Raspberry leaf tea / capsules

[JaffaJaffaJaffa]

Yes or no? What have your experiences been?

[Redhead17]

Just loosing pounds out your bank I think

[midnightflowers]

I’ve been drinking it since 25 weeks, apparently makes the pushing stage of labour quicker.
I drank it with my previous pregnancy and only pushed for a couple of minutes.
I like to think it was the tea!

[gamerchick]

Well I did get the shorter pushing stage they promised but that also may have been because it was my third and my body remembers previous labours.

[Gaggleofgirls]

Also very short pushing stage with the one I drank it for. Haven't done this time, reminds me I should get some

[Cagliostro]

Shorter pushing when I used it too, although TBF it was my second anyway and also a bigger baby which tends to be quicker.

But I figure for a few quid (pack of sixty bags on Amazon) and a bit of yuck - I really don't like herbal/fruit tea - it's not a big hardship if there's any chance it helps. So I'm having one or two a day now.

[ClaireBear1986]

Silly question, but can you drink these from any point in the pregnancy?

As a friend told me that you shouldn't have raspberry leaf tea/capsules until 36 weeks. Tbh she wasn't sure why but said she had read it online.

Thanks :)

[JaffaJaffaJaffa]

Apparently it's only for later in pregnancy - packaging says not before 30 weeks

[midnightflowers]

I’ve brought the capsules and they say from 30 weeks.
The tea says not in early pregnancy.
I’ve been having anything from 2-6 cups a day for the last 4/5 weeks and I’m now nearly 30 weeks.
It’s a myth it induces labour. It just helps tone your uterus.
Does anyone know if it’s true about it helping to soften your cervix?

[ClaireBear1986]

Thanks for the info @MidnightFlowers, really helpful :)

[YouCantArgueWithStupid]

Again just my experience but I drank it from 30 weeks with DC1, 37h labour but she was out in 2 pushes.

[asongforthelovers]

I took them with all 3 pregnancies, just had baby no.3 took 10 mins from waters breaking to holding him in my arms.

All 3 labours and pushing were pretty quick, drank the tea with first 2 and capsules with 3rd.

[HandbagFan]

Drank shit loads while pregnant with DS. He never engaged, I never went into labour, and he was an EMCS at 42+1.

Tasted nice though!

[JaffaJaffaJaffa]

The capsules I have say to take 2 a day which amounts to 375mg....that seems a lot less than I've read online??

[Pigofwar]

Raspberry Leaf Tea is the only thing my 30+ years’ experienced midwife told me actually has evidence to support it of all the labour-related “old wives tales”. I had a v short pushing stage. Who knows whether it helped but I will be drinking it next time too.

[Rachy334]

I took the capsules from 37 weeks. Got to the hospital an hour before baby arrived and was probably pushing for 15/20 minutes. Will definitely be taking them again this time x