Raspberry leaf tea and other methods of labour induction.

Carla - posted on 07/28/2011

I tried castor oil, and nothing except when my son finally came into the world he had super shiny hair! raspberry leaf tea helps for when you are in labour, to hopefully give you a more relaxed labour

Crystal - posted on 06/22/2010

I was set on not being induced but my Doc. had a date just incase I went over. I looked everywhere for natural ways to induce, I was not going to do castrol oil like they did wwaayy back in the day. I found something that said if u ate Mango, Pineapple, & Kiwi I ate a whole lot of those fruits and It worked for me. 2days after I started eating them my water broke! on my due date. Only grose thing is that ur body doesn't break down the Kiwi seed so it comes out looking the was it did when I ate it. Walking is also a must do. Good luck!!

Candice - posted on 06/22/2010

I took the tablets at the recommended 34 weeks onwards, and my son was born at 41 weeks and 1 day. Taking them just helps to relax the uterus in labour...and not sure if it helped me or not. Listen, don't worry about hurrying up the birth because your bundle of joy will be here oneday soon enough when HE/SHE is ready. And the faster they come the more harm they could be put in. Just enjoy your pregnancy and surely a few days/ a week over or so isn't gonna kill anyone, even though its a pain waiting!!!! You'll ave them in your arms in no time

Hannah - posted on 05/25/2010

Raspberry Leaf is a wonderful herb that tones the
reproductive system. It restores the uterus and
harmonises the hormones. It also has wonderful
nutritive properties that are also important not only
when conceiving, but through out the entire pregnancy.
Naturopath's recommend the intake of Raspberry Leaf Tea during the last 8 weeks of your pregnancy and the first 8 weeks of motherhood to support and strengthen uterine health.
But once pregnant it is important to only use the tea
(2 heaped teaspoons to a medium pot of water, brew for
10-15 minutes and drink through out the day). For it
to be effective during pregnancy it is not about how
high the dose, but that it is taken in its natural
form. Taking too higher dose during pregnancy is
potentially harmful, this is why it is best to avoid tablets.

Most hospitals in Australia would like to let to you go overdue between 7-10 days which is quite silly, it is very normal and safe to reach 42 weeks and a little more of gestation. Just remember that induction IS a major intervention, i would firstly get all the info you can on induction and you could ask to get induced when you are a couple of days over but if it doesn't work to just stop and not force it. The one main thing with induction for me is about the use of pitocin as that is usually the main cause of csections or assisted deliveries with inductions- HERE is a link about inductions-http://bellybelly.com.au/articles/birth/...

Jersey - posted on 05/25/2010

Not to be controversial and I know what it's like to just want the WHOLE pregnancy thing to be done and over with,but oil tablets tends to induce a bowel movement causing the baby to poop inside of the womb which then increases the possibility of the baby eating it which can cause meconium and it can cause complications....I'm not saying it happens to everyone but I know someone who tried it and they had complications....

Tamara - posted on 05/25/2010

Hey Chissy
I was told to take raspberry leaf tea tablets and evening primrose oil tablets to prepare myself and I reckon they helped strengthen my uterus and soften my cervix. Even though I was 9 days over and walked most of the time, my labour was quick and I really enjoyed it. :)

Jj - posted on 05/24/2010

i took the raspberry leaf tablets, tried everything possible, i was so keen to get my baby boy out, i just wanted to meet him sooo bad! but ended up being overdue by 11 days and had to be induced. I think they will just come when they are ready...there is no harm in asking the midwives, the worst they can say is no. i also read that it is good to try and be relaxed at the end of your pregnancy, that the baby might not come if they sense stress..?? but not so sure about that...but no harm in relaxing just incase :) put your feet up, and enjoy the quiet like someone else said, u need the rest before the bub comes. some things i tried were hot baths every night, sex, curry, walking...apparently there is also some kind of induction massage where they focus on certain pressure points and use certain herbal oils that are supposed to bring on labour...just read about it on the net...good excuse for a massage anyway :) all the best, i hope it all goes well! :)

Candice - posted on 05/24/2010

I toko raspberry leaf tablets every day from 34 weeks and I was overdue by a week and 1 day. They won't neccesary bring on labour, they just help when you are in labour and say they make things run 'more smoothly' but im not sure.

Jersey - posted on 05/23/2010

I am not sure about the raspberry leaf thing...But when I was pregnant with my daughter...My doctor scraped my membrane and i lost some of my mucous plug that day and some more the next day and then I had my baby the following day...ON HER DUE DATE!!!!! I hope this helps...I am not sure if all doctors do that but hey!!!

Elissa - posted on 05/23/2010

Nothing will work until your body is ready to go into labour - all these things basically do is speed up the first phase for first timers so if your body isnt ready it wont work. Raspberry leaf tea will make your contractions more efficient when they do start and will help your uterus go down after the birth so it is good to take.

Only 4% of babies are born on their due dates and there are no safe methods of induction - that is why it should only done once you are minimum 10 days over (although unscrupulous doctors will allow it earlier rather than just saying no).

So although it may seem a problem just now, it is better to just let things happen themselves and dont worry about it, babies come when they are ready, not us. Good luck!

Rainbow - posted on 05/23/2010

Castor Oil. Drink an ounce or so w/ OJ or your juice of choice. It will make you go to the bathroom alot, but if your baby is ready it will also send you into labor. Worked for me and other women in my family. My water broke within hours of drinking it.

Sara - posted on 05/23/2010

I know that you shouldn't mess with nature but I drank cator oil with both pregnancies. After 40 wks and 3 days, I was done. I drank it at night and was in active labor in the morning. Also worked the second time. My Dr. told me she was going to do a c-section if Addy had gotten any bigger and of course she would I was onley 36 weeks. So, I decided to try it again. Drank it at night, I was in labor the next mornig. Both of my girls were big my second was 3 wks early and still 8.2

Jenna - posted on 05/21/2010

I drank tons of rasberry leaf tea, it did nothing for me. I started drinking it around 37 weeks along with walking 2-5 miles every day and my daughter finally made her way into this world 8 days after my due date. I'm not really sure if it helped with the labour either, I had to push for 2 hours which I guess isn't to bad having been my first baby. Good luck, I hope that baby come out on time for you.

Maria - posted on 05/21/2010

a membrane sweep made my water break also. 2 days past my due date. i also walked A LOTTTT through out my whole pregnancy and i lived on the 4th floor so there were a lot of stairs. but like someone mentioned previously the membrane sweep did me in.

Brittany - posted on 05/21/2010

Try pineapple, and doing squats, also the big deed that put that cute little baby in there in the first place..lol I did all of these thinking that it would make me go into labor sooner and it worked quicker than i thought i went into labor that night!

Aura - posted on 05/21/2010

I used the tea and oil of evening primrose tablets, as suggested by my midwife. I don't know if it was those but my labour went swimmingly. I progressed quickly (my labour was a grand total of 6 hours) and I was right on my due date.

La - posted on 05/21/2010

I tried everything with my first child and I still had to be induced at 41weeks because my cervix had not changed AT ALL!

Heather - posted on 05/20/2010

I walked at my job 8-10 hours/day, which made my baby drop about 3 weeks before my due date. I tried everything when I found out I was also dilating and 50% effaced two weeks early. I had lots of (kind of uncomfortable) sex, nipple stimulation, pressure points, a membrane sweep, jumping around, etc. She came four days early after two weeks of false labor. I was all wound up trying to get her to come, but I didn't go into labor until I relaxed and said "I guess she'll be here when she wants." I will say that as frustrating as it was, going into labor 4 cm dilated made for a super-quick (albeit super-intense) drug-free labor. Try whatever you want, as long as it is safe, but stay relaxed. Consider it as contributing to labor, even if it doesn't start it.

Jemma - posted on 05/19/2010

HI, i tried every thing i could think of.... nothing worked for me i was 10 days over and stil had to b induced. i wish i could tell u some good news but absoutly nothing worked for me. not to say it wont for u though. good luck. i think the baby will just come when its ready no matter what we do!

Laura - posted on 05/18/2010

i lived in nsw at the time that i was pregnant and the midwives were amazing there....i was actually booked in to deliver in a larger town 50km's away from where i lived and they had a one week overdue policy before the would even consider inducing but cos i lived in a smaller town with really great midwives i asked for one and they didnt refuse, i live in qld now so im not sure if they do it up here but im definetly going to be asking for one when bub number two is due to arrive

Jayne - posted on 05/16/2010

valerie i drank rasberry leaf tea and took homeopathic remedys and i had a WONDERFUL LABOUR AND DELIVERY. i would do it all again the exact same way. i had no pain relief and i spent mst of my time in the bath. i had my daughter in a midwifery led unit. i loved it i dont want anymore kids but given the choice id do it all exactly the same way. i would go to my local health store (ie herbal, organic and homeopathic before i will ever go to a chemist) nothing hasever failed me yet. : )

Valerie - posted on 05/16/2010

i highly recommend that you do nothing to interfere with mother nature as it can lead to many problems with delivery...if it is your first it could come late and they could miss it and yet that is favorable to induction that can lead to many complications and c section...i was over two weeks overdue with my first and waiting up to two weeks is common proceedure for the health of the baby and mother...please don't feel the need to perform this miracle on a schedule at the risk to yourself and baby...i am sure the others will understand...from what i have experienced through other's birth nightmares, i would go for a c section before an induced vaginal delivery...and yet neither is in the best interest of you or the baby...all the best to you

Rachel - posted on 05/16/2010

the best thing to do is relax and the baby will come when he or she is ready, i tried EVERTHING!!! and i mean everything sex, hot baths everyday, walking ect it wasnt until i went to the hos for a sweep on my due date and they cudnt do it that they gave me a date for my induction on a thursday (and i didnt want another one after my 1st baby), that i relaxed and my baby arrived 4 am the following monday. all these things are only probly working coz the baby was ready but if s/he aint ready it wont work, sorry to put a bad point on it but you just need to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts. hope it all goes well and when the baby does come just concentrate on the contractions and i found that moving your hips side to side and breathing works

Amanda - posted on 05/16/2010

I went into labor a week before my due date and all I did was walk. We spent about 3 hours walking through the park and at midnight my water broke. I drank the raspberry leaf tea and it still took 15 hrs to have my daughter. Good luck though.

Kelly - posted on 05/16/2010

I've heard great things about it, and plan on starting the tea at 30 wks. If there is a trusted herbalist in your area I would try to talk to them. Usually doctors are clueless when it comes to herbal remedies. My thoughts are. . .what were women using 100 yrs ago before all the modern "remedies". Anyhow, from what I understand, is the raspberry leaf is safe once you are in the third trimester. Good luck!

Jayne - posted on 05/16/2010

hi C hrissy i drank raspberry leaf tea from 25 weeks. as it is a herbal remedy health professionals dont know everything about it and sometimes thinks that it elps put you into labour which is false. what it actually does is it will soften the cervix so that when you go inot labour you will dialte easier and therefore making labour quicker. and yes it does work i have 1 child and my labour was 4 hrs long start to finish no stitches and no help completely natural would do it the same way all over again. if you get to your due date there is a homeopathic remedy called Caulaphyllium (i took it when i was 2 days over and was in labour next day) there is also clarysage that you put in bath or rub on ur tummy but the smell stinks

Katie - posted on 05/15/2010

I heard raspberry tea with a cinnamon stick worked. I would also try walking. My sister and i walked everyday for at least 3 hours and that made my sister go into labor 2 hours later after we were done walking. You could also try sex. Also spicy foods would work. And someone once told me to eat pinapple? dont know how well that works. you could take a warm bath also. All moms are different.

Chrissy - posted on 05/15/2010

yes i'm in australia lauren :) but i was under the impression that they would let you go 14 days overdue before inducing you? could i possibly talk about my situation to my midwives and doctors and organise to be induced just over my due date?
thanks for your your comments nikki, i was thinking about getting the tablets instead, just because its easier than drinking 4 cups a day.. and i have heard about the nipple stimulation and the breast pump thing did come to mind!! :)

Nikki - posted on 05/15/2010

Now that I think about it, I remember the day before I went into labour, I was so fed up, someone told me to skip around the back yard and to do star jumps, so I did to the best of my ability! I also did the nipple stimulation about a week before I went into labour, I just used my breast pump for a few minutes here and there.

Laura - posted on 05/15/2010

hi im not sure where abouts you live but im in australia and when i had a membrane sweep done when i was 2 days over due and it worked for me! an hour after i started getting really light contraction and by 18 hours after having it done i went into labour!

maybe give that a try??



i tried the tea,sex,walking labour cookies walking up stairs nothing helped but the sweep :)



good luck

Nikki - posted on 05/15/2010

I used raspberry leaf tablets from 34 weeks, I went 9 days early. I also walked a lot about 2 weeks before I went into labour. I mainly used the tablets because I was told they help make your contractions more effective, I don't know if it was the tablets, or my body is just good at labour but I had a great labour and the midwife kept commenting how effective my contractions were, she was really surprised at how well I dilated so quickly. Good luck!