What does the dosage on the bottle say? In the 2nd trimester, you could take 1/2 of what the bottle says and working up to the full amount by the 3rd trimester, and by the last 8 weeks
I was wondering how your tea stays hot to drink after seeping for 30 minutes. You just drank the whole thing right away at the beginning of labor and didn't need to drink anymore tea the rest of the labor or any for postpartum? Does red raspberry also prevent perinium tears and episiotomys or is it still necessary to do perineum massages the last few weeks of pregnancy?
I was wondering how your tea stays hot to drink after seeping for 30 minutes. You just drank the whole thing right away at the beginning of labor and didn't need to drink anymore tea the rest of the labor or any for postpartum? Does red raspberry also prevent perinium tears and episiotomys or is it still necessary to do perineum massages the last few weeks of pregnancy?
THe tea is lukewarm probably after 30 minutes. I think its still fine to drink, and would still be quite effective in my opinion. I believe it is best to drink infusions at least in the 2nd-3rd trimester Susan Weed style. (1/4- 1/2 cup red raspberry and let it set 4 hours at least. Raspberry Leaf has a cumulative effect, so using it for a 3-4 months before delivery will get the best results possible. I drink my infusions cold right before going to sleep.
Antdotal evidence says that Red Raspberry does help the tissues stretch and prevent tears, no gaurantees, but if this is your 1st, I doing perinal massage would be helpful.
Also dont wait too long to drink the labor infusion. Its ok to drink it if you are in really early labor. If you wait too long some women can vomit it, because they are too far along in labor with nausea. Yes, drinking red raspberry infusion through out the whole labor is what some women do. You could just sip it, OR make ice cubes ahead of time and use those too.
Heres a recipe for Red Raspberry Ice Cubes for Labor I think a similar one is
passed around with midwives
Labor Popcicles
1-2 oz of Red Raspberry Leaf (1 rounding cup OR 2 rounding cups Red Raspberry Leaf)
1 quart of water
quart size jar with lid
honey to taste
2-3 1 gram Calcium tablets crushed
ice tray
Pour raspberry leaf into quart jar and pour boiling water over top. Let set 4-8 hours or overnight. Strain off, and to the infusion, add honey and calcium. Pour into ice trays, freeze and save in ziploc bag for labor.
This helps hydration, noursihment, calories,and helps speed labor along.
I am 35 wks and now up to 3/4 c RRL steeped overnight, I drink a cup with each with lunch and dinner. I was finding it very difficult to drink but realized it was probably the nettles I was adding in- for some reason I just can't stand nettle tea. So now I drink it plain.
herbsgirl, you mentioned perinal massage in the first pregnancy - I did and didn't tear in the perinum at all. Now DH has been reminding me to do it this time around and I am finding it soooo painful and uncomfortable. So are you saying it's not necessary for second etc. pregnancys?
I guess mainly because of my experience that I recomended it especially for the 1st pregnancy, I tore 2nd degree with my 1st baby, 2nd 3rd and 4th no tears or if any just tiny or skid marks. Im sure some poeple do tear in subsequent pregnancies! For sure, its a good preventative thing to do, but not absolutly necessary. Ive read that doing it with essential oils is really good, helps ripen the cervix too!
Heres some links about Perinal massage with essential oil s
This one has a three week before perinal massage recipe and a one week before perineal massage recipe
http://andreannarainville.com/pdf/essOilsBirth.pdf
http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/6374/perineal-massage-aids-in-a-natural-birth
http://cmja.arakmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_id=65&sid=1&slc_lang=en
THe tea is lukewarm probably after 30 minutes. I think its still fine to drink, and would still be quite effective in my opinion. I believe it is best to drink infusions at least in the 2nd-3rd trimester Susan Weed style. (1/4- 1/2 cup red raspberry and let it set 4 hours at least. Raspberry Leaf has a cumulative effect, so using it for a 3-4 months before delivery will get the best results possible. I drink my infusions cold right before going to sleep.
Antdotal evidence says that Red Raspberry does help the tissues stretch and prevent tears, no gaurantees, but if this is your 1st, I doing perinal massage would be helpful.
Also dont wait too long to drink the labor infusion. Its ok to drink it if you are in really early labor. If you wait too long some women can vomit it, because they are too far along in labor with nausea. Yes, drinking red raspberry infusion through out the whole labor is what some women do. You could just sip it, OR make ice cubes ahead of time and use those too.
Heres a recipe for Red Raspberry Ice Cubes for Labor I think a similar one is
passed around with midwives
Labor Popcicles
1-2 oz of Red Raspberry Leaf (1 rounding cup OR 2 rounding cups Red Raspberry Leaf)
1 quart of water
quart size jar with lid
honey to taste
2-3 1 gram Calcium tablets crushed
ice tray
Pour raspberry leaf into quart jar and pour boiling water over top. Let set 4-8 hours or overnight. Strain off, and to the infusion, add honey and calcium. Pour into ice trays, freeze and save in ziploc bag for labor.
This helps hydration, noursihment, calories,and helps speed labor along.
Thanks for the recipe. I don't have access to the loose tea so I buy the tea bags at my local health food store. I read somewhere that 9 tea bags equal 1 oz of tea but i'm not sure if thats correct. I've been drinking the tea since the beginning of my second trimester and have upped the level of tea bags in each cup of tea and drink it twice a day now instead of once a day. I hope I get the same results from using the tea bags. This is my first child. I will start doing the perinium massage. I hear that your first labor is always the longest and hardest so I hope the tea really helps with my labor like it did with the other woman on this forum who have had kids before.
Hi everyone,
Is there any easy way to find the recommended RRL drinking regimen? I am very curious about the talk of infusions!
I drank RRL tea inconsistently during my second pregnancy. Not a good labor. So in my quest to attempt a 100% natural labor/birth, I am planning to go whole hearted on the RRL tea this time!
Also I still have some RRL tea left from my last pregnancy, it might not be as potent as fresh tea but it should still have some benefit right? It is ~2 years old.
Thanks.
ETA: Who has compared a bunch of prices and want to help me out with where is the best deal?
I am 19w2d and just got my order of RRL in the mail. What is the recommended daily drinking and what do I do when I go into labor? I honestly tried reading back but it's kind of overwhelming. This will be my 2nd child and my first was an induction so I never really got to have a regular labor.
Should I start drinking it right away? Wait until 3rd trimester? Help!
Thanks in advance.
Hi! Infusions are more potent and I am trying them this time. Its best to work up slowly on the amount of red raspberry you use. Starting at 18-20 weeks is a good time to start. Infusions (Susan Weed Style) steep or let red raspberry sit in the water for at least 4 hours, then strain.
This pregnancy, I have started at 18 weeks or so more seriously and off and on, gradually have increased my red raspberry leaf to how much I use. A good goal is to be drinking 4 Tablespoons or 1/4 cup rounding red raspberry leaf steeped in 1 cup or more of water for 4 hours by 27 weeks. You can start off with 1 Tablespoon and gradually move up. If you want to experience the most results from red raspberry leaf, Consistent, daily or 5 days per week drinking infusions in the last trimster is a good idea. My goal is to hopefully God willing gradually move up to 8 rounding Tablespoons or 1/2 cup rounding Red Raspberry in 2 cups plus water by 32 weeks.
Another good goal is to go to 1 cup rounding Red Raspberry by 36-37 weeks in 1 quart of water steep 4 hours or overnight. The labor infusion is 1 cup rounding in 2 cups water 30 minutes. I read of one person on here that made the labor infusion several? times after 37 weeks when she had prodomol labor, when she actually went into labor, her labor was 45 minutes she said!
You can always water it down before you drink it, the main thing is that you consume it consistently, and in the proper amount. Some women will drink double the dosages I wrote about (the 1/4 and 1/2 cup) and get along great, These are more conservative. Another great thing that I do, is to drink the infusion just before going to sleep. It seems to help me get to sleep faster and my fasting blood sugars are lower!
A midwife did a small study on 4 pregnant women, they drank 2 cups of infusion (some where around 1/2 cup rounding or more red raspberry leaf) in the 3rd trimester. When they went into labor, they drank double the amount, and then had a bunch to sip on during labor also? All of the women had a short labor 3-4 hour births
http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1364514/red-raspberry/20#post_17131989
It is best to get fresh red raspberry leaf. Storing it for a year is the max. recomended time.
amazon.com, vitacost.com, or iherb.com is a really good place to get it. Type in Starwest Botanticals Red Raspberry Leaf in the search bar, OR Frontier Red Raspberry Leaf. I use the Frontier.
http://www.iherb.com/Starwest-Botanicals-Red-Raspberry-Leaf-C-S-Organic-1-lb/22594
http://www.iherb.com/Frontier-Natural-Products-Cut-Sifted-Red-Raspberry-Leaf-16-oz-453-g/30780
heres a quick reference of what I did above
***good time to start 18-20 weeks work up to 4 heaping rounding Tablespoons by 27 weeks in 1 cup or more of water.
***daily or 5 days a week to get best results
***steeping time 4 hours
***work up to 1/2 cup rounding or 8 Tablespoons Red Raspberry by 32 weeks or before in 2 cups or more of water
optional but a good goal...
***36-37 weeks 1 cup rounding red raspberry in 1 quart of water 4 hours or overnight
Labor Infusion
*** 1 cup rounding red raspberry in 2 cups water 30 minutes
Thank you!
I'd like to hear success stories from woman who used RRL during pregnancy and the strong infusion during labor with your first pregnancy. I'm curious if there is a big difference in the length, pain, and tearing with the first child vs woman who had multiple children. I just started doing the perineum massage daily so i'm hoping that will help too. I told my hubby I want him to give me a perineum massage while i'm in labor.(hope he can) I am having the baby at the hospital and they said you have to lay down once your water breaks and i'd imagine they will try to make me lay down in the stirrups while i'm pusing as well. How soon do they break your water if it doesn't break on its own? Can I make them wait longer to break it so I can walk around longer and squat for faster progress? I read online that if you lay down it almost guarantees an episiiotomy or tears because it puts uneven pressure on the perineum and doesn't allow the pelvis to fully open like it does when you stand, squat, or sit up. I hope this is not the case. I wonder if I can demand not to lay down. Can you sit up straight in the hospital bed?? I'm afraid my baby boy is gonna be big and have a big head. His head was measuring big at my 32 wk ultrasound. I'm worried. :(
there are stories across the internet of women who used the strong infusion during labor, some on mothering. I have seen testemonials mainly of women who consistently drank infusion/tea have the most success, 1st baby or not. The infusion is more potent and in my opinion, gives the best chance of a shorter more successful labor. A person here on mothering said her midwife told her anything less than 1/2 cup of red raspberry is not enough to work. I believe that 1 cup of infusion would still help ( 1/4 cup red raspberry) and I am hoping to work to 1/2 cup God willing.
This post tells of a midwife that I told about in the previous post, who did a study on 4 women. They drank a version of a strong infusion upon going into labor after drinking 2 cups infusion during 3rd trimester...http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?119158-Could-someone-please-tell-me-raspberry-leaf-tea&p=2301012#post2301012
The first time mom in the midwife's story had a 3 hour labor.
I have had my water broke at aprox 3 cm or so with all 4 of my previous pregnancies, I was able to get up and shower ect. I wasnt on the bed very much, it made my contractions worse. I stayed in the shower, on the birth ball, ect. I didnt go to the bed when I was in serious labor unless they checked the baby's heartrate or I was pushing usually with most of my births. Also, I didnt have to give birth laying on my back if I didnt want to at 3 of my births, I could squat ect mostly. But once the baby came fast, I didnt care!
Ultrasounds are not always right. My first they said he was 9 1/2 lbs so they scheduled an induction. He came out 8 lbs 3 oz. Thats quite a bit off. Squatting opens the pelvis 30% more, so you could try that.
Thanks. I orderd 1 pound of RRL loose tea online today. They guy I talked to over the phone said 1 pound of tea would make 10+ cups of tea. I'm 34 weeks so that should be plenty for me to do 1/2 cup of loose tea a day and the 1 cup loose tea for the labor infusion. Should have some leftover to use after I have the baby too. I'm gonna add some nettle tea bags along with it. I bought some Alfalfa capsules but haven't used them yet. I can start taking them tomorrow but don't know how many to take a day and not really sure what all Alfalfa does or helps with. Would it be better to empty the capsules into the tea when making my infusions? Does Alfalfa taste bad?
alot of midwive recomends alfalfa tablets
Thanks for the info on the essential oil, herbsgirl, I think I will start the massage for as long as I can stand and use some oils.
bratgirl1, there are a lot of positive birth stories if you read this whole thread (I read it before DD was born) I posted my birth story a while back, here it is
I drank a bag of TM a day starting about 15 weeks, then at about 30 something weeks I began to drink an infusion of three bags of TM per day, also took 3 capsules and one suppository of EPO starting 36 weeks. I was one week 'overdue' (first time mom). I had one day of feeling crampy (like my period) and then woke up at 3:30 am with contractions. They continued for hours until my MW finally checked me at 2:15 pm and I was only 3 cm. She left and I felt very discouraged so laid down to rest. Started to feel more and more intense painful contractions, although they were only 5-6 min apart, less if I laid down.
I finally went to the bathroom and felt like I couldn't take it anymore, I thought I was only about 5 cm at that time. Suddenly I started pushing (thought I was going #2) and then realized my water was bulging out so called my DH. He called my MW and 911 (we were planning a homebirth but thought we'd have to go to the hospital as only one MW was available on that day) and our baby was born over an hour later.
As to whether the RRL tea helped, well I did have only 3.5 hrs of 'active' labour, including pushing for 1 h 15 min. My contractions never got closer than about 5 min apart and once I got off the toilet and into the bedroom I sort of lost the urge to push. My MW had to coach me as she couldn't get the babies heartbeat. (she came out a perfectly healthy 9 lbs, no jaundice or anything)
I had very little bleeding afterwards, my lochia was light but it did persist for almost 4 weeks. My uterus went down quickly and I was able to fit into my pre preg jeans at 2.5 wks postpartum.
I will definitely drink RRLT next time, but in the loose leaf form, and starting in the second tri. I didn't find it helped with the morning sickness at ALL (I had to choke the tea down) but I had really bad MS (more like Hypermesis Gravidarum).
I know alfalfa is good, can't remember what for now though.
Anyone know if I can freeze the tea? I ordered 6 lb of MRH, wow, that is a LOT of tea! I think there is enough to last me through a few more pregnancies! I am using 1/2-3/4 cup (and still choking it down, I just can't like it) and barely made a dent in my bag.
Dove84- Yes it is best to keep the herbs in the freezer all the time and use them from there. They will last at least a year or so in the freezer. You can freeze the infusion, but I think I would rather drink it fresh to insure that it would work right.
Anyone have a dosage on the Quantum Raspberry Tincture?
Thanks.
I know this is my first child but I really hope i have a fast and easy labor/delivery with very managable pain. My main concern is tearing/episiotomy. I don't know if the hospital will allow me to walk around allot during labor and to squat for delivery and his head is measuring big as of my 32 wk ultrasound.(they said you have to stay in bed after your water breaks) I wonder if they'll let me lay on my side in the bed to deliver my baby? I can see this being more of a possibility than squatting. I wonder if I can demad to do things differently? I could wait to go to the hospital so I can labor my way at home. How far apart do your contractions need to be before going to the hospital? The hospital is only 5-10 min from our house. Should I worry about having the baby too fast after taking the strong RRL infusion and need to go to the hospital sooner? Also I read that nettle tea helps diminish labor pains due to its high calcium content. I don't hear anyone one here talking about drinking nettle tea. I mix nettle with the rrl tea. I'm gonna put that in my labor infusion too. Anyone have any experience with nettle tea helping labor/delivery pain too? Do you think rrl or nettle help make the perineum more elastic to help prevent tears/episiotomy? I am doing the perineum massage.
Laboring at home for a while is usually a good idea...Read the bradley way of childbirth, it tells of the 3 different stages of labor and when the best time to go to the hospital, stories of how poeple did it and avoided a bunch of interventions... Drinking the infusion could potentially speed up your labor, but everyone is different.
Nettle is actually quite popular to mix with Red Raspberry and I have read they are synergistic? Jill the pill said she did it this way and here is her birth link...
http://www.mothering.com/community/t/347728/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-tribe/1960#post_16763889
I drank RRL and Nettle infusions from 18 weeks until I went into labor. I started off pretty conservative with the herbs and increased it every couple of weeks until I was using a cup of RRL and 1/2 cup nettle to a quart of boiling water. I drank it at least 4 or 5 days a week.
My water broke on 11/10 and I made the super strong infusion (talked about at the beginning of the thread) to drink on the way to the hospital. I was having no contractions yet so it was a very mellow ride. We got to the hospital and they checked me, I was 1-2 cm. I was hoping to be further along than that but I wasn't in any pain yet so I wasn't shocked. Around 1am I started having regular contractions that felt like bad period cramps in my lower back but it was still tolerable. 2am my contractions were doubling and tripling without a break at all. Doctor came in to check me at 3am (it's a good thing because she almost went home to get some rest!) and I was at 10cm! I pushed through 3 contractions and my daughter was born.
Did the RRL help? Absolutely! I am a believer. It was an awesome experience. My first birth was a pretty bad experience so I was glad to have a peaceful, quick birth. My total active labor time was like 2 1/2 hours. Good luck to everyone who wants to try RRL. It's good stuff!
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