Does Raspberry Leaf tea work?

[delilah88]

I have been drinking 3 or 4 cups of it per day (am 39 weeks). But does anyone know if it actually does anything?!

[JennyPiccolo]

Doesn't do anything as far as I know.

[delilah88]

bugger!

[MakeTeaNotWar]

My first labour was 4 hours and the second about an hour and I also drank gallons...who knows.....can't hurt?

[delilah88]

Yes ok, good point!

[delilah88]

Urgh - I hardly know what that means yet, but it sounds v stressful. Good luck for the second time!

[IWishIWasAFrog]

did nothing for me either, sorry.

[effingwotsits]

Yes! I had 4 cups a day from 32 weeks and involuntarily pushed ds out without noticing I was actually pushing. 52 second 2nd stage my notes says.

[BackforGood]

Well, I fell for it with dc1. Was told it would 'soften the cervix'.
I had a long and stressful labour with him unfortunately, but, during an internal, the midwife did (unprovokedly) say "Yyou've got a really soft cervix"
So, I'd say - yes, it works to soften the cervix, but that is absolutely no help whatsoever if the little darling decides he doesn't want to be born

[MoonHare]

Well, anecdotally you'll get lots of conflicting answers. I don't think it's been scientifically proved but I am a believer and drank loads of tea in the run up to both my previous labours and am drinking it again this time too.

45 minute second stage with DD1 - though I think this would have been MUCH quicker if various other things hadn't happened once we got to the hospital.

8 min second stage with DD2 (at home as planned).

Drinking the tea or taking the tablets won't harm you or the baby - so why not try it? It's meant to make contractions more effective from what I've researched and I believe it does. And, remember, the placebo effect is powerful and scientifically proven, so maybe you just need to believe.

[blackcurrants]

I drank bucketloads of it, hoping to shift DS early -
went 4 days overdue, was induced due to low amniotic fluid - took 22 hours to emerge (2 hours of pushing).

And not one single person mentioned the softness (or otherwise!) of my cervix. Damnit! :)

[blackcurrants]

( I quite liked the taste of it, after a while, though. It was v. hot that month so I drank it iced with a teeny but of honey. So it wasn't exactly a hardship!

[Nobodythatyouwouldknow]

Didn't drink it with DC1 one hour pushing. Drank it with DC2 who was out in 2 pushes..... could just be luck of the draw or bucket fanjo courtesy of DC1

[HipHopOpotomus]

How would anyone know really?
But it is a lovely drink regardless

[HipHopOpotomus]

If its about the pushing stage dd1 flew out with one push while dd2 took about 4. So thumbs up from me.

[surfingbabies]

Yes I believe it works and drank gallons with both my pregnancies & plan to drink it with this one! It doesn't bring labour on, it just softens your cervics so for all the women who said it didn't work then I dread to think what it would have been like if they hadn't taken it
My mum is a midwife & she swears by it and when I was having my twins the consultant said he could tell I'd been drinking it! My first was an hour & half and my twins were 5 hours, both with only gas & air
Good luck what ever u decide

[surfingbabies]

Ooops cervix not cervics

[kdiddy]

I drank it for DS1 and had a 15min pushing stage. No idea if it was because of the RLT but I'd drink it again!

[delilah88]

Ok I am continuing with it! Fingers crossed for an experience like HipHopOpotomus!

[isambardo]

It would be really helpful if those of you who have used it (whether you thought it worked or not) could say how much you drank.

I'm 33 weeks and having 1 cup a day of pure raspberry leaf (not a blended tea like the Heath and Heather or Twinings ones), and I plan to increase to a max of 4 or 5 cups a day towards the end. Is this about what others have had?

[TiggerWearsATriteSmile]

It tastes nice....

I drank buckets of it and in the end I went 12 days over. I was dilating away though and was nearly 2cms on 10 days over.
Long story short I ended up having an emergency section so I don't know if it helped at all.

[BlueChampagne]

It's impossible to do a control experiment!

However, to add to the anecdotal evidence:
DS1 (no RLT): 12 hours from first twinge to birth (tens then pool)
DS2 (RLT): 3 hours from first twinge to birth (tens only)
BUT they say 2nd ones generally quicker anyway. As others have said, it won't do any harm and it tastes nice.