Red Raspberry leaf tea anyone? « Back to Group Discussions

[wantabeanbrat]

Has anyone been taking / started drinking red raspberry leaf tea?

I went for a childbirth workshop last weekend and the midwife who conducted it said...its good to start drinking red raspberry leaf tea in the last trimester.

I had never heard of this tea prior to that. So was curious as to anyone from our group knows about this tea and its benefits.

What has been your experience with this tea? is it really that beneficial ?

[distantstars]

I have been drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea: 

• 1 part Red Raspberry Leaf
• 1 part Nettle 
• 1/2 part Alfalfa 

Raspberry Leaf - According to Wise Woman Herbal: Childbearing Year by Susan Weed, it contains fragrine, an alkaloaid, which tons the pelvic muscles and the uterus. It also contains a rich concentration of vitamin C some vitamin E, calcium and iron. Also vitamin A, B complex and many minerals.  It benefits for pregnancy include: easing morning sickness, reducing pain during labor and after, helps bring down the placenta and assists in production of milk .

Nettle (which I include in the tea) includes tons of chlorophyll, vitamins A, C, D, K, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and sulphur. The Wise Woman book suggests switching to this from Raspberry leaf in the 3rd trimester because of the large amount of Vitamin K for helping with preventing hemorrhage after birth. The book also states that it helps with leg cramps, reducing hemorrhoids and diminishing childbirth pain. 

Alfalfa taken through pregnancy "will increase available vitamin K and hemoglobin in the blood" (Weed, 71). 

It also is good with some honey!

[Marilyn82]

Each pregnancy, I buy all the herbs to make a pregnancy tea ala the previous poster (love Susan Weed), but end up being too lazy to make it lol. I'm just going to buy the pre bagged version by Traditional Medicinals and call it a day. I love RRL, it's yummy!

Edited by Marilyn82 - 8/21/12 at 12:00pm

[tekcez]

I have a giant bulk bag my sil gave me. I've been brewing it in batches with a cinnamon stick as both rrl and cinnamon are supposed to help regulate blood sugar. When I drink them together before bed, my fasting bg has been about 5 points lower. It works!

[PacificMar]

Raspberry leaf tea is awesome! If you have a personal or family history of precipitous labor, though, talk with your midwife or obstetrician before using it; she/he might suggest a smaller dose or avoiding it altogether. 

[fayebond]

pacificmar, that is interesting.  I was drinking alot of this one week, but started feeling alot of contraction-like pains after each cup.  I quit even though I love the taste, it just felt way too labor-like for me.  However, I have the box with it on the front of the tea cupboard, and plan to start drinking it exactly 3 weeks before my due date. :)  Hey, by then I'll need some braxton hicks help, right?

[TheDivineMrsM]

I started drinking it in the 3rd tri with DD. It didn't do much for my labor, but I'm hoping that it'll help this time. I've been drinking it almost since the beginning. 

[faithsstuff]

what can I add for flavor? and where would you order in bulk?

[TheDivineMrsM]

Originally Posted by faithsstuff 

what can I add for flavor? and where would you order in bulk?

I add some honey to mine. 

I bought a ton of tea from Sunshine Herbals. Great prices and quick shipping on organic teas. It tastes 1000x better than Yogi or other store-bought pre-bagged brands. 

http://sunshineherbals.net/

[Marilyn82]

Thanks for sharing that site! They look great :) I LOVE that you can order teapot-size teabags!

[sere234]

I need to go buy some RRL and other herbs soon! Maybe I'll do that next week, this week is way too busy :)

[Thyme Mama]

I've been drinking a Pregnancy Tea by Traditional Medicinals and also the one by Yogi Teas. I prefer the TM's taste much more. But they both have RRL in them.

I learned about Polly Jean's formula early on in this pregnancy and I am *super* curious to see if it helps to shorten my labor and PP bleeding this time. I start that at 35 weeks. Anybody used Polly Jean's before?

[QMtwins]

A friend gave me a bag of locally harvested and prepared "pregnancy tea."  It has dandelion root, RRL, nettles, otstraw, alfalfa and rosehips.  Its pretty great.  I'll get more when it runs out in the next week or so. Using it with the hope my uterus will contract well this time.  My induction last time was going well (4 cm dialated), until I didn't get into active labor/uterus wasn't contracting well.  Was it that it was so stretched out by twins and as a muscle just didn't work well, or just too early/not ready yet (36 weeks: pre-eclampsia)?  I'd like to think my body was just not ready, despite the pre-eclampsia but I'm willing to drink some tea and tone the uterus in hopes for a lovely VBAC of twins!