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November 2015 Moms
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RASPBERRY LEAF TEA OR CAPSULES ANYONE?

EmmaruaEmmarua member
in November 2015 Moms
Don't see a conversation already open on this. I'm 36 weeks and considering buying the capsules - I can't have the tea as I have GD and the sugar content would put my bloods over - just wondering what peoples opinions are on it? Are you a STM who feels it worked or didnt work the first time round or are you a FTM who is already taking it? Or maybe you know of some other herbal remedy for making labour faster or easier?
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Re: RASPBERRY LEAF TEA OR CAPSULES ANYONE?

  • adcorbinadcorbin member
    I too have GD and have no problem with the tea. There shouldn't be any sugar in it. It is known to help strengthen the uterine muscles leading to a smoother delivery. Also there is a pregnancy tea that is good and will also help. I'd double check why there is sugar in an herbal tea.
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  • BowWowBowieBowWowBowie member
    I personally wouldn't try to do anything to make labor come faster, your LO will come when s/he is ready. 
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  • EmmaruaEmmarua member
    My midwife says the natural sugars of the raspberry can affect your blood sugar? But I don't know as I haven't tried it to see the effect it has on me personally. Maybe I will try it though - everyones different afterall! :)

    @BowWowBowie I know what you mean and completely agree but I only consider it because of the GD - baby is bigger than average and they won't let me go past 40weeks (and possibly even 38weeks depending on size). I also have fibroids so the chances of me having a C section are also higher. So I will try anything that's considered safe and natural so that I can hopefully do it myself and have as natural a delivery as possible because baby may not get the chance to come when he/she is ready, and I would definitely rather not be induced! Midwife has informed me there are extracts of horse and pig semen in the prostaglandin used for induction!! So I will be walking plenty and using the birthing ball to try to avoid it!! :)
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  • VexedMommyVexedMommy member
    Emmarua said:
    My midwife says the natural sugars of the raspberry can affect your blood sugar? But I don't know as I haven't tried it to see the effect it has on me personally. Maybe I will try it though - everyones different afterall! :)

    @BowWowBowie I know what you mean and completely agree but I only consider it because of the GD - baby is bigger than average and they won't let me go past 40weeks (and possibly even 38weeks depending on size). I also have fibroids so the chances of me having a C section are also higher. So I will try anything that's considered safe and natural so that I can hopefully do it myself and have as natural a delivery as possible because baby may not get the chance to come when he/she is ready, and I would definitely rather not be induced! Midwife has informed me there are extracts of horse and pig semen in the prostaglandin used for induction!! So I will be walking plenty and using the birthing ball to try to avoid it!! :)
    The leaf does not have the same sugars that the fruit has so I'm not sure I understand your midwife's reasoning.  Check the packaging and it will tell you how many carbs are in the tea.  It should be between 0 - 5 carbs tops.  If you want it sweeter you could add stevia or incorporate it into the total carbs during your snack break. 
    If there's something strange underneath the hood.  Who you gonna call?  Your Doctor.  If there's something weird and it don't look good.  Who you gonna call?  Your Doctor.  Immediately.  If it's new, painful, and possibly pregnancy related get your ass off the internet and call your doctor.  It's for your health and your child's. 




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  • MargaretC5MargaretC5 member
    I drank it when pregnant with DS, not really sure if it helped or not. I figured it could not hurt and it is caffeine free so it was helping me stay hydrated.
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  • Cook3133Cook3133 member
    I drank the tea, not sure it did much. I also have done evening prime rose with all 3 and now fourth. It helps prep the cervix. Again no solid evidence but it doesn't hurt to try and I have had pretty good deliveries so why stop :)
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  • vomitrosavomitrosa member
    So what brand are we talking here? Just any old brand you can pick up at the super market or do I need to go to like GNC?
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  • Charismatic69Charismatic69 member
    I had my DD almost 4wks ago now. I was drinking raspberry leaf tea from 35wks (I actually liked it) & labour with her was 2hrs & 52mins. With DS1 being induced I was labouring for 3days, with DD2 I had an 8hr labour I never drank raspberry leaf tea with either of those. I don't know if the RLT helped labour with DD but I do know it was my quickest.
    I also used a birthing ball from 40wks & I never did with my other two.

    In all honesty self inducing before 38wks is a no no in my eyes. RLT will not bring on labour nor will bouncing on a birthing ball. Let baby cook for as long as they can & vshu will come when they are ready.
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  • grapesoda1111grapesoda1111 member
    I got some from target. I'll have a cup every now and then, maybe one or two a week. I don't really like the taste but my MW okay'd it, along with primrose oil starting at 36 weeks.

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  • Pontot31Pontot31 member
    I drank it with my daughter and I'm not sure it did much. My midwife highly recommends it and evening primrose oil. I'll probably do both again soon.
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  • missphilmissphil member
    Cook3133 said:

    I drank the tea, not sure it did much. I also have done evening prime rose with all 3 and now fourth. It helps prep the cervix. Again no solid evidence but it doesn't hurt to try and I have had pretty good deliveries so why stop :)

    So with evening primrose, do you take them by mouth or insert them vaginally or both?
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  • Pontot31Pontot31 member
    missphil said:

    Cook3133 said:

    I drank the tea, not sure it did much. I also have done evening prime rose with all 3 and now fourth. It helps prep the cervix. Again no solid evidence but it doesn't hurt to try and I have had pretty good deliveries so why stop :)

    So with evening primrose, do you take them by mouth or insert them vaginally or both?
    I used it both ways last time.
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  • BettyttebBettytteb member
    I just took a look at the box of my raspberry leaf tea (from Whole Foods) and it has zero calories, so zero sugar. It's made from the leaf not the fruit of the plant, so it  should be fine for GD. I just started drinking it this week (36 weeks) and am trying to do about 3 cups per day.
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  • TealmooreTealmoore member
    I was told at an nct class that the tea does work but you need to have been drinking it since around 28 weeks. If your past that then apparently there is no point.
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  • Charismatic69Charismatic69 member
    Tealmoore said:

    I was told at an nct class that the tea does work but you need to have been drinking it since around 28 weeks. If your past that then apparently there is no point.

    It's not recommended to drink until your at least 32wks. That's what I was adviced as it can cause BH. You really shouldn't be drinking it before then. I started drinking it from 35wks when advised to by my MW.
    My labour was the shortest out of my previous 2. So who know if it was the RLT that helped with that.

    As PP said "It works by toning the uterus, making contractions more effective during active labor. It's not used to induce labor"
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  • NathanheartsKimNathanheartsKim member
    @Charismatic69 Interestingly enough, my midwife has had me doing Red raspberry Leaf throughout the full length of my pregnancy. I think we can all be advised differently depending on our situation. Doesn't make it right or wrong for you or for me. ;)
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  • Charismatic69Charismatic69 member
    NathanheartsKim said:

    @Charismatic69 Interestingly enough, my midwife has had me doing Red raspberry Leaf throughout the full length of my pregnancy. I think we can all be advised differently depending on our situation. Doesn't make it right or wrong for you or for me. ;)

    Oh absolutely I agree. I was just going from my own experience & what I was told.
    I done abit of research on it after MW suggested it, and the majority said to not consume it before 32wks.
    But not one person is advised on the same thing.
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  • missphilmissphil member
    I've been drinking 32oz of RRL a day since probably 24 weeks or so and never had a BH contraction. From the research I've done, it will not cause preterm labor. In fact, I've read that it helps babies go full term.
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  • FalchasFalchas member


    vomitrosa said:
    So what brand are we talking here? Just any old brand you can pick up at the super market or do I need to go to like GNC?
    I like traditional medicinals teas, I get mine at Publix, but a lot of stores carry it.  The reason I went with that one is that raspberry leaf is the only ingredient listed.  Others I found had a few other things in them (I'm sure fine and just for flavor), but I find less is more when it comes to ingredient lists.
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  • Charismatic69Charismatic69 member
    missphil said:

    I've been drinking 32oz of RRL a day since probably 24 weeks or so and never had a BH contraction. From the research I've done, it will not cause preterm labor. In fact, I've read that it helps babies go full term.

    Wasn't implying it would bring on pre term labour. I guess your one of the lucky ones to not experience BH's whilst drinking RLT. I got them but not enough to worry & they weren't painful.
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  • FilbertTreeFilbertTree member
    edited October 2015
    I drank 2 or 3 cups a day from about 35 weeks with DS. He was induced late and my labour was fast; we went from zero to baby in less than five hours. I drank it more because it can help with your recovery postpartum due to it's toning effects on the smooth muscles of your uterus. I don't know if the RLT was responsible or if I was just lucky, but I had one day of heavy bleeding and then it settled to more like a regular period. I'm drinking it again with this nugget. I found the Yogi tea brand in my regular supermarket (although it was in the natural section not with the regular teas). I like the taste so I'm going to up my intake to 2 or 3 cups a day again now I'm past 37 weeks (my OB was a stuffy old curmudgeon and told me it doesn't do a darned thing but if I wanted to drink it go ahead but not before 37 weeks). 


    edited because words are hard
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  • Cook3133Cook3133 member
    missphil said:

    Cook3133 said:

    I drank the tea, not sure it did much. I also have done evening prime rose with all 3 and now fourth. It helps prep the cervix. Again no solid evidence but it doesn't hurt to try and I have had pretty good deliveries so why stop :)

    So with evening primrose, do you take them by mouth or insert them vaginally or both?
    Insert vaginally. Make sure to wear a liner because the oil can stain clothing items, I found out the hard way :(
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  • sarahsnowballsarahsnowball member
    I have been drinking a cup of RLT each day since week 32, but I've skipped it on days when I've had BH anyway. I'll increase the number of cups per day when I'm further along.
    I drank it last time and my uterus contracted pretty well, particularly after the birth.
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  • oxley09oxley09 member
    Charismatic69 said:
    I've been drinking 32oz of RRL a day since probably 24 weeks or so and never had a BH contraction. From the research I've done, it will not cause preterm labor. In fact, I've read that it helps babies go full term.
    Wasn't implying it would bring on pre term labour. I guess your one of the lucky ones to not experience BH's whilst drinking RLT. I got them but not enough to worry & they weren't painful.

    Adding that I've been drinking the tea since finding out we were pregnant and not one BH ever. I don't think its a matter of being lucky or unlucky - rather it's more likely that BH you experienced were related to something else and not the tea. To do the annoying cut and paste: "Rachel Hart, a certified midwife in Atlanta, Georgia, says she recommends red raspberry leaf to all of her patients — and suggests that they take it throughout their pregnancies. “But, some women prefer to wait until after their first trimester to start, especially if they have a history of miscarriage,” she adds. A handful of studies, including a 2010 study published in Reproductive Science, found that high doses of red raspberry leaf caused contractions in some pregnant rats. However, it has never been conclusively linked to contractions in humans."
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