I was sipping my red raspberry leaf tea today and thinking how much I love it–or more accurately, love what it seems to do for me. I hear that it’s good for women any time, but I especially try to drink it in the later months of pregnancy. This eHow article quotes the American Pregnancy Association’s website:
“Medical studies have shown that red raspberry leaf can be consumed safely during pregnancy and can decrease the length of labor and decrease the number of interventions used such as artificial rupture of membranes, assisted delivery, and cesarean delivery…”
All I know is that my first birth was a textbook first labor–18 hours–and my second was about half that time, but nearly unbearable (partly, I think, because I was induced due to a membrane tear…I’d do things differently if it happened again, but that’s another story).
My last 2 births have been 2 and 4 hours of active labor respectively, and much, MUCH easier than the previous 2 in terms of pain and intensity, as well as length. I didn’t drink RRL during my first 2 pregnancies, but I’ve made sure to consume it during the last 2. (To be completely honest it tastes kind of like leaves and sticks, but I find that when I sweeten it with a small amount of honey, it has grown on me to the point that I crave it.) I’m convinced there’s a connection between RRL and faster, easier births. Just passing on my experience in case it might be helpful to other moms!
In case any of you mamas are interested, here’s where I usually buy it. A half pound goes a LONG way!
***Sorry about the goofy paragraph non-breaks. WordPress won’t let me edit them and it’s driving me crazy!***
