The use of raspberry leaves before childbirth
The final weeks of pregnancy are the most difficult in terms of physiology and psychology. It becomes difficult for a woman to wait, she wants to bring the moment of meeting with the baby closer. Sometimes the estimated date is already coming up and passes, and childbirth does not start.
In this case, many popular recipes recommend brewing and taking raspberry leaves. Do I need to do this and how to do it correctly, we will tell in this article.
Self stimulation - is it necessary to do this?
The woman is tired, the fetus has become large, the uterus squeezes the internal organs, it is difficult to sleep, it is even harder to move. In such conditions, the desire of a pregnant woman to move more quickly into the category of pregnant women is quite understandable. But to stimulate childbirth, especially at home, is very dangerous, and we should not forget about it.
Stimulate childbirth, if necessary, only in a hospital. According to the clinical guidelines of the Ministry of Health, it is advisable to do this only after 41 full weeks of pregnancy, as well as when certain complications arise from the mother or fetus.
In all other cases, if the woman is healthy, the baby feels good; stimulation up to 42 weeks is not indicated.
It is believed that the most favorable when childbirth begins naturally, independently, obeying the laws of nature, when a woman and a child for this event fully prepared physiologically. If you stimulate childbirth up to this point, then you can face a lot of difficulties - the genital tract may not be completely ready, the cervix may not open well or not open at all.
A woman in labor will have to go through an emergency caesarean section, without which the probability of severe birth injuries in her and the baby would be too high.
Stimulate hospital labor after determining the readiness for the generic process of the female body. With a lack of readiness, first conduct preparation with medicines.
On the Internet in thematic forums you can find many topics in which women discuss how to accelerate childbirth, if the deadline has already approached or is not far off. The most reasonable thing is not to follow any of these tips. Experts in the field of obstetrics warn: even the use of herbal remedies, if it is carried out incorrectly, can cause irreparable harm to the expectant mother and her child.
If you really want to drink broth or tea with the addition of raspberry leaves, you must first ask your doctor. If the genital tract is not ready for childbirth, he will respond with a categorical refusal, and will be absolutely right. If the birth canal is sufficiently prepared, but childbirth does not begin, the leaves of raspberry can be approved by the gynecologist.
Beneficial features
The leaves of raspberry shrub have a lot of useful properties that make them excellent helpers in the fight against colds, skin care. Traditional medicine ascribes to them and stimulating effect.
It is believed that an early start of taking such a remedy brings the day of labor closer, allows you to make labor contractions less painful, increases the elasticity of the birth canal, respectively, reduces the risk of probability of rupture of the cervix, vagina during attempts.
It should be noted that traditional medicine supports the use of raspberry leaves during pregnancy, but with significant limitations.In each case, a woman needs to obtain an individual permission from her attending doctor, so as not to harm herself and the baby.
In some clinics in Germany, raspberry leaves are recommended by course taking, and in the UK pregnant women are advised to drink warm tea two months before giving birth with the addition of a small amount of such plant materials.
What do raspberry leaves do? Due to the chemical composition, the presence of plant hormones, flavonoids, they contribute to the preparation of the cervix, it softens, expands. Partially the chemical composition of the leaves of this shrub helps to increase the contractility of the muscles of the uterus.
If the neck is abnormally long before childbirth, does not shorten, then such a folk remedy usually does not help shorten it. But if the neck is shortened sufficiently, the plant may somewhat approximate the term of labor, although this effect has not yet been reliably proven.
But it is absolutely certain that decoction of raspberry leaves helps to get rid of excess toxins, cleanses the body, tones it. And it certainly will not be superfluous for a woman who will soon become a mother.
Precautionary measures
There are several important conditions without which it is contraindicated to take this plant material:
- there should be a full-term pregnancy, childbirth, if they come right now, should not be qualified as premature;
- the cervix, according to the results of the gynecological examination, must be either actively maturing or mature.
Thus, before 37 full weeks of pregnancy (in this period the child is considered fully mature), it is dangerous to take decoctions and teas with raspberry leaves. If the cervix has already begun to prepare for the birth of a child, then the correct herbal medicine will have a beneficial effect on the processes of its maturation. If the neck is not ready, then it is impossible to stimulate labor either with herbs or medicines.
It is important to consider your own allergic status: if you are allergic to raspberries, strawberries, red berries, you should not use this kind of traditional medicine.
Who is contraindicated to use?
Given all the above, it should be understood that only women can use the drug if they are pregnant without complications.
If there is one of the following conditions, it is absolutely impossible to drink a decoction of raspberry leaves or tea with the addition of this plant material to it:
- abnormal discharge from the genital tract, signs of infection, bloody or blood-like discharge;
- abnormal location of the placenta, too low or with partial previa;
- suspicion of the detachment of the "children's place";
- fetal hypotrophy: low weight, lag in fetometric indices of ultrasound;
- possible fetal hypoxia: adverse results of CTG, USDG;
- the presence of individual intolerance to raspberries.
If a woman has a planned caesarean section, as she knows, it is forbidden to take this folk remedy..
Despite the information that can be found in women's forums about what is best to do caesarean when natural contractions have already begun, surgeons disagree. They strongly warn that better and safer for both mother and fetus, if the operation is performed on relaxed uterine muscles, that is, before the contractions begin.
The list of contraindications, as you can see, is quite large in order not to commit rash acts. Do not forget to consult an obstetrician-gynecologist.
How to use?
Prepare a decoction of raspberry leaves simply. To do this, you will need to take a teaspoon of shrub leaves crushed with a knife. You can brew fresh leaves, if it's summer. You can use dried vegetable raw materials.At such a number of crimson leaves, take a glass of boiling water.
The infusion is infused for about 2 hours, then it is important to strain it, free it from impurities and take it according to this scheme:
- 37 weeks of gestation - a glass a day, in one dose, in whole or in two doses, in half a glass;
- 38 weeks of gestation - two glasses per day, about 500 ml, divided into 2-3 doses, comfortable portions by volume;
- 39 weeks of gestation - Three glasses per day, 750 ml, in several doses;
- 40 weeks of gestation and more - 4 cups per day, 1 liter in 5-6 receptions.
Do not heat the broth before use, experts recommend taking it in a state of room temperature. If you drink it hot, there is a risk that active phytochemicals can cause sharp contractions of the uterine muscles.
The use of folk remedies requires careful attention to their own well-being. If a stomach ache, pulling the lower back, atypical discharge, nausea, it is important to stop taking the decoction and consult a doctor without delay.
Reviews
According to reviews, raspberry decoction is well tolerated, does not cause negative reactions (rashes, diarrhea, nausea, digestive disorders). For the most part, women begin to take a folk remedy about two weeks before the date of delivery. After the birth of the baby, many say that childbirth was easier and faster.
Some pregnant women indicate that already within half an hour after the drunk portion of the crimson leaves decoction, false training contractions intensified, the uterus came to a tone. According to the reviews of women who have prolonged pregnancy, it is better to take the broth hot, it causes childbirth faster, but obstetricians warn against this.
There are a lot of negative reviews in which women indicate that raspberry leaves did not help them at all. The birth had to be stimulated, the cervix was revealed for a long time, painfully. Some still had a caesarean section for emergency reasons.
You can meet and reviews that it is better to take raspberry jam, but pediatricians warn against this. Since the probability of allergic predisposition in the fetus is largely formed depending on the nutrition of the mother during pregnancy. Raspberries have a high degree of allergenicity, and therefore it is better to refuse jam in large quantities.
Experience using tea with raspberry leaves - in the video below.