Raspberry leaf tablets - do they make a difference?

[Truffy18]

Do people think they made any difference to their labour/birth?

When should you start taking them?

I'm currently 36 weeks. Looked it up on the internet and seem to find very varying views and opinions. Thought hearing people's first hand experiences would be the best advice!

I took them for my first labour which was very short as far first labours go but v v intense i.e. painful. I'll never know if I would have had the same speed or intensity of labour without the rasp. tealeaf tablets but I didn't take them for my 2nd!

i took them with my ds and was very quick at 4 hours but it was intense, once it started there wasnt really any time to catch your breath. My mum has had 6 of us and swears by them. Her longest labour was 5 hours and that was because she was induced she says!

asked my midwife about this - she was very pro saying it does help tone up muscles for labour.I also remember reading something about a recent Australian (?) study showing that it did seem to help (there was a placebo test too so seemed pretty helpful).

but she did say not to start takign them til 35/6 weeks

My midwife has recommended the raspberry leaf tea but she did say the actual tea is much better than the tablets if that helps

I took the tablets religiously for the last 2 months of my pregnancy. Am sad to say tho that I will never know if they helped as I never went into labour!(I went 18 days overdue then had failed induction and CS).

I used to take them for period pain tho and found them very effective!

I've had one 5 hour labour and one 2 1/2 hour labour and with the first I had one cup of tea as it tasted foul. A firend drank the tea relgiously from about 12 weeks(!) and had a 36 hour labour. I'm not convinced they make much of a difference.

I started taking them from 36 wks. MW advised that they do not bring on labour they tone your uterus. This makes teh contractions stronger and more effective. They are especially good for after the birth as they help your uterus get back quickly and stay toned for when you want another baby. They are also good around your period again for the same reason.

HTH

I took 3 tablets a day from 36 weeks. Labour was short at 4 hours but incredibly intense. One minute I was only three cm's dilated next thing I know I'm pushing.

i took them with my daughter and my labour was 1hr 55 mins start to finish. I swear by them and will be taking them this time (currently 20 weeks)It does make the labour more intense but it goes so much quicker

I took them religiously for weeks beforehand and still had a 24 hr + labour. So either they didn't work or it would have been even worse without! That's the trouble, you can't tell how it would have if you hadn't have taken them. Don't think I'll bother this time round though.

Didn't help me, I went 15 days overdue and had a long labour. But hey it's worth a try!!

I started taking them at 36 weeks - three days later I went into labour!! 4 hours later, lovely birth.

Didn't dare take them early second time, started at 39 weeks, went into labour on my due date and had DD in a hour and a half - at home. Really lovely.

It may be a coincidence.

Took them from 33 weeks both times, 4h20m and 2h30m labours start to finish, very intense and painful though with no break in contractions.