Raspberry leaf capsules - your opinions?

[kelbel]

Hi all, I'm 37+2 and just started on 2 a day. What's your opinion of them? How often do you take them? This is my first so just interested in your thoughts/experiences - thanks

TAKE THEM

(have just written this on another thread too)

I took them with both of my dc and I believe that they made the dilation process alot quicker than it may have been, but I can't prove that obviously

I went from 3-4cm dilated to fully dilated in just a few hours and was told that it can take hours to just dilate a few cms. With ds I was examined and was 3(possibly 4)cm dilated at 1pm. At which time the mw went off for lunch thinking she'd be back in plenty of time. I'd just requested an epidural and told the stand in mw that I wouldn't last the 30mins til the anestnatist(sp) came and she took a look and there ds was well nearly ds was born at 2.25pm

Also, I don't think they have any side affects(may well be worng on that one) so won't harm to take them even if they do nothing IYSWIM.

So IMO, TAKE THEM

oh and re how often, i followed the packet. Can't remember what it said now. I did forget sometimes too.

They did absolutely nothing for me, took the maximum dose (6 a day? Hard to remember) from about 36 weeks, went 2 weeks overdue and had a fairly horrendous labour following 2 failed induction attempts. HOWEVER they almost certainly didn't do any harm and some people swear by them. I think they're supposed to be more effective if you break open the capsules and make an infusion with the leaves though.

I thought that they brought on labour when I had dd but then realised they aren't supposed to do that. They just help the dilation process ie speed up labour when it has already started. I thought they had no effect with dd but as I said dilation was quick.
I relaised this just in time to take them with ds and again was quick dilation.

BTW dd was born at 40+14 days and ds 40+11 days so I most definately don't think they help bring on labour

Sorry, I keep posting but if you ask on the April 07 post natal thread(that's when I had ds) alot of them would say they beleive they worked too. We were all popping them like mad

Can anyone tell me where to get the capsules - presumeably health food shops??

health food shops

Holland and Barratt

The jury's out where I am concerned although I do think they speed labour up and if they even cut it by 10 minutes it's a good thing.

Took from 33 weeks 6 a day both times.

DD1 4h 20 mins, went from 1cm to 10cms in under an hour, v painful hard labour contraction 0-60 with no let up inbetween.

DD2 2h 30 mins, was 8cms when first examined, 20 mins after first pain and MW arriving (homebirth) however waters were intact which slowed everything down, broke waters and she flew out, again very painful full on from the beginning labour but at 2 1/2 hours shouldn't complain.

This time I am hoping waters go and baby flops out in under 10 minutes ()

thanks for all replies, will carry on, packet says between 1 and 6 a day. I'v heard to build up slowly, suppose everyone has differing stories, work for some and not for others

I took 4 a day with ds2 and labour from 1st contraction to the end was 55 mins.May just have been coincidence though.