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Raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy
I would appreciate your comments on Raspberry leaf tea. I am 32 years old and am 36 weeks pregnant with my third child. I underwent an emergency caesarean with my first baby and narrowly avoided it with my second. I am anxious to ensure labour this time goes as smoothly as possible.
Raspberry leaf tea is commonly used by midwives with an interest in natural health to help facilitate both labour and delivery. While there is some evidence it can be safely used, (with the appropriate medical supervision, which must be stressed), for this purpose, there is no concrete evidence that it actually works.
Again, this needs qualifying, because the reason there is no evidence is that nobody has funded a clinical trial investigating this particular use of the herb. So, your best advice would be to seek expert help.
One reason for confusion about its effectiveness is that different chemical agents found in the plant have opposing effects on the smooth muscle of the uterus. It is suggested, for example, that lower doses cause more contraction of the womb and higher doses have a more spasmolytic effect and decrease the rate of contraction, so what we really need is research to determine at what precise dose this plant has which action.
There are lots of excellent herbal and naturopathic practitioners who specialise in fertility and pregnancy and you can contact either the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (01392 426022) or the British Naturopathic Association (01458 840072) to find a specialist or, even better, a trained midwife now working with natural remedies, including raspberry leaf tea, who can advise on and oversee your labour and delivery.