Natures Aid Raspberry Leaf, High Potency, Equivalent to 750 mg Dried Raspberry Leaf, Vegan, 60 Tablets

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Mallory, J. et. al. Various. Red Raspberry Leaf. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/red-raspberry-leaf Opens a new window [Accessed February 2021] Others have warned of the potential for herb-drug interactions including McLay, Izzatiet al [ 53] who conducted a cross-sectional survey with pregnant women ( n=889) in Scotland. They found that a high proportion (44.9%) of the women who were taking prescribed medication, were also taking herbal and natural preparations and in these, they identified 34 herb-drug interactions in 12.7% of the women. The herbal and natural products identified in the interactions included aloe, chamomile, cranberry, fish oil, ginger, ginseng, grapefruit, and sage. Raspberry leaf was not implicated though the inhibition of CPY was cited as a potential mechanism in the herb-drug interactions. Authors have also raised concerns that constituents in raspberry leaf (polyphenols) could compete with iron for absorption [ 54], promoting anaemia in childbearing women taking raspberry leaf. This has not been demonstrated in any studies of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy to date. Green tea contains caffeine. Blood levels of caffeine will be similar for the unborn baby and mother because it crosses the placenta. One study showed that raspberry leaf tablets did not shorten the first stage of labor. Though it did shorten the second stage by an average of 9.59 minutes, this was not statistically significant ( 7).

Another older observational study showed that those who drank red raspberry leaf tea in the last stage of pregnancy had a shorter first stage of labor. However, more high quality research is needed, as the difference was not significant ( 7). Reduce interventions and complications of childbirth More research is needed to say for sure that raspberry leaf tea works. Can I take raspberry leaf tea to help with labour?Always talk to your midwife and a medical herbalist with experience of pregnancy before drinking the tea or taking capsules.

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Laboratory studies have identified that raspberry leaf contains several active constituents [ 27], [ 24] and animal, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that these have biophysical effects on animal and human tissue, particularly smooth muscle [ 22, 25] [ 29]. Raspberry leaf has demonstrated both stimulatory and relaxation effects on smooth muscle depending on a variety of factors including; herbal preparation used [ 29], method of extraction [ 27] [ 24], type of tissue and animal [ 22], baseline muscle tone [ 22] and pregnancy status of uterus or uterine tissue [ 25] [ 29]. Previous studies have also shown variation in the bioactivity of raspberry leaf by geographical region [ 39]. Toxic effects in animal studies have only been achieved with intraperitoneal or intravenous injection [ 22, 24]. While results of animal and in vitro studies must be interpreted with caution because they are not always consistent with human and the in vivo situation, they nonetheless offer valuable information on the efficacy and safety of therapeutics [ 50]. The decisions that we make about our pregnancy and childbirth journeys can shape our experiences, health and lives, as well as those of our families. But those decisions can be complex. This book is a guide to the different perspectives and approaches that exist, and it offers tips, tools and ways of thinking which will help you make the decisions that are right for you. Simpson, M. et. al. 2001. Raspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11370690/ Opens a new window [Accessed February 2021]

Ginger is commonly used for pregnancy-related nausea, particularly during the first trimester. Overall, there is no evidence that ginger increases the risk of adverse outcomes, including congenital malformations, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, low birth weight babies, earlier delivery. Those who struggle with heavy menstrual bleeding – raspberry leaf tea is high in iron and can assist with anaemia issues.As I said above, we don’t have much data on the effectiveness of raspberry leaf tea either. The results of a literature search that I carried out in this area were fascinating. About half of the papers I found were descriptive, and many were based on personal experience. Now, I do appreciate that randomised controlled trials give us a unique kind of knowledge about interventions, but it has to be said that interventions are only a small part of life and humans have managed to survive for millennia using other kinds of knowledge, so I’d like to think I’m pretty open-minded about what we can learn from personal experience, and you may be too… Many herbal medicines have not undergone rigorous testing. They may contain contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides or conventional medicines. There may be little or nothing known about their effects during pregnancy. Advise women to tell a healthcare professional if they feel unwell when taking any herbal medicine. If you decide to drink red raspberry leaf tea, it's recommended to start around 32 weeks of pregnancy with just one cup a day. You could gradually increase this to two or possibly three cups a day (or the equivalent in tablet form). While more research is needed and there is currently no specific recommendation on the quantity to drink, sipping on some red raspberry leaf tea may relieve some of the discomforts of your menstrual cycle. Summary