Raspberry Leaf and EPO

[loulie]

How much are you taking? what are your views? I never took either with DD, will be 'full term' on Thursday, and am wondering what you think? I'm certainly up for anything which is going to help with labour / delivery...

[jul511riv]

both herbs you mentioned are pretty much benign at your stage of the game, so you can drink RRL tea frequently, as much as you want, really...or just to 3 really strong infusions, as a good rule of thumb, every day if youw ant to be more cautious and 1500mg of EPO/day either vaginally or orally should also be just fine, though you could certainly take more if you were trying to get labor to kick in. But again, 1500mg/day is a good "safe" number. Neither one of them should kick your body into labor, though. Their actions are:

RRL: to tonify the uterus and make contractions, when they DO naturally occur, more efficient and
EPO: to make the cervix/cervical os like putty. To help make the process of effacement/dialation more gentle and easy, when they are occuring naturally.

If you are looking to induce, then you are getting into a whole other ball of wax...that woudl be looking at the cohashes (blue and black)...either as herbs or as homeopathic remedies. Lots of walking. "Spicy" food. Sex. Nipple stim. Castor Oil, if you are in to puking and all that (a common side effect...also should be noted that castor oil is very contraversial). Or inhaling essential oils that can cause spasms in the uterus (aromatherepy is highly individualistic, so you'll want to google and go to health food stores and just go sniffing to see what might do this for you personally.)

Anyways, RRL and EPO should be just fine. Good luck.

[GuavaGirl]

I'm curious where these recommended amounts come from...and what is considered "full term?"

If I've had pre-term contractions (that we think were due to my uterus being irritated by some GI tract problems/stomach bug) is this something I should not do...or would it be fine? (I have not dilated or effaced at all)

[beccabus]

I believe full-term is 37 weeks. You can start drinking RRL tea as early as 26 weeks, some say you can drink it throughout pregnancy.

Check out this website: http://www.maternitycorner.com/mcmag.../preg0007.html

[doulawoman]

I'm drinking two to three big mugs of rrl infusion (steeped at least 4 hours according to susun weed's directions) per day at this point -I'm also 37 weeks. Will probably start taking 1500 mg epo this week as well. The rrl is also good if you refrigerate a larger amount and add quite a bit of lemon juice and drink iced mmmm

[loulie]

thanks that's very helpful. I don't particularly want to induce (happy for little lady to come when she's ready) but i'd heard that 'epo makes the cervix like putty' thing and wouldn't mind a bit of that!!

So I have 1000mg EPO capsules so think I will start taking one per day of those now, and add one vaginally from 37 weeks. With the RRL, I have capsules too, not the tea, so still a little unsure. they say '750mg equivalent' and the instructions say to take 2 per day, but don't mention pregnancy - any views?

[Rikki Jean]

I need to be drinking more RRL tea, so thanks for the reminder (a glass here and there over the entire pg really isn't going to do me any good )!

I'm starting EPO next week, at 36 weeks. I have to shoot an e-mail to my mw to see how much I'm supposed to take. I'm going to keep taking it after the baby comes, as it's supposed to help with hormone/mood issues, and I have had pretty serious baby blues with both babies (and hormone yo-yos that have lead to thyroid issues).

[GuavaGirl]

Tell us what your midwife says. I can't ask my CNM about stuff like that, she just says not to use any of it, because it either doesn't do anything or it's harmful.

[Rikki Jean]

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl

Tell us what your midwife says. I can't ask my CNM about stuff like that, she just says not to use any of it, because it either doesn't do anything or it's harmful.

That stinks.

I'll let you know!

[SheBear]

I haven't been using RRL at all this pregnancy; just due to sheer laziness, I guess...I may still do a strong infusion at the onset of labor; I've heard that can be effective, too.

For my first homebirth, my mw had me start taking EPO orally at 35 weeks, then vaginally and orally at 36 weeks. I can't remember the exact dosage, but it was 2 capsules orally (morning and night) and 2 capsules vaginally each night.

For my 2nd and 3rd homebirths, same drill but I used borage oil instead of EPO. Borage is more potent....especially good for post-dates, first-time moms, and someone with a history of rigid cervix. I don't think I really *needed* the borage as compared to the EPO, but it was what my mw at the time preferred.

I suspect that this time, by the time I hit 37 weeks, I'll find myself reaching for the Borage oil and hoping it gets me going faster!

I will also be using a 5w formula as soon as I get it ordered (I'm either almost 34 or almost 36 weeks right now). I'll probably order the Polly Jean formula from www.birthjunkie.com I've used it in the past & I think it's great--I think it shortened my labors and made them more efficient, and I especially think it helped my body bounce back from the births faster. With 4 kids 8 and under, AND a newborn, I'll be needing all the help I can get!

Actually, I'd rather take the Gentle Birth Formula, simply because it's a liquid, and I am sooooooooo sick of pills! And they are about the same price....but the Polly Jean has free shipping, and the shipping cost on the Gentle Birth is nearly $8!!! I emailed my midwife to see if maybe she could get a midwife discount or something, but if she can't, I'll just order the Polly-Jean sometime this week.

[flavorfull1]

The routine I was told for EPO is 1000mg by mouth and 1500mg vaginally starting week 37 then during week 38 you double it and week 39 you triple it. I don't know about doubling and tripling, that is a ton of EPO oozing out down there and a lot of pills to take, but I am just increasing over the weeks from the original start amount. I have also been doing RRL tea, in the tea form. I have been drinking 2-3 cups per day and I am freezing some more concentrated RRL tea with lemon and honey for labor.

[hadassah]

I have always been a firm believer in my RRL TEA.But I will say this time I have been SO lazy about drinking it. A few days before my last birth I drank about two gallons of the strongest RRL tea made possible (I was 2 weeks overdue and desperate at that point). It was so strong it made me sick to my stomach (probably made it too strong....lol). Anyways my labor went really fast, and my uterus worked like a champ. I also did the EPO with my last birth starting at 38 weeks and I didn't tear at all....and my little "big guy" was 11.3!

[GuavaGirl]

hadassah: What was your epo regimen?

[hadassah]

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl

hadassah: What was your epo regimen?

If I remember right I orally took two and inserted two and they were 500mg each. Although somehow that seems so much to me now that I write it out.....

[judybean]

Originally Posted by SheBear

Actually, I'd rather take the Gentle Birth Formula, simply because it's a liquid, and I am sooooooooo sick of pills! And they are about the same price....but the Polly Jean has free shipping, and the shipping cost on the Gentle Birth is nearly $8!!! I emailed my midwife to see if maybe she could get a midwife discount or something, but if she can't, I'll just order the Polly-Jean sometime this week.

I actually just ordered this -- and a lot of it is because it's a LIQUID!! ... (and, fwiw, I do have a bottle of the 5w too). I've been induced three times thus far in a hospital setting for being overdue. I don't want to lose my midwife at 42 weeks just for legal reasons... so I'm trying to be as proactive as I can and 'encourage' my uterus to get its act together in a timely fashion! lol

[jul511riv]

Originally Posted by loulie

thanks that's very helpful. I don't particularly want to induce (happy for little lady to come when she's ready) but i'd heard that 'epo makes the cervix like putty' thing and wouldn't mind a bit of that!!

So I have 1000mg EPO capsules so think I will start taking one per day of those now, and add one vaginally from 37 weeks. With the RRL, I have capsules too, not the tea, so still a little unsure. they say '750mg equivalent' and the instructions say to take 2 per day, but don't mention pregnancy - any views?

Ug, as for the RRL...I'm in the same boat on this one. I know how to take it in a tea...but I can't get any good fresh leaf this pregnancy so I just purchased a tincture. I'm taking about 1/2 teaspoon...maybe more every day right now, but I have a feeling that this is not enough.

There is a thread here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...4#post14945174 that might have more information. I just can't look through it all right now for tincture info (and tea is the MOST effective way to take it, particularly in labor for the major infusion...check the first page of the thread for more info about that)...but if anyone else finds it, would you please post it here?

Thanks.

[Ambystoma]

I've been drinking at least 1 cup of hot RRLT per day in the 3rd tri, and sporadically in the 2nd tri. I've only missed a day or 2. DH remembers better than I do and usually makes it for me. I've been mixing with nettle, though, and sometimes Red Clover.

I started the EPO yesterday at 35w3d one orally (1000mg) and I'll add 1 vaginally in about a week or so-maybe wait until I officially hit 37 weeks. It really depends on how my cervix is doing Wed when I go to the OB.

[GuavaGirl]

What is the recipe for the strong RRL tea that some women drink during labor?

[jul511riv]

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl

What is the recipe for the strong RRL tea that some women drink during labor?

it's on the first page (first post maybe) of the rrl tea tribe thread that you are on.