Raspberry Tea Review (+ unintentionally unmedicated VBAC STORYTIME)

So I told myself that if I had a short (active word being short) labour, I would testify about the raspberry Tea/dates combo. Now let me give a little bit of context... 1. I gave birth like 4 hours ago at 39+3 2. I only bought the tea on the 27th of July so I was 38+3 (exactly a week ago) and got it same day, thanks Amazon 3. I drank 2 cups religiously everyday as iced tea with some Robinson's to sweeten (so, nothing fancy) 4. I also ate dates everyday, about 2 a day (not a big fan) Ok so let's bring you to present day, aka today aka the day that has changed my life forever I planned a VBAC (first section was 4 years ago) and was even about to chicken out and opt for another c section as my due date crept closer but a mix of PTSD sprinkled with some mommy shame about not being able to make up my mind never let me have that conversation with my midwife (or maybe I never got the chance? 🥹) Anywaaaay, I had a scan this morning coincidentally to check to see if I needed to be induced because baby's growth had slowed. Thank God I saw a consultant whose best recommendation was to wait for spontaneous labour, so I went to Iceland and waled the entire length of Waitrose before heading home after my scan. As soon as I popped on the toilet, I SEE MUCUS (it's 2.40pm at this time) which I naively went to ask my mum if it was my plug to which she confirmed. I was happy af. Then.. pop. A gush of water. Just a little, again naively I thought it was my waters. Called triage they asked me to call back in 2 hours. 2 hours later I'm asked to come into hospital. By this time I'm contracting so hard and the assessment nurse examines me and says I'm only 1cm dilated. It's 7.40pm and I absolutely cannot believe my badluck.. you mean I still have 9cm of this to go?? In between breaths I beg for the epifldural and get liquid morphine and co codamol instead, you know. To "take the edge off" 😂 well, at this point I'm willing to try anything and then... Drumroll please, I get a contraction in which my actual waters break and I projectile vomit everything I was just given all over the assessment room. Lmao touch wood one of the most despairing moments of my life to date. Anyway by this time I'm yelling and sweating and shivering. It's wild. Then they wheel me to labour and oops I'm about to poop. It's 8.25pm they ask me to go with what my body is telling me to do. But how can I be 1cm dilated and I'm pushing?? Long story short, too late for an epidural, Gas and air did nothing for me and I pushed my little boy into the world at 9.40pm. Crazy. So yeah, I credit alot of that to God and the tea and the dates. I could be wrong, but it's definitely worth a try! Sorry for the long read! I hope someone finds this useful!