What's the deal with Raspberry Leaf Tea?

If you go past your due date, and most of us do on our first babies, you will likely be told by someone to drink raspberry leaf tea to bring on your labour.   Although it's widely believed that this is what the tea should be used for, it is in fact a misconception. 


Raspberry leaf tea does however have its uses in pregnancy and birth - it has been used by the native americans for thousands of years as a labour aid.   It contains an alkaloid called fragine, which is said to tone the uterus and strengthen it to make the contractions more efficient.    There has been very little research done on the effects of the tea but a small scale study carried out by midwives in Australia in 2000 found that taking raspberry leaf tea in either leaf or capsule form shortened the second stage of labour by 10 minutes.  Having drunk this tea by the bucketload for 6 weeks or so, I can categorically say that if this were the only benefit it would not be worth it.   What tasted mildly pleasant to me in the beginning had turned to ashes in my mouth after cup number 106 or so.

However, the study also found that there was a significantly lower rate of assisted deliveries, artificial membrane rupture and caesarean section in the group who were taking the tea.    All good news for those hoping to make it through labour with as little physical trauma as possible.   Some practitioners maintain that there is a risk of premature labour or miscarriage if the tea is taken in early pregnancy but there is no research to support or contradict this claim.  The Australian study showed no side effects in those who began using the tea from 32 weeks.

So if you are 32 weeks or more into your pregnancy, you can start drinking 3 or 4 cups of raspberry leaf tea per day or take two 300mg  capsules three times a day with each meal.   It's certainly worth a shot. For the record, the second stage of labour for me was around 50 minutes which wasn't bad for a first baby.  And thankfully no assistance was required.