Any advice on when to start using red raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil capsules

[tonttu]

Hi ,

my DH and I are planning a new baby and there is a STRONG possibility , that I am pregnant already .

My question , have any of you used EPO and red raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy ?

I heard it´s supposed to tone the uterus , soften the cervix and help delivery and since we are going for a vba3c , I am open to anything , that will aid my success .

But when do I start taking them and what dosage ? Plus I read somewhere , that some women use EPO vaginally and by mouth , do you just pop it into your vagina ? 

Sorry , I feel a little stupid now

And when would you start doing that (gest.age) ?

[finnegansmom]

I was told not until 36-37 weeks but speak to you midwife in case there are reasons you shouldn't start that early.

I'm 39 weeks and just started EPO this week (vaginally).

[Jayray]

I start RRL in the second trimester, although many people start in the first (I've heard it's good for nausea!).  Yeah, EPO you start around 36 weeks--orally and vaginally.

[k9sarchik]

I've taken RRL tea throughout my pregnancies and my midwife told me to take EPO at 38 weeks.

[noahs.mom06]

My MW recommends RRL throughout the entire pregnancy, and in the past I've done EPO starting around 36 weeks, orally and vaginally at 37/38 weeks.

[NuzzleNudge]

RRL Is good for you all the time, pregnant or not. And safe thru-out pregnancy. It really does tone the uterus. I had a great experience with it lessening the PPBleeding. It will not induce labor unless you have a condition that makes you susceptible to preterm labor.

As for EPO, my mid wife said she prescribes it as sort of a mood stabilizer thru-out pregnancy for those who need it, and I Definitely do! I become a Mean Monster, scary hormonal Pregasaurus when i stop taking it. (By mouth obviously.) It too is good for you all the time, and does not induce labor or anything like that.

[NuzzleNudge]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1006.html

[BarefootScientist]

Based solely on my own experience and what I've heard, I would wait to take EPO until you are ready to give birth. You have been pregnant before, so you may have an idea (depending on the circumstances surrounding your c-sections I guess) on how long you generally gestate, so I would make the call based on that. It ripens the cervix just like prostaglandins, is that safe for a VBA3C? (I honestly don't know, but you should check.)

No input on RRL tea. I've heard it's safe all through pregnancy.

[tonttu]

Well , my first was 2 weeks overdue and despite the doctors trying to induce for a loooong time , nothing happened . And I knew from very early US , that the due date was correct .

However , when he was taken out , I realised , that the way his little head was all smashed up , there was no choice , he had to come like that

Second one , I got pregnant about 6 months after first , while never having had a period after birth and using birth control and breast feeding . I was already almost 5 months along , when I found out , I was pregnant during a routine check-up . He was also very overdue and the doctor talked me into inducing , because he said , that on US it looked like my water was almost gone and my plazenta looked like it was also shutting down . Still took 4 days of excrutiating labor with pain I didn´t think was even possible , for him to almost be born , get stuck and then they had to take him as well .

Third , born at 38 weeks , no problems , no meds , nothing . The doctor told me in the morning during routine check-up , that everything looks like it should 2 weeks before the due date and that she´ll see me next week . That night , I went into labor !

Which is really typical for my son , he always does EXACTLY what you would not expect him to do , to this day .

My DD1 was born on due date , she was having problems and they gave me one pill to start inducing and that´s all I needed.

My DD2 was over the due date , and the doctor said I should let them induce , but I told them , if baby is happy , there is no need , so the idiot broke my water during check-up(w/o my permission) and of course , they had to give me meds  to start labor , which took 3 days and I didn´t progress well at all , (of course since I wasn´t ready yet) and her heart rate got so bad , they had to take her .

So , I really don´t want to end up like that again . The one good thing is , that we are moving soon , so next baby will be born in a different country and of course different hospital , but if I can do my part to avoid anything like that agin , like hell I´m gonna do it

So basically , I start drinking RRL tea every day during pregnancy and then start taking EPO capsules at 37 weeks , right ?

And how do you use them internally , do you just put them in and they dissolve ? Or do you have to break them up , beforehand ?

[justrachelmarie]

As far as the EPO, my midwife told me that I could pin prick them first, but they would eventually dissolve on their own.  She said to get them right up by my cervix, so DH did it for me.  It was a difficult reach for me with a belly so big!  We'd do it right before bed so that they would stay in place.

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by BarefootScientist 

It ripens the cervix just like prostaglandins, is that safe for a VBA3C? (I honestly don't know, but you should check.)
 

This is what I have been wondering about lately and haven't figured out yet. Cytoptec, though a chemical prostoglandin, is dangerous for VBACs for this reason (it softens the scar in addition to the uterus). I don't know yet whether EPO does this, or if it can be compared more closely to semen which is natural and of course safe.
 

[tonttu]

That´s what I was wondering , too ! Everyone tells you , that you should have sex to get things going , so I think (and that´s just my gutt feeling) , that the natural prostaglandins , like in sperm , are okay .

Plus , with my history , I just feel , it´s a good idea to help my body as much as possible in preparation for the delivery , which in turn will help protect my scar , won´t it ?

Maybe sex and EPO capsules for double effect , you know , a lot helps a lot

I am sure , my sweetheart will love that

Seriously , though , from all I´ve been reading , I should be a perfect candidate for making things easier , right ? Better than chemical induction anyway !