Raspberry leaf

[EmB1715]

I'm 33 weeks and starting to think of preparing for labour. What are people's honest opinions on raspberry leaf (probably supplements)? Pointless, worth it or regret it due to fast labour? Help!

I had raspberry tea from 35 weeks don't think it did much apart from give me irregular contractions, for me it didn't make anything easier as this was my second pregnancy and took over 7 hrs were as my first was 2hrs lol and second pregnancys are suppose t be faster loool everyone is different tho hun if u feel u shud take it do what ya do just start it at 35wks u never know might work for you xxx

Used the capsules in late 2nd pregnancy .
Quick , easy labour .
In hospital 2 hours before giving birth , and discharged 2 hours later .

First labour was 14 hours , ( epidural , forceps , episiotomy , stitches and huge blood loss - 4 days in hospital and blood transfusion )
So yes , it's worth a try

Hi, I took the tea 2 cups a day from 36 weeks when I remembered it ha ha. I had a very fast labour for a first baby (19 hours from start to finish, that's with latent stage), but I can't say whether that was the effect of the tea. I did do things to bring labour on though, as I was getting really big and uncomfortable and my instinct told me the baby was big enough and ready. Since 37 weeks I walked every day, spent a lot of time on my gym ball and ran around after my nieces (I think that's what finally did it). She came 4 days early at 7lbs 13oz (so my instinct was right). So I don't know whether the fast labour was because of the RLT, the physical activities or both... Anyway, the active stage took about 6 hours, pushed for an hour and a half, and would rather that than 12 hours active stage. Yeah, wished my latent stage would have started a lot gentler but nothing is perfect... x

I took the capsules (didn't really expect much). My waters went at 6.30, labour started about 11pm but isn't get going. Then I was induced and the little monkey darling child shot out like a speeding bullet - 1h 50m from induction to arrival! Not sure if that was due to the capsules or the induction....not sure I'll take them second time round, labour might be too fast!

My midwife actually asked me if I has taken it, and commented that she could tell the ladies that had! Was 9cm when I got to the hospital (1st baby) and midwife said she would be out in 3 hours! (she got stuck and I ended up with foreceps in the end). can't remember exactly but took it from about 36 weeks 2 cups a day.

I took it with dc1 and labour was too fast, it scared the shit out of me and I nearly didn't get to hospital in time! I would never touch the stuff again.

Same here. I guzzled it (loose leaf not the bags) during the last week of labour and had a extraordinarily fast labour with no pushing. 50 minute labour and I went from transition to baby being born in one contraction. No idea whether it was the tea but wouldn't take it next time as would not want such a fast birth again.

Good luck!

*last week of pregnancy not labour

I went and researched this after the person running our NCT classes said it might shorten labour. I didn't find much, but I did find Raspberry Leaf in Pregnancy: Its Safety and Efficacy in Labor. Its "review of the literature" also says that there's "a paucity of empirical research".

Half the participants were given 2 1.2g tablets from 32 weeks onwards, and the other half a placebo. While the abstract does say "The only clinically significant findings were a shortening of the second stage of labor (mean difference = 9.59 minutes)", later in the article it's obvious that this result is statistically insignificant. (If you want to know why, have a look at i.imgur.com/dkEk6oq.png; that "p =.28" says that "if we ran this experiment 10 times, a result like this would have happened by chance in about 3 of them". And given they were testing so many things for significance, this scenario comes into play).

They also didn't find any statistically significant difference in duration of first and third stages. And the range of durations is so wide anyway that any effect it does have is being massively outweighed by other factors.

So, the evidence is scant, and it's probably best to take it all with a pinch of salt (and know that the salt probably won't do anything either).

I drank loads of the tea but ended up in labour for a very, very long time. I liked the tea though so may try it again this time

My friend started the tea at 35 weeks, I think. She (was) due 7th November (5 days after me!), she had A raspberry leaf capsule at 8pm Friday evening, waters went at 2.30am yesterday morning and she had her baby girl (

I took the capsules from around 35 wks (1st child) building up the amount I took over about 3 weeks. Went into labour at 39+4. Fairly quick labour. 12 hrs active labour. Pushing stage very quick. I thought it was about an hour but DH is adamant it was only about 20 minutes. And to be fair he's better placed to remember accurately. I was high on gas and air by that point.
Would take again in the future. Not sure if straight forward birth was because of RL but can't hurt to take it again I guess.

Thanks ladies! Such mixed reviews. I think I might avoid the capsules and keep it down to one cup of the tea a day from 35 weeks to try to strike a mid-ground.