Thursday, March 17, 2011

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.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Keeping it under wraps....

One thing I hadn't given a huge amount of thought to was how I was going to dress when pregnant (and huge).  I have a fairly extensive wardrobe - it extends to all three bedrooms in my house!- so looking somewhat stylish while expanding was important to me.  Looking back, I think I expected to still wear my normal clothes until one day a little bump would pop out and I'd switch to maternity clothes.  If only it were that simple.


Miranda Kerr and Giselle Bundchen may have stayed looking and feeling super for 9 months but for most of us, pregnancy is not a time that we feel we look our best, particularly at the beginning and the end.   It seemed like the minute I found out I was pregnant, my flat belly disappeared under a layer of wobble.  I didn't particularly care from a vanity point of view but practically it was a pain.  It meant that I couldn't fit in to any of my jeans without doing myself an injury.  I was on holidays from weeks 6 to 8 of my pregnancy and had to buy shorts in the next size up.  And walking around with what feels like several spare tyres makes you sure that absolutely everyone must "know".


So what to do if the waistline starts to expand from the minute you see those 2 pink lines?   One solution is to wear a belly belt.

 

You can buy a belly belt "kit", which is a pack of two belly belts (one for button up garments and one for those with zips)  plus fabric panels in white, black and denim to bridge the ever-growing gap.  The pack retails at around €17.   Good value for money when you consider that you shouldn't have to buy any new jeans or skirts until you are into full-on maternity wear, at around 4 months into your pregnancy. They have the added advantage that, because you are wearing your "normal" clothes, it is easier to keep your pregnancy a secret in the first trimester. Hook up your favourite jeans, pair with an on-trend and budget friendly blouse from Penney's and you're good to go!

You can buy a Belly Belt kit, plus other maternity essentials from OnceBorn.com, an Irish based online store. Happy shopping!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

About me

There I was, having the life of Riley......eating out in restaurants a couple of times a week, drinking and dancing at will, melting the credit card in BT of a Saturday.   Then double whammy - I got pregnant and the recession swallowed my job.  Now it's tea with Jeremy Kyle, a glass of Mammy's special medicine accompanied by a naughty single cigarette in the back garden at 7.30pm and a furtive root in Penney's when the boss is asleep in the buggy.


I want to spread the word that birth doesn't have to be the tendon-popping screamathon you see on both factual and fictional television programmes.   And that breastfeeding is not just for hairy-legged hippies (though admittedly I have far fewer dates with the razor these days) and is actually the world's best-kept weight loss secret.  And most importantly that it is possible to keep the me in Mammy and look halfway stylish, even though you may have to accessorise with burp cloths by day.  A couple of cocktails usually help by night.