RRL infusions « Back to Group Discussions

[bostonmummy]

Hi all,

Anyone else planning on drinking red raspberry leaf infusions? I found the 100+ page thread on it in some other part of mothering.com and have been very impressed with what I read. Here's what I've learned, in case you don't feel like doing the amount of reading I already have (though I'd recommend reading the first post with the interesting story about one woman's experience with RRL):

In the 3rd trimester, start drinking 3 cups of RRL tea/infusion every day. It helps tone the uterus and is supposed to make the contractions in labor much more efficient, leading to a faster, easier delivery. To make it strong enough, steep 1 oz (1 mounding cup) of RRL tea in 1 quart of just boiled water in a covered jar or pot overnight. Drink throughout the day. 

Then, when you begin to go into labor, make the same infusion, but with half the amount of water (i.e. double in strength) and drink hot. It's supposed to make labor go way faster.

I figure there's not much to lose by drinking it. And you can order your herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. They've got organic, loose leaf RRL, among many other herbs. Shipping is pricy, and it's takes a good week+ to get to me from Oregon, but their quality is fantastic. 

Would love to know if you've tried this or are planning to try it.

[pregnova]

you can also get your herbs from any natural health food store in your area...in the health area under bulk herbs. It's super cheap. I get mine from whole foods, or another local store in our area, and pay like fifty cents an oz! It's great because you actually drink a TON of it if you follow the 'guidelines'. lol

I prefer mine hot, but it's actually really tasty cold. And, you could always mix in some bulk mint herbs for flavor. 

With all that said, I did guzzle it last pregnancy, and it did nothing to help! or, if it that was it shortening labor, lol, then I'd have been in serious trouble without it!

I am taking it again this pregnancy, but started way back in first trimester with a break somewhere near the end of first trimester when the morning sickness got too bad. I'm hoping that taking it so long might help more this time although I noticed that as I upped my cups a day, my braxton hicks disappeared!

[UnderTheOldOakTree]

The midwife I would have seen if we still lived in our old town suggests a blend of :

4 parts red raspberry leaf

2 parts rose hips
4 parts nettles
2 parts alfalfa
4 parts oat straw
2 parts lemon balm
1 part spearmint leaf

  You use 1 cup of the tea herbs and 2 quarts of water and then dilute to make 1 gallon of tea.   Some of my friends have added Chamomile to the mixture too (not sure how much).  I usually drink it iced.  It's an acquired taste but I like it if I can have it sweetened slightly with a drop of stevia.  I need to start making it and drinking it more regularly.  It's supposed to be good for placental health, milk supply and improving uterine tone/making contractions more efficient.  

[DelawareMom]

Originally Posted by UnderTheOldOakTree 

The midwife I would have seen if we still lived in our old town suggests a blend of :

4 parts red raspberry leaf

2 parts rose hips
4 parts nettles
2 parts alfalfa
4 parts oat straw
2 parts lemon balm
1 part spearmint leaf

This looks just like the "Pregnancy Tonic" my midwife has suggested. I make it the exact same way and drink it iced. I find it very refreshing, so I'm drinking a ton of it, also. She has recommended it because she said her patients who drink it seem to have healthier placentas and membranes than those who don't. I found the thread on here about the RRL, though and if it also adds to the speed and efficiency of labor, then woo hoo!

I had a relatively easy labor with my daughter, and was drinking straight RRL tea for about the last five weeks of pregnancy, though not nearly in the quantities that I have been this time, so I don't really know if there is any correlation.

[pregnova]

I think red rasberry leaf is supposed to be so excellent for pregnant women not only because it's a uterine toner, but also because it has super high quantities of trace minerals in it. And, since we all need extra of everything while pregnant and many of our foods are already deprived of those natural trace minerals from over-farming, ect... red rasberry leaf is like an EXCELLENT boost to our body's nutritional intake. 

rose hips are super excellent for vitamin C. I think Gloria Lemay raves about using it as a tea while pregnant to keep up the body's immune system. 

Do you guys know what the oat straw is for? I've never heard of that one!

[JoyofBirth]

I was planning to start RRL in my third trimester. I'm also thinking of starting something at 35 weeks. Either Nature Sunshine's 5W or something called gentle birth. I have really long labors and would really like to try to move this one along. I have been a ton of really painful braxton-hicks though. It almost feels like labor, but it stops when I sit down. I worry a little about taking something that will cause uterine contractions. But then I'm reading for some that it helped BH die down a bit. So I'm wondering if I should try.

[micromama]

I've never heard of this but definitely want to try it! To be clear, it's recommended to start at the beginning of the third trimester, yes?

My labor with my older daughter was a marathon -- 55 hours, ugh!  I will do anything to avoid that scenario again.

[bostonmummy]

Micromama - actually, you can start it at any time. The recommended amount is 2 cups/day in 2nd trimester, 3 cups/day in the 3rd. Just got my shipment today, so we'll see if it works wonders the way people say it will!

[Aurora]

I did the concentrated infusion at the start of both of my labors. My first labor ended up being 3.5 hours and then my second was 1.5 hours. I cannot say that it was directly related to the RRL because I had never labored before (1 emergency c-section and one scheduled c-section), but it could have been. I love RRL tea!