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Red Raspberry Leaf Tea tribe - Page 97

post #1921 of 2208

Would anyone happen to know if making the tea (loose leaf) like coffee in a coffee maker will diminish any of the benefits.  I keep worrying because I know you're supposed to let the tea steep and a coffee maker doesn't do that.  I put the tea in a filter and literally make it just like I would coffee.  It comes out the same color and taste as when I let it steep, but I wanna make sure so I know I'm not just wasting my time and precious tea.  If I had a way to make large batches any other way I would... but I don't.

post #1922 of 2208

Would anyone happen to know if making the tea (loose leaf) like coffee in a coffee maker will diminish any of the benefits.  I keep worrying because I know you're supposed to let the tea steep and a coffee maker doesn't do that.  I put the tea in a filter and literally make it just like I would coffee.  It comes out the same color and taste as when I let it steep, but I wanna make sure so I know I'm not just wasting my time and precious tea.  If I had a way to make large batches any other way I would... but I don't.

post #1923 of 2208

^ I don't know definitely, but I do think that you're supposed to make an infusion, which seems to require more leaves and a longer steeping time. Even my boxed RR leaf bagged tea provides instructions to steep for 10-15 minutes with a lid on.

post #1924 of 2208
Quote:
Originally Posted by RosieL View Post

I used RRL for the month I conceived. I stopped drinking it after BFP, but recently have been thinking about it wo I brewed a cup tonight. A teaspoon brewed in about 12oz for about 8 minutes. 

 

I have cramps now. Mild, but definitely there cramps. Is this just coincidental, or do you ladies experience similar, immediate reactions?



I'm re-posting this question because it's buried on the last page...

post #1925 of 2208

Immediate reactions are possible.  If you are experiencing cramps w/RRL in the first trimester I'd recommend holding off until you're into the 2nd tri.

post #1926 of 2208
I ordered my herbs for tea and they're on the way. I skipped it during the first trimester because I just suffered a miscarriage and there is some contradicting information out there on miscarriages. (I think only for women that are prone to them for certain reasons - I don't know why I miscarried.)

Anyways, I did drink it some when I was pregnant with DD. I didn't get to drink a lot, because I had HG and couldn't stomach a lot of it. This time I was spared from the HG, so I'm all for it. Nice, cold tea will be nice with this weather, too. I'll probably drink the blend through the end, and make stronger decoction closer to the due date.

My friends that delivered with midwives all drank it and loved it. Coincidentally or not, they also had short, easy labors.
post #1927 of 2208

I just started my RRL regimen today!  I'm 36 weeks, which is when my midwives recommend starting it. 

My last labour was at 38 weeks, and only 6 hours with no RRL.  Interesting to see what happens this time! 

post #1928 of 2208

JUST finished this thread! What a lot of reading!

 

I'm currently at 35 weeks with my first! I started RRL this week. I'll make sure to report back once our little one arrives :)

post #1929 of 2208

Those of you who are just starting RRL near the end of pregnancy, how strong are you making it? Right now I boil a quart of water with a tablespoon of RRL with a scant tablespoon of nettle and a half tablespoon of alfalfa and let it sit 30 minutes before I strain, but I am wondering if I should make it stronger or swap out the nettle when I get to 36 weeks. 

post #1930 of 2208
I'm in my second trimester, and I make an infusion that steeps over night before I strain it.
post #1931 of 2208

I'm 32 weeks pregnant and I started drinking red raspberry leaf tea again last week. I had used it early in pregnancy and then kind of lost my interest in tea through most of the pregnancy so eliminated it for a long time. Now my cravings for it have returned. I'm just using tea packets, though, so it's probably not too strong when I make it. Is it okay for me to indulge as much as I want in the tea bag form? My body must be really liking it because these cravings are coming out of nowhere!

post #1932 of 2208
Quote:
Originally Posted by birdhappy85 View Post
. I'm just using tea packets, though, so it's probably not too strong when I make it. Is it okay for me to indulge as much as I want in the tea bag form? My body must be really liking it because these cravings are coming out of nowhere!


Same here!! I'm 36 weeks and just use RRL tea bags, steeped about 10 minutes. But I find myself constantly craving it throughout the day! I hope the frequency in which I'm drinking it makes up for lack of strength. I just know nothing about tea leaves, infusions, etc. Trying to catch up on this thread.

 

post #1933 of 2208

I'm not much of a tea drinker... would RRL capsules work just as effectively?

post #1934 of 2208

In Australia, they recomend 4000-4500 mg of Red Raspberry leaf capsules in the 3rd trimester. That would be around 9 of Nature's Way Red Raspberry. IF you are in the 1st or 2nd trimster, start slowly and build up there.  I have read of women taking 12 capsules a day of Red Raspberry.

 

The main thing is that the capsules are not as strong as the tea, so you need to take enough to make sure you take enough to get results.

 

http://www.herbsofgold.com.au/products/product/1587

 

 

http://www.fourbody.com.au/blackmores-raspberry-leaf.html

 

 

post #1935 of 2208

Hey ladies! I'm joining you all. I'm 33 weeks and have been drinking 2-3 cups of RRL tea at least every other day for about a month now. I do plan on upping it soon. Does anyone have any idea how I would make the tea from fresh leaves picked from the actual bush? I searched this thread and didn't find anything usable.

post #1936 of 2208
I believe it should be the same, but you may need a little more of the fresh leaf. Just do not use once the leaves have gone limp. Save any limp leaves for drying, since they're supposed to not be safe during the drying period.
post #1937 of 2208
After reading through nearly this entire thread more than once and spending hours on google books, and the internet combing to find out many many personal stories on Red Raspberry, a good portion of the women who have the MOST success with Red Raspberry, take it in Susan Weed Infusion doses. We are talking a bag of Red Raspberry and using measuring cups to measure instead of itty bitty tea bags. Also the mineral content comes out of Red Raspberry when you steep it 4-8 hours even overnight and then drink it. These are the women who have labors only a few hours long, 98% of them say their bleeding stops either within a few days, some just spot, and others say they notice a huge difference and being way less blood loss overall and shorter amount of bleeding time than previous births.

Red Raspberry works best when taken over a period of Several Months and the best is to start before conception. Red Raspberry is a Tonic. And tonics work slowly and surely. Just like walking a mile a day for a week, wont get you fit. You might notice some good effects at the end of that week, but start walking a mile a day, increasing your fitness then over the period of several months, you see a much better difference, your body is actually FIT!! The same way with Red Raspberry to get the most benefit and to allow time for it to work the best, taken over a period of several months




This is my personal Uterine Strengthening Regime Infusions, susan weed strength.

So basicly my plan is 1 cup Red Raspberry Infusion 1 cup Nettle infusion with some Oatstraw 1st trimester
2 cups Red Raspberry infusion 2 cups Nettle Infusion with some Oatstraw 2nd Trimester
3 cups Red Raspberry Infusion 3 cups Nettle Infusion with some Oatstraw 3rd Trimester
4 cups Red Raspberry Infusion 4 cups Nettle Infusion with some oatstraw starting at 34-36 weeks and continuing a Quart of each infusion througout labor, placenta delivery, and immediet postpartum until bleeding stops OR the 1st week postpartum



]Disclaimer- I am not a doctor , so you are responsible for your own health and whatever decisions you make for yourself!


Uterine Strengthening Infusions



.
1. Red Raspberry (strengthens connective tissue and uterine muscles)
This herb is extremly important to women, and to uterine health! The Medicinal infusion is the best if you actually want to get the best benefits from this herb. Also its best to start taking this BEFORE pregnancy so your body is somewhat used to it. I am convinced alot of women say that this causes too many tightenings/spotting/contractions is partly because they START red raspberry in pregnancy. IF your body is used to it (starting 3-6 solid months before concieving) chances are you wont notice as much difference, and your uterus will be more in tone, so it wont need to tighten as much right away. IT also wont mess up your hormone levels as much, It dont seem, if its something you have already been doing.

That being said, 1 cup of infusion, Susan Weed style and strength is all I recomend in the 1st trimester.


1st trimester Red Raspberry Put 1/4 oz ( rounded loose 1/4 cup) in a mason jar Pour over 1 1/4 cup of boiling water and cap. Let set 4-8 hours or overnight. THis is important to get all those minerals and uterus specific properties out. Drink one cup of this daily until you are out of the 1st trimster.

2nd Trimester Red Raspberry Put 1/2 oz (rounded loose 1/2 cup) in a mason jar. Pour over 2 1/3 cups boiling water and cap. Let set 4-8 hours or overnight. Strain and drink aprox 2 cups daily throughout the 2nd trimester

3rd trimester Red RaspberryPut 3/4 oz (rounded loose 3/4 cup) in a mason jar. Pour over 3 1/3 cups boiling water and cap. Let set 4-8 hours or overnight. Strain and drink aprox 3 cups daily throughout the 3rd trimester.

34-36 weeks of pregnancy Put 1 oz of Red Raspberry (rounded loose 1 cup) in a mason jar. Pour over 4 1/2 cups boiling water. Let set 4-8 hours or overnight. Strain and drink 4 cups daily until you deliver the baby.

During delivery Scince you will already be drinking a similar dose that Henry Box the famous quaker herbalist suggests, you dont really need to up the dose. 4 cups of the strongest (1 oz) infusion can be sipped throughout labor OR make ice cubes ahead and suck on them.

Placenta delivery Scince Red Raspberry faciltates and helps deliver the placenta, it would be good to drink a cup or two of the strong infusion soon after birth, along with nettles infusion. It is recomended to make this ahead of time.

Postpartum It is good to continue the strong infusion for the first few days and I have seen it recomened until you stop bleeding.

Black haw, magnesium citrate may be taken with Red Raspberry if too many braxton hicks are felt. Red Raspberry does cause braxton hicks in alot of women. IT can affect women two ways, it can cause you to have more, or cause the braxton hicks to go away. The reason being is that Red Raspberry can either relax or tighten uterien muscles, all depending on what your body needs. If you have a uterus that needs more tone, Red Raspberry will "tone" it up and you will feel the toning. If your uterus is already in tone, you wont feel as much toning. That is why women who have been taking it for years, or for a while before becoming pregnant, dont notice it causing any problems or as much tightening. A very good reason to start taking it well before becoming pregnant at least in the 1st trimster dose.

The second thing is Nettle Infusions Which are important and work synergysticlly with Red Raspberry.
Quote:
By improving nerve signal to the muscle, Nettle helps increase muscle response time, thus reducing incidences of post-partum hemorrhage.
Quote:
Nettles infusions as well are considered an uterine tonic and overall nourisher- from the childbearing year website

The same dosage applies as red raspberry and you can even drink more.
1/4 oz- 1 oz and 1-4 cups daily drank the same as red raspberry.
Edited by herbsgirl - 10/2/11 at 8:13pm
post #1938 of 2208
Wow! Thanks for sharing all of that valuable info! I'm almost 34 weeks, didn't know about using it before pregnancy so I just started using it a couple months ago. I definitely notice more BH cntx right after. Makes sense that my uterus needs toning. But sometimes they get really strong & low which worries me a little. So I'm drinking at least every other day. I made some from fresh picked leaves off the bush the other day. Wowie that was strong. Had a cntx in my sleep that woke me up! But it was BH so I wasn't too worried smile.gif

Herbsgirl - so are you currently pregnant or just planning on it?

Cameragirl - thanks for the tip about the limp leaves, didn't know that!
post #1939 of 2208

Hi, FaithF, I have 4 children.  I am not pregnant now, but I am researching on how to prepare my uterus/strengthen it, because my uterus is soo out of tone, boggy after birth.  Red Raspberry is the herb to help this. And I know if Im going to give Red Raspberry a good try, Im gonna have to do it right so the toning effects are strong. I cant afford to just use a teabag or two!  I gotta get out my mason jar and my measuring cup and drink that RRL.  I am going to a midwife tommarow to talk about it her opinion on having more children, and ways to prepare ect.

 

I understand about the braxton hicks getting strong.  I had quite a few braxton hicks earlier on in my 4th pregnancy, but my labor was slow and my uterus was like Im done, after the baby was born, so I know I need RRL.    I hope to start 3 months before concieving with the 1/4 oz infusion. 

 

post #1940 of 2208
I'm starting to increase my dose now that I'm halfway to the homestretch. I was using 1/4 c per quart jar, and steeping overnight. I'd have two cups a day. With this batch, I moved to three cups a day, and I'm going to start adding more herbs so that I don't have to drink a ton to get the same effect.

Not sure if I posted this, but I'm using RRL, nettles, oat straw, dandelion leaf, and a little bit of ginger and rose hips.
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