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Raspberry leaf tea has been used for birth preparations for decades, as it is thought to tone the uterus in preparation for labour. I thought it would be helpful therefore for me to outline some thoughts for you to consider.
If this is your first baby then your uterus will have a wonderful tone as it is pristine and has never been used, Denise Tiran an alternative therapies expert suggests you may increase the chance of your baby being in the posterior position when using Raspberry leaf in your first pregnancy.
If you think you would like to take Raspberry leaf in pregnancy, please consider the following precautions.
Avoid raspberry leaf if you have a history of premature labour or a very rapid labour or have threatened to go into premature labour in this pregnancy. Also avoid raspberry leaf if you are taking antidepressants as it may interfere with their effectiveness.
Do not take raspberry leaf if you have a low lying placenta (placenta praevia), if you have had any pregnancy bleeding, or if you are expecting more than one baby.
If you decide to take raspberry leaf, start with just one cup / tablet daily at about 32 weeks of pregnancy – it needs time to take effect so don’t leave it until the end of pregnancy. Allow your body time to get used to the effects for a few days, and then increase the dose gradually every few days up to a maximum of 3 – 4 cups / tablets, spread throughout the day.
If you experience strong, painful Braxton Hicks contractions when you first start taking it, reduce the amount of raspberry leaf to a level at which you feel more comfortable, or stop it altogether. If you are admitted to hospital during pregnancy for any reason, inform your doctor that you have been taking raspberry leaf and discontinue it straight away.
I have looked after many women who have drunk raspberry leaf tea and attribute its use to a straight forward birth this is backed up by research
http://www.pregnancy.com.au/resources/topics-of-interest/pregnancy/raspberry-leaf.shtml
In the above studies taking Raspberry leaf reduced complications and shortened giving birth marginally whilst exhibiting no side effects to the Mum or the Baby.
Good News!
Find out more information regarding antenatal care here
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