Raspberry leaf tea

[Winter2019]

Hi ladies! When did you start and how often did you drink raspberry leaf tea? I'm week 20 now, second baby :)

I'm taking the capsules as I don't really like flavoured teas - I think I started around 35 weeks. The bottle says not to take them before 30 weeks.

Capsules don't do much you need the teabags I drank 4 cups a day from around 34 weeks I think they was really good will use again

Thanks mums! Anyone else?!

My pregnancy massage lady and anything I read said from 32w. By the time I got my arse into gear and off to Holland & Barrett it was more like 33w.

They do warn you about starting too early but it's definitely not a last minute "let's get this party started" solution to prompt labour like I thought it was.

I asked 3 different midwives about this, and i got 3 different answers!!
The earliest anyone (and the internet) recommended starting was 32 weeks, and to start off slowly with 1 cup of the tea a day and then build up to 3 cups a day over the following weeks.

But I was also told 34 weeks by a 2nd midwife and then another midwife at my nhs antenatal class said only from 37 weeks when baby was full term. Not sure if the differing opinions were maybe down to how much of an effect each midwife thought raspberry leaf has (as I dont think it has actually been proven to work)

Bit confusing, so went for something in the middle-one cup every other day from 32 weeks, 1 cup a day from 33/34 weeks and increasing after that.

I swore by raspberry leaf extract tablets, twice daily religiously from 36 weeks. Really worth it, helped labour so much.

Did they really help?

I am 37 weeks but I dont actually want to go into labour until 39 weeks at the earliest, is there any risk it will start my labour if I start drinking/taking capsules now?

@PuffsMummie It doesn't bring on labour, it's thought to tone your uterus to help it work better in labour. I've been taking since around 35 weeks, and now overdue so it definitely hasn't kick started anything for me!