The Raspberry leaf tea phenomenon......

[Phoebe25]

I was just interested to hear other people's experiences on this.

After reading about it on here, i began to drink the stuff in my 37th week of pregnancy. Initially 2 then 3 cups a day.
It was my first pregnancy & i was obviously expecting quite a long drawn out labour. However, i first noticed i was in labour at 6am. When the midwife came out at 9am i was 5cm dilated & only in mild discomfort. On arriving at hospital at 11am i was 8cm & my daughter was born at 13.00hrs after 2 pushes & only gas & air.

On arriving at hospital, the first thing the midwife asked me was had i drunk Raspberry tea. I was too far gone to ask her to elaborate, but i still wonder what part it played in such an easy labour!
It was the best £1.50 i spent!!

[Chuffingoodtime]

I took it from 32 wks and had 24hours of established labour and then an emergency c-sec. Couldn't say whether it made any difference as baby wouldn't have got through my pelvis no matter what.

[MrsBigDrumsADrumming]

as far as I understand it RLT strenghthens the uterine muscles which aids labour hence if you progressed quickly the mw might have suspected

[bakedpotatohoho]

i had fairly quick and efficient 1st labour too (mild contractions started 3.30am, went to hospital around 6am, was barely dilated, but was 10cm by 11 o'clock, dd born around noon)
i took the raspberry leaf tincture from about 36 wks.
just bought another bottle a fortnight ago

[bakedpotatohoho]

maybe it's just us P25. i know plenty of people who chugged away at it dutifully (retching all the while) and had protracted labours...

[DingWongMerrilyOnHigh]

I'll join that club then
I quite liked it

[paolosgirl]

Drunk it dutifully with no.1, and had a 12 hour labour followed by a ventouse delivery. Didn't drink it all with no. 2 and she popped out after 3 pushes, after a 2 and a half hour labour. I think it works for some, and not for others - like most things

[maretta]

Definitely did the trick for me. I had a similar experience to Phoebe25.

[Pollyanna]

Out of my 3 labours, I took r.l.t in nos 1 and 2 and had short, relatively pleasant labours and didn't take any for my third labour and had a 20 hour nightmare! I'm not taking any chances for number 4 (due in 2/3 weeks).

[myermay]

Message withdrawn

[merrykittymas]

I didn't drink the tea but took the capsules from 35 weeks, DD popped out at 37+5 weeks after 4 and a half hours.

I'll be taking it again next time, hoping for 5 minutes

[Phoebe25]

Thanks for your experiences!

Thats interesting. Didn't know you could get capsule & tincture form?
Having said that, i actually quite liked the tea!

[bunny2]

I took the capsules - 6 a day I think - and was in establsihed labour for 1 hour and 10 minutes. I couldnt believe it was so quick as with ds I was in labour for 23 hours.

[Fran1]

Drank gallons of the stuff and dd arrived at 40 wks after 6 hours of labour.

When do you count your labour from? I say 6 hours, which was from the moment i woke up feeling contractions, didn't go to hospital for another 2 hours, and then had her 4 hours later.

I know some people count from the time they arrived at hospital.

[Fran1]

sorry meant she arrived at 42 wks!

[mrschristmaswallace]

was in slow labour for 2 weeks!!!!!!!
drank loads of the stuff from about 35 weeks, but still had to be induced after waters broke and finally gave birth two days after two after 5 hours of intense syntocin aided labour(love talking about it me)makes me feel like a martyr!! did taste lovely tho

[bunny2]

Fran I think established labour is measured from when you are 3 cms dilated. Until then it is pre-labour.

[Fran1]

Thanks bunny2. I think i was about that by the time arrived at hospital.