Also unsure of the oil. But a midwife would definitely know. I don't know if you have one, but the ones at my birthing center are very nice, I'm sure they'd tell you over the phone. I used Red Raspberry leaf tea pre-pregnancy on a monthly basis to reduce menstrual cramping. It was outstanding for that purpose! So, I assume it will be great for strengthening female health and well being before birth as well. My friend bought me a giant bag of loose leaf Red Rasp online (she used is too and got a deal). I just brew it in my coffee maker or my iced tea maker, depending on the time of year. I usually drank 3 to 4 cups per day, the week prior to my period. Not sure how many cups per day they suggest during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, though? I do know that it wasn't recommended to my friend during her 1st tri, either.

Habs2Hart · January 2013

My friend drank one cup in the late first a day, 2 in the second and 3 in the third of RRL and she raved about it. The only benefit it has in the first tri is it can help with morning sickness. Nettle is also really good for you.

stephaniel142002 · January 2013

I plan to use the oil after 35 weeks on the perineum region to help prevent tears during labor. I wish I still had the article to share that suggests using that. It was almond oil I believe.

Nukke · January 2013

I've been drinking red raspberry leaf tea since before I got pregnant. I was at work today sipping away at my drink and thought I'd look for some studies on the tea (it's boring at my work in the morning, waiting for people to wake up and call in). I found this article really helpful.

https://www.birth.com.au/Preparing-for-new-baby/Raspberry-leaf-during-pregnancy

abell77 · January 2013

I think I started drinking the tea in third trimester. EPO you can take orally starting at 36 weeks, and at 38 weeks you can begin inserting it vaginally (poke a hole in it first, I would do it at night). This was per a midwife. I never went past my due date with either of my pregnancies but no way to know for sure how much the tea and epo had to do with it. I figure it can't hurt.

abell77 · January 2013

oh, and I forgot to add, as a pp mentioned, neither of these things will induce labor. The tea is to help tone your uterine muscles so to make pushing more efficient/effective and the epo is to help ripen/soften your cervix to encourage timely dilation. I've also heard it can help lessen the chance of tears, but I had second degree tears with both of my births so at least in my case it didn't help for that.

A37licia · January 2013

I've used both two times and would use it again, around the same time frame that you have mentioned. I really think the EPO works. I also took some birth prep herb pills and might not this time only because my labor was only 2 hours with my second (a VBAC...so first vaginal birth) and I wouldn't mind it slowing down A LITTLE bit.

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