Raspberry Leaf Tea - Unnecessary Intervention?

[mears]

I was thuinking about Mog as I was emptying the dishwasher this morning (don't know why but you know how us women's minds work?) and thought about birth experience. I might not actually have remembered properly reading this in relation to you mog, but I think you used raspberry leaf tea.
Now I know lots of women swear by it, but there has been evidence of women having side effects such as rapid labour or placental abruption.
I personally thought about it first time round but decided against it because I didn't know what a normal labour for me would be like. As it was my first labour was 8 hours and I enjoyed the experience. I therefore didn't use raspberry leaf tea with subsequent labours.
Raspberry leaf tea could be seen as an intervention like any other medication. What experiences has anyone had with it. Sorry mog if this is not realted to you in any way

Actually have just finished drying my hair and realised it was MONKEY who mentioned it - not mog. Women's brains eh?

mears this is a very good point. I think we tend to be far too trusting of 'herbal' or 'natural' remedies, we tend to think that they can only have benign effects. Logically of course, if they are effective at all, there must be the potential for harmful effects as well. We forget that there is very little regulation or testing of herbal remedies, compared with 'mainstream' drugs.
For the record, I did drink raspberry leaf tea and had a fairly rapid straightforward labour, a few days early. I did wonder though about how it worked and whether it was really safe (though think I convinced myself that it probably wasn't having any effect...hmmm, not very logical).
I've certainly had side effects from other herbal remedies - once drank valerian tea to help me sleep and it made me feel very peculiar!!

ok so who's going to fund our randomised trial of raspberry leaf tea and its effects in labour? Lets face it, if it IS an effective and safe way of making labour more efficient, the NHS should know about it!!

Hi Elliott and mears. I used Raspberry leaf tea with my last pregnancy but I don't think it had any effect. I had to be induced and ended up with an emergency C section two days later. Told my friend to try it she had a very rapid labour. Maybe it works for some and not others?

I used raspberry leaf tea three times a day for the last three months. I delivered the day I was due, in labour four hours, seemed to start right at the very end of the first stage, spent ages pushing, no tearing at all. Although I wanted a quick labour I think I would have rather had a slow one cos it was so painful, I had no break from the pain at all, the next contraction started as soon as the other ended.

I used raspberry leaf tea and was in labour 9 hours, I didn't have intervention or stitches either

I used raspberry leaf tea for the last 2 months of my pregnancy with DD. I was in labour for 36 hours, and DD ended up being a ventose delivery and I did tear...not sure I will bother this time round.

I drank it for my first pregnancy and had a 24hour OP labour... delivered vaginally with the drip and an episio.
Didn't drink it the 2nd time around.

I tried it, but no success, laboured for DAYS and then hours in hospital before epidural forceps etc. Think it is luck of the draw, I know a friend who swears by it.
By the way it tastes foul!

mears, good question. I drank RLT by the vatful during both my pregnancies - first one was induced at 41 weeks for a very pathetic reason and was extremely reluctant to come out (took 2 days for labour to start), the second one was a precipitous birth at 39 weeks, hand delivered by my good self in the bathroom. Maybe I should keep off it this time round?

Arnica - yes. Given your history last time Bron, probably raspberry leaf tea would do you no harm. Another reason I didn't take it was that at the time I could only find tablets that were full of E numbers - hardly herbal at all!

I drank it once a day from about 33 weeks - they tell you not to try it earlier, don't they??? I agree with Mouli, it tastes foul! I had a 20 hour labour, epidural but delivered ds without any stitches/tearing. Contractions came on thick and fast, very painful and was exhausted by the time I had the epidural. Won't be drinking it next time although may consider the tablets, depending on what the outcome of this survey is!!!
A friend of mine saw a natural birth expert in North London and went on a dairy free, gluten free diet, and took some sort of herbal tea supplement thingy each day. She had no intervention but had a small baby...wonder if there is any correlation?

I used RLT and had DD after a 2.5 hour labour with a tiny tear (no stitches) and no drugs or intervention. I haven't got a clue whether any of that was down to RLT but I can't rule it out!

I used RLT tablets from 6 weeks before my EDD (I think) and gave birth a week after my EDD by c-section after 67 hours of contractions, being induced and still only getting to 6cm dilated.

LucieB when I was training to be a herbalist we were told it can be used for the last three months. However if there is a risk of premature labour, for instance if you've already had a premature birth then we were told not to prescribe it until much later

Windmill
What do herbalist's prescribe it for ?
Sorry to divert from main issue but I am quite interested in training to be a herbalist,but have wondered how long it takes to train and if it is easy to find work after completing training? Where is the best place to find this info?

Colette, youi can do a three or four year BSc degree at one of the universities, can't remember which one though. Do you get Here's Health magazine? They have an extensive course list.

Herbalists prescribe it to help the birth go more quickly and smoothly and minimise the risk of tearing. It is also said to reduce the risk of haemorrhage, help with after pains and promote recovery after the birth. It is also prescribed by some in a very small dose, in the first trimester for morning sickness but I wouldn't use it that early.

Thanks windmill

I took RL tablets for my last month or so. DD was 14 days late, induction also failed and ended up with a cs. Don't think I'll bother next time!!!

I drank 3 cups at 39 weeks. 4 hrs later my waters broke. Probably just a coincidence though.

I took the low dosage capsules (holland & Barratt - health food shops) from 34 weeks as per instructions on bottle. then when bottle finished I took the stronger dose in tablet form for approx 3 days and went in to labour at just over 37 weeks.
Regular contractions started Thursday night, ds born by em c-section Sunday afternoon - not really lightning speed labour IMO.
Different midwife (not my own) later said ds came early because of the raspberry leaf tea.

As for arnica, a recent university study (will have to search for that one) found it to be as effective as taking sugar (allegedly). Certainly did nothing for me and I took it religiously.

I took RLT, in leaf form-not capsules from about week 20, starting with 1 cup a day increasing to 2/3 cups in last 6 weeks. I had a long labour, but I don't know if that had anything to do with the tea. DD was 12 days 'late', but needed no other medical intervention.

Isn't it supposed to tone your cervix, thus making contractions more effective in preparation for stage 3?
My sister recently gave birth to a baby girl, (I was right!)and she took RLT from about week 30, I think. She laboured for 17 hours (I think that's quite 'quick', last few hours in a birthing pool. Neither of experienced any side-effects from the tea.
I found it tasted quite sweet, didn't need to add any sugar/honey. I'd definately take it next time.

I drank it too... Lots! I actually quite liked it! Had a fairly straightforward labour, 2 small stiches, but that's only cause they had to pull DD out by her shoulders, cause she didn't turn properly on her way out (and still annoyed that in my drug induced state, I didn't tell them to get lost, and not bother stitching).

Yes - it's supposed to soften the cervix, making dilation easier. NO idea whether it worked. Still took the textbook time 1hr per cm to dilate...

Can someone advise me where to buy the best raspberry leaf tea? Thanks