RRL Question - Is this Strong?

[Metasequoia]

X-posted from "I'm Pg"

I was wondering....I am due on Sunday, my Dd's were both right on time, so I wouldn't be surprised if this one was too...

Anyhow, I made a strong brew (I think) in a liter jar with 3 bags of nettles & 3 bags of RRL (Yogi Tea.) I let it brew overnight, actually, the bags are still in there 24 hrs later. I had one cup this AM & another just now. Is this really a strong brew? I'm feeling kind of heavy, a tad crampy (but hey, I'm 2 days shy of 40 wks!) & I had a second bm this afternoon which is really not like me...I'm a morning only kind of gal .

I wouldn't mind having this babe tomorrow, it's Dp's b-day & he would love it! I know, I know, a babe comes when it's ready...

Cervically speaking, I'm ripe, now at 4cm, 90% & zero station. I wonder if this brew will do anything??? Ya think??

[nubianamy]

You're supposed to use 1 oz of RRL per (quart?) I think. That's a LOT of leaves. I'll be curious to hear your experience!

[Metasequoia]

So you think 3 tea bags in a liter is a lot?

[RedOakMomma]

I followed the recipe, using straight red raspberry leaf from my co-op. It's fluffy, green-brown, earthy-smelling stuff.

The recipe said one ounce of RRL, once pint of boiling water.

An ounce is more than you think...roughly the size of a snowball or fist. You brew that with a pint of water, and let it sit for a while (? about the time... might have been a 1/2 hour or so). The end brew is VERY strong....tastes like you're eating a twig off a raspberry bush, but liquefied.

I brewed it up in a big bowl, then used my kitchen strainer to get all the RRL out. I pre-brewed it in early labor and drank it after it was cold, though the recipe said to drink it very hot. Seemed to do the trick for me, though....40 minutes after drinking it, I was holding my baby!

[Metasequoia]

Hmmmm, I don't have any bulk, I wonder if 3 bags in a liter is good enough....how the heck much is a liter anyhow??? I've been brewing my tea in one of those glass wine carafes, makes a nice 3 14oz glasses & I leave the tea in overnight, covered & then chill it. I mix it with nettles for the iron/vit K.

[RedOakMomma]

1 liter is about 2.5 pints, so if you are using one liter, I'd say that's way too much water. Also, I think three tea bags is probably too low. Can you weigh out the tea in a tea bag? My guess is that you'd need several (!) to make an ounce of RRL.

[ellie_may12]

The box I got had 24 bags and was 2oz, so I did the math....24 divided by 2 is 12....so I put 14 bags to the side (just to make sure I had enough) for when I go into labor. It is a lot!

Still waiting for labor.....

[nubianamy]

Thanks, Elisabeth -- I couldn't remember how much water to the 1oz. I am using a quart canning jar to make my RRL tea, so I'll have to use 2 fist-sized amounts.

I think the loose RRL is better than the tea bags, because the tea bags have been sitting around on the shelf for gods know how long. The fluffy RRL I got from the coop is still green.

[Metasequoia]

Just reading through these threads....& noticed that I was holding my babe *exactly* 10 hrs later, at 1:21am (posted at 4:21pm!!)

Wonder if it was the RRL???