[thesuze1987]

I know this has been brought up before, but I'm just curious how many of you have started drinking it. I will be 27 weeks on saturday and just went to the health food store and bought some loose. It was marked Raspberry Leaf instead of Red Raspberry Leaf, but it said "For Female health, uterine tonic" so I'm assuming it's the same thing? I did 2 teaspoons per 1 cup boiling water and let it steep covered for 10 minutes. I am going to aim for 3 cups a day. Sound about right? I used the Traditional Medicinals with my last pregnancy, and I only had a 6-7 hour labor, so maybe it helped? I've heard the loose herb is more potent, but I think that probably depends on how fresh it is... Does anyone know?

 

[MEcatlady17]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/notes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="notes">

 

[lalaland42]

What you are saying sounds right. I am going to buy some from an MDC mom who was in my DDC last time round.<br><br>
I drank RRL last time too and had a 7 hour labor. It was either the tea or the yoga. Or DD was just in a hurry. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br><a href="http://www.loveandtea.com" target="_blank">http://www.loveandtea.com</a><br><br>
Funny story. I went to the health food store and didn't see RRL tea with all their bulk teas so I asked an employee and it turns out you have to buy RRL tea from the drug store by Swiss law!

 

[Kidzaplenty]

I have been drinking it for months. It is not my favorite, but I can take it. So, I tell myself it is like my medicine and I just gulp it down. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[eternamariposa]

The RRL tea isn't really my favorite either, but I iced it and added lemon slices to drink throughout the day and I think it is a pretty good improvement.

 

[paxye]

I like RRL tea but I was always forgetting to make it so I bought tincture instead. 15-20 drops 2X a day in water.... I leave it next to my water machine and just add it to a little glass when I get myself water...<br><br>
I did that last pregnancy also and love getting it in that form... and though I like the taste of RRL tea I like the taste of other teas more so I would rather make those instead... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[RoseRed]

I drank it alot durring the begining of this pregnancy due to a history of loss and bad morning sickness. I stopped after a while because I couldn't take the tase. I plan on starting to drink it again around 33 weeks until baby comes.

 

[S.Elise]

Does anyone know how much you should drink? I've been trying to drink a cup a day (I'm now 25 weeks) but should I be drinking more to get effects?

 

[stealthmode]

I ordered a bulk loose bag from that Frontier place and I just drank my first cup yesterday! I'm doing the iced variety. Boiled 8 cups water and then steeped a few tablespoons in it for about 2 hours. Then I squeezed a fresh orange into the pitcher and into the fridge it went.<br><br>
I had to add some sugar to my glass but I thought it tasted pretty good.<br><br>
Anyone feel anything after drinking it? I've heard you can sometimes feel your uterus contracting but nothing happened for me. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/shrug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="shrug">

 

[MrsAngelic]

I usually start when I first find out about the pregnancy, but couldn't afford to order some this time until about a month ago so starting at 24 weeks. Since it's the third trimester I am aiming for 3 cups (1 TBS. per cup) a day, though lately I've been only remembering two. I can tell if I forget because I start getting restless legs at night, that extra calcium and magnesium really helps. In past I have saved the strong infusion until labor starts, but am thinking I will do the three wineglassfuls a day starting at 37 weeks this time. I put honey sometimes and orange juice sometimes, the Rainbow Light prenatal I take also has some RRL but the amount listed is confusing so not sure if it's enough to have much of an effect. I really do think the tea helps with length of labor and pain reduction of contractions. My labors with the tea have been 3hr 55min, 5.5 hours, and 5 hours, the one without was 6 hours but highly managed by the OB to get him out by a certain time so not sure how long it would have taken without interference. The last two births were more difficult for me because the babes were posterior and I had a lot of back labour and the pushing stage hurt, but the contractions themselves were not that bad. And yay for no afterpains!

 

[Astraia]

I'm aiming for 2-3 8 oz glasses of tea a day.<br><br>
I brew a large amount of it at one time- 1/4 cup of RRL and 1/4 cup of nettles per 8 cups of water and I keep it in the fridge.<br><br>
I don't like the taste of it so I mix it 1/4 juice, 1/4 tea and the rest water in a 20 oz mason jar and do that 2-3 times per day.<br><br>
I only have one labour to go by and that one was 8 hrs of active labour (with a posterior baby), contrations were pretty low on the pain scale (I'd say 6 out of 10) and no afterpains and I started RRL at 34 weeks, 2 cups/day.<br><br><br>
The idea with the tea (I forget who asked about amounts) is 1 cup per day per trimester. I'm in my second still so 2 cups is good, but I'm approaching my third so I'm starting to integrate that third cup occasionally so it'll be easier to remember once I hit the third trimester.<br><br>
I plan to brew a large amount of STRONG tea right when labour starts, too. I'm praying for a fast and easy labour and birth.

 

[MEcatlady17]

I have been wanting to get started. Can I use RRL that comes in tea bags? I am so bad about loose, tea- never get around to actually using it. I bought some organic RRL tea in bags that says it supports a healthy reproductive system...will this be as effective? Do I need to use more than 1 tea bag per mug to make it potent enough?

 

[hakeber]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>stella.rose</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/14502147"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Does anyone know how much you should drink? I've been trying to drink a cup a day (I'm now 25 weeks) but should I be drinking more to get effects?</div>
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That-s what I was wondering. It's virtually impossible to find here in Costa Rica so I got my friends to bring me some when they went home for a visit, and I have enough for one cup a day from now to 40 weeks, and then a big bag loose tea for the day off, to brew a strong solution and knock it back...am I doing this wrong?<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>MEcatlady17</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/14503792"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I have been wanting to get started. Can I use RRL that comes in tea bags? I am so bad about loose, tea- never get around to actually using it. I bought some organic RRL tea in bags that says it supports a healthy reproductive system...will this be as effective? Do I need to use more than 1 tea bag per mug to make it potent enough?</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
Good questions...I am curious too, because I am having one tea bag in a standard size coffee cup and letting it sit for 10-15.<br><br>
AM I crazy...I LOVE the taste of this tea...I use a teaspoon of sugar have it with a wee biscuit and I am happy as Larry. I loved my nursing mom tea too!

 

[lalaland42]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>MEcatlady17</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/14503792"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I have been wanting to get started. Can I use RRL that comes in tea bags? I am so bad about loose, tea- never get around to actually using it. I bought some organic RRL tea in bags that says it supports a healthy reproductive system...will this be as effective? Do I need to use more than 1 tea bag per mug to make it potent enough?</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
This is what I used last time around so I don't see why not. I used 1 tea bag per mug but I let it steep a while longer than I normally would. Add a little honey and it is yummy IMO.

 

[MEcatlady17]

I really like the taste of it too, drank it pre-pregnancy cause I liked it and then while TTC I got into drinking it regularly pre-O cause I heard it might help with my fertility...seemed to do the trick <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1"> I am going to start drinking it daily, just need to remember to do so. Easier now that it is getting so cold here. So it sounds like 2-3 cups a day is what is recommended?

 

[MCPM]

I think it's tasty, too - especially cold. Mine's mixed with nettles, alfalfa, oat straw and spearmint, chamomile and rosehips, too - so it's sort of like minty grass. I'm supposed to drink four cups a day, then six cups later.

 

[Astraia]

Semi related- I'm buying my tea lose in bags, and my RRL is also labelled "raspberry tea"- but does anyone know if "oats" is the same as oat straw?<br><br><br>
RE: bags vs. loose- yes, you can definitely use bags! For a lot of people, it's all they can find/afford and for others it's more convenient. I've heard it's not as strong so you may want to brew it longer. That said, I used the teabags my last pregnancy and found them to be INCREDIBLY strong (I used Traditional Medicinals), so maybe the strength is related to brand?<br><br>
I'm using loose this time around because I'm mixing it with nettles, sometimes lemon balm, and plan to mix in alfalfa and oat straw eventually so loose works better for me<br><br><br><br>
I've heard that RRL is a good all-around tea for women from puberty through menopause.... Too bad I think it's gross.

 

[rachel65655]

I like the taste too.<br><br>
I have been drinking it since about 16 wks but don't remember every day. I have been drinking it more regular now since it is getting cold here. I plan to do 3 to 4 cups per day through the rest of my pregnancy and do the strong infusion during labor. I don't want to start it too soon in labor because my labors tend to be quick anyway and I want my midwife to be able to make it. She will be driving 3 hours to get here.

 

[Vespertina]

I started drinking it around 22 weeks this time. I was around 20 weeks with DS and 28 weeks with DD2.<br><br>
I buy loose leaf tea and let it steep overnight. I do a RRL and nettles infusion. I drink about 2-3 cups a day.

 

[Dea]

I don't mind the taste of mine, but I do mix my own herbs, I have RRL, nettles, oatstaw, red clover, alfalfa and mint or lemon. I also just bought some orange herbal tea to mix in too. (I love to make my own mixes...)