Raspberry leaf tea and eating dates...

[BabyB19]

Any truth in it or a load of....
Any other suggestions or advice on what to eat drink, quantities, times, etc etc... all welcome 🥰
TIA

What's the truth you've heard?

Raspberry leaf is supposed to give you a shorter pushing stage. Thats all.

I did both. Delivered 5 days late.

That the dates encourage spontaneous labour and both a more ripened cervix today aid natural labour and less likely need medical intervention.

One vote for a load of twoddle then @AnneLovesGilbert 🤦🏽‍♀️🤣

I drank RLT from 37 weeks and went into labour on my last day at work. Less than 3hrs later and 3 pushes my baby was born. I did manage to get home. The second midwife missed the birth and asked if I'd been drinking raspberry leaf tea. (Home birth)

That's interesting @Yerroblemom1923 thank you, especially the comment she made about the tea. I suppose they're worth a shot even if they help only very slightly x

How much did you drink appx?

I was told they’d both speed things along. I also did acupressure, had acupuncture, went for long walks, bounced on a ball, ate curry and attempted a sweep.

We did have sex the night before I went into labour but I was already overdue so she might just have been ready.

raspberry leaf tea is supposed to shorten the pushing phase. Don't know about dates. I think babies just come when they choose to tbh

There is evidence that the dates work, 6 dates a day everyday from 36weeks... supposed to reduce likelihood of going post dates, reduce 1st and 2nd stage, reduce blood loss.
The RLT need to start around 34weeks and build up amount but not sure of the amounts.

These things only improve outcomes, doesnt mean it will absolutely happen in that way

I think I'll try dates this time. Last time I had a pregnancy back massage and reflexology on my feet at 37 weeks. I remember when she was rubbing my feet I felt quite sick like I could have vomited and needed some water, that night I lost my mucus plug and had DS a few days later. I will definitely be getting the massage and reflexology this time too

I hadn't heard of reflexology thanks @jammyjoey
I'm not expecting miraculous things in terms of not going overdue etc but I'm currently 35+1 so I might as well give these things a whirl 🥰

I tried raspberry leaf tea. I went from 6cm to baby born in 30 minutes. Maybe it's linked, maybe it's not.
There's no harm in trying because it tastes yummy, I still drink it now. They say don't use it till late pregnancy and start with one cup a day and build up.

Oooh I did the dates thing! After 2 late babies, I thought I would try it for number 3. Ate 6-8 dates every day from 30 weeks, dc3 was 10 days late, waters broke full of meconium and no contractions so required syntocinon drip and the most miserable labour out of the lot of them.

I wouldn't have minded so much but I fucking hate dates.

I suspect that, medically, it’s a load of old twaddle, but can’t see the harm if it makes people feel more proactive or in control.

Can’t see how RLT or dates can aid the production of surfactant in a baby’s lungs, and that’s one of the key things you need (I believe) for labour to start, but could well be wrong!

evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-eating-dates-to-start-labor/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20randomized%20trials%20have,effect%20on%20postpartum%20blood%20loss.

I'm trying the dates thing.. It's certainly keeping me regular

Oh god @RNBrie I'm so sorry you had such a terrible time 😭🤦🏽‍♀️

From 36 weeks I ate 6-8 dates a day & took 2 evening primrose pills a day. If I went over my dates I was told I'd need a second csection & I wanted to try for a vbac. Had a sweep a few days before my due date & went into labour 3 hours later. No idea if they helped or not but I had a vbac & it was a relatively short labour for a first vaginal delivery. Before you take anything I'd check with your midwife though!

Thanks @CoffeePleb I've been looking online and there seems to be more to support the date theory but I'll get the tea too just incase there's any truth in it!

I drank homemade organically grown raspberry leaf tea from my own allotment all the way through both pregnancies. Unfortunately both were at 42 weeks, very long pushing stage and both ended up as assisted births. So didn't help me at all. Although on the plus side the leaves are rich in nutrients which was one of the reasons I stuck with it. (And being a bit weird and I enjoyed the flavour unlike most people seem to). Hadn't heard of the dates but I love them and ate plenty so they didn't have an effect either. Totally worth a try, I tried everything and anything in the last few weeks!

I was told by the lady that ran our antenatal classes that dates, evening primrose oil & semen all help soft the cervix! I tried 2 of them

🤣🤣 @Mangomumma I wonder which two!? Did they work at all?

I did everything (RLT, dates, Clary sage, walked miles, bounced around endless on ball, etc) because I was booked to be induced at 40 weeks and wanted to avoid it if possible. It worked, I went into labour at 39+1... which happens to be exactly when I was born too. So no idea if it actually did work, or if that was just what would always have happened. Haven't eaten a date since, though.

Not really sure if they worked but everything went to plan. (Unlike my first labour!)

Seven dates a day from 36 weeks, I had DD a week before her due date.

But I didn’t really stick to the seven dates I probably ate more as I really like them.

Also tried sex, and long walks and hot curry’s, hot curry’s never work for me I’m used to spicy food.