Pregnancy is an exciting journey; prepare your body for the big day!
We have brought in our Herbalist Jane to talk to you about the benefits of raspberry leaf and pregnancy, Jane also helped formulate and advise on our Raspberry leaf herbal tea
Our common garden raspberry bush is a familiar sight and scent of a British summer with bright juicy red fruits delighting our taste buds…. and makes me reminisce about childhood memories of being on my dads allotment picking the joyful fruit.
Originally raspberry plants would have been growing wild in our hedgerows and along the edges of woodlands but early folk had the wisdom to cultivate this medicinal and culinary powerhouse.
As with many plants there is more than meets the eye with our humble raspberry bush and it is the leaves that have the most medicinal properties.
Pregnant women from the earliest times have enjoyed the benefits of the raspberry leaves dating back to the Roman times. The Roman Pliny the elder who was a author, a naturalist and natural philosopher wrote the encyclopedic Naturalis Historia, and mentions the use of Raspberry Leaves in his medical botany works, considered the cradle of early plant medicine, giving us a historical time frame for its efficacy.
Raspberry leaves are a larder of nutrients and are a tonic for the entire body pregnant or not pregnant! Its also great for postpartum, breastfeeding and for the time of the month!
The Raspberry leaves contain high levels of calcium, which acts on the nervous system and help to relieve pain. Other beneficial nutrients for pregnant women include iron to maintain red blood cells, magnesium, manganese, niacin, selenium, phosphorous and potassium and also vitamins A, B, C and E. An alkaloid called Fragarine is a key constituent of raspberry leaf, which helps to strengthen and tone the uterine muscles and the entire pelvic area. This is beneficial in pregnancy as it helps to prepare for labour and also encourages efficient contractions during birthing.
Drinking raspberry leaf tea in the last trimester of pregnancy helps to prepare for the uncomplicated, memorable and emotionally supportive delivery of a new bundle of joy.
In preparation for birth drink one cup daily during the last two months of pregnancy and freely during labour.
For the organised, make ice cubes, as these are particularly refreshing in case of lack of thirst and especially in the summer months!
Raspberry leaf tea can also help with the expulsion of the afterbirth post delivery and will help to restore uterine and reproductive health and help to promote the flow of milk whilst breast feeding.
NHS recommend if you decide to take raspberry leaf tea, it’s recommended that you start when you are about 32 weeks pregnant, though not before. This will give enough time for it to build up in your body. Begin with one cup a day, gradually increasing to three cups. This power plant has the reputation to ‘tone and strengthen’ in preparation for labour.
The Raspberry leaf nutrients are beneficial to women during pregnancy and believed to help strengthen uterine muscles, tone the pelvic floor and encourage efficient contractions in preparation for labour and birth, also helping to decrease excess bleeding postpartum.
A powerhouse plant indeed for women!…Try our Raspberry leaf
Our raspberry leaf tea is 100% Organic, its nutritional value is thought to encourage breast milk supply. Many women continue to drink the tea after childbirth to help restore the reproductive system and help nourish the new mother, harnessing nature’s power to gently nurture you and your bump.
