Raspberry Leaf tea supports female systems. Its long history of safe human consumption is evident over thousands of years of use by women in Europe and North America to support healthy menstruation, strengthen and tone the uterus, and to prepare the womb for childbirth. Infusions of raspberry leaf have been traditionally used as an important gynecological aid by women of the Cherokee, Iroquois and Mohawk nations of North America. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1996) indicates its use as a preparative for childbirth. Raspberry Leaf tea's robust, full-bodied flavor is reminiscent of fine black tea, making it an excellent choice in a caffeine-free breakfast or afternoon tea.
Carolena drank several cups of Pregnancy Tea (every day, throughout the day, starting with a cup of tea -- well water with a teaspoon of organic honey, one teabag of Pregnancy Tea, one teabag of Red Raspberry Leaf, seeped for 10-15 minutes -- a cup first thing in the morning, and then a cup whenever she felt like it throughout the day, and finally a cup before she went to bed at night, with a bag of Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Tea mixed in) while attempting to become pregnant, and her prenatal vitamins (Maxi Pre-Natal, from Country Life) contain Red Raspberry Leaf and other natural herbs; however, when she became pregnant, she did not feel comfortable drinking the pregnancy tea but continued with the same prenatals (great vitamins).
She waited until the day her mucous plug first began to dissolve before first drinking the Pregnancy Tea AND straight Red Raspberry Leaf Tea, when her labor truly began in earnest. Then, throughout her labor, she sipped at a huge jug of the mixed tea (sips only) but through 21 hours of labor she finished perhaps 1/2-gallon of the tea (we kept adding water to it, so the more she drank, the more diluted it became, and another 1/2-gallon of water in addition to the diluted tea.
Brewed as a tea or as an infusion, Rubus is the best known, most widely used, and safest of all uterine/pregnancy tonic herbs. It contains fragrine, an alkaloid which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself. Most of the benefits ascribed to regular use of Raspberry leaf tea throughout pregnancy can be traced to the nourishing power of the vitamins and minerals found in this plant. Of special note are the rich concentration of Vitamin C, the presence of Vitamin E, and the easily assimilated calcium and iron. Raspberry leaves also contain Vitamins A and B complex and many minerals, including phosphorus and potassium.
Benefits of drinking a Raspberry leaf brew before and throughout pregnancy include:
-Increasing fertility in both men and women.
-Raspberry leaf is an excellent ferility herb when combined with Red Clover.
-Preventing miscarriage and hemorrhage.
-Raspberry leaf tones the uterus and helps prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage from a relaxed or atonic uterus.
-Easing of morning sickness.
-Many women attest to Raspberry leaves' gentle relief of nausea and stomach distress throughout pregnancy.
-Reducing the pain during labor and after birth.
-By toning the muscles used during labor and delivery, Raspberry leaf eliminates many of the reasons for a painful delivery and prolonged recovery. It does not, however, counter the pain of cervical dilation.
-Providing a safe and speedy parturition.
-Raspberry leaf works to encourage the uterus to let go and function without tension. It does not strengthen contractions but does allow the contracting uterus to work more effectively and so may make the birth easier and faster.
-Helping to bring down an undelivered placenta.
-Raspberry leaf by itself is not effective for this problem. Combined with Ground Ivy or Angelica it does facilitate the birth of the placenta, but either of those herbs alone would do.
- Assisting in production of plentiful breast milk.
-The high mineral content of Raspberry leaf assists in milk production, but its astringency may counter that for some women.
excerpt from "Wise Woman Herbal, The Childbearing Year" by Susn S. Weed, Ash Tree Publishing, Woodstock, New York. Pages 18-19.
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