[warrior mama]

Is anyone drinking this yet?
Does anyone have a recipe to make some tea. I had one for my last pregnancy and now can't find it.....

 

[DevaMajka]

I was wondering about this- are there any reasons NOT to drink raspberry leaf tea?

 

[ErinsJuneBug]

I was just wondering about this too.

Does it make a difference if i buy the tea packs vs actually drinking tea made from leaves?

When is the best time to start?

 

[boscopup]

You can start RRL tea anytime, although if you have a history of miscarriages, you'll often be told to wait past the first trimester, especially if it causes you to contract any.

I have been meaning to drink mine from the start, but never got around to making it.

I got the loose leaf herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs, and I think I did vanilla flavored red rooibus as a base, then added RRL, nettles, rose hips, alfalfa, and maybe something else... it's been a while. Toss lots of honey in there and drink it hot. YUM.

My problem is that I'm lazy and don't end up making it everyday, and I can't just do a big batch that lasts a few days because I don't like to drink it cold. Oh well. One of these days, I'll start making it again. It is really good for you! I was drinking it some while TTC, and when I drank it a whole cycle, it really did help my cycle some.

 

[wrenmoon]

I drank it- A LOT with dd and had a great 45 minute labor with almost no bleeding right after, and I attribute some of that to the RRL. I also don't take prenatal vits. so RRL, Alfalfa and Nettles (and some others that I cant think of right now) are my prenatals... That is pretty good motivation to make/drink them for me.

oh, and I make mine in a quart jar, using a small handful and let it steep covered overnight. In the summertime I put some spearmint in there too....mmmmmm

 

[LynGi]

I just started drinking RRL tea yesterday. It's supposed to tone uterine muscles, which makes it great for VBACs. I really hate tea, so drinking this will be a chore for me.

I haven't discussed other herbal teas (nettle, alfalfa, etc) with my midwife yet, but I have my first appointment with her on Tuesday so I'll be interested to hear what she recommends.

Since I can't stand the taste of tea too much, I'm thinking about making pitchers of the stuff and replacing some of the water with lemonade or something.

 

[midnightmommy]

I've been drinking the Yogi Mother to be tea for weeks now. Just one cup though. Now that I'm twelve weeks I'll up it to two. One in the morning and one at night. I need to find some loose though instead. The Yogi can get expensive.

 

[boscopup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrenmoon I drank it- A LOT with dd and had a great 45 minute labor with almost no bleeding right after, and I attribute some of that to the RRL.

Oh don't tell me that! I don't want a 45 minute labor!

I've done 2.5 hours and 5 hours so far, and the 5 hours was just perfect. Since I have to cross the state line, and I really want a waterbirth this time, I'd love to do 5 hours again, so I know I have time to get in the water and such. I'm so afraid that I could have an insanely short labor. My mom's were 5 hours, 2.5 hours, and 1.5 hours (me). I was almost born in the hospital parking lot. Given that it usually takes me an hour to figure out I'm even in labor, 45 minutes would be a wee bit too quick!

I have taken alfalfa during past pregnancies. My midwife recommends it instead of a prenatal. Great stuff.

 

[RachaelsMommy]

I'm going to start drinking it now that I'm almost out of the 1st trimester. I bought a pound of it for $6.50

 

[Erinz]

It can cause contractions, it effects everyone differently. Some people can not drink it. Dried licorice added to it makes it taste yummy too w/o the sugar. I believe licorice is a common additive to mixed teas because it has a good strong flavor but is also a (oh shoot I just lost the work! ugh pregnancy brain!).... hmmm it is a______________ dang can someone fill in the blank? LOL

I"ll have to come back to edit that one.

 

[groovynaturemama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erinz It can cause contractions, it effects everyone differently. Some people can not drink it. Dried licorice added to it makes it taste yummy too w/o the sugar. I believe licorice is a common additive to mixed teas because it has a good strong flavor but is also a (oh shoot I just lost the work! ugh pregnancy brain!).... hmmm it is a______________ dang can someone fill in the blank? LOL I"ll have to come back to edit that one.

i know that licorice can inhibit milk supply in nursing moms, but i don't think that's the answer.

 

[wrenmoon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boscopup Oh don't tell me that! I don't want a 45 minute labor! I've done 2.5 hours and 5 hours so far, and the 5 hours was just perfect. Since I have to cross the state line, and I really want a waterbirth this time, I'd love to do 5 hours again, so I know I have time to get in the water and such. I'm so afraid that I could have an insanely short labor. My mom's were 5 hours, 2.5 hours, and 1.5 hours (me). I was almost born in the hospital parking lot. Given that it usually takes me an hour to figure out I'm even in labor, 45 minutes would be a wee bit too quick! I have taken alfalfa during past pregnancies. My midwife recommends it instead of a prenatal. Great stuff.

Yeah. It took me about 40 minutes to figure out I was in labor... she was born in the bathroom. It was a wee too fast for me. I meant to emphasize the efficiency of the labor and lack of bleeding, rather than the time. I think I only had eight or ten contractions from start to baby.

I wanted to get in our tub like nobodies business last time. Nope. And the only only thing I really really really wanted to do was to light a candle on my birth altar. Nope.

I am still drinking the tea though.

 

[queen b]

red raspberry leaf tea is great in pregnancy, but it does cause the uterus to contract and is often recommended to be used in the last 6-8 weeks of pregnancy. though i do think it's fine in small doses for most people ahead of time. i prefer the loose leaf herbs because i don't think most tea bags really have enough herbs in them to make a huge difference.

licorice is contraindicated in pregnancy- mostly because it can aggravate high blood pressure. if you don't have high blood pressure then it should be okay in small doses.

i am not an herbalist, so i would always check with your care provider first. but i do have a keen interest in herbs and know a few things...

 

[boscopup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrenmoon Yeah. It took me about 40 minutes to figure out I was in labor... she was born in the bathroom. It was a wee too fast for me. I meant to emphasize the efficiency of the labor and lack of bleeding, rather than the time. I think I only had eight or ten contractions from start to baby.

LOL. That just gives you the hit by a truck feeling when it goes that fast! May you have a slightly longer labor this time, but still be efficient and lack bleeding.