Dates and Raspberry Leaf Tea?
So since we’re starting to get towards the end, I’ve seen lots of women eating dates and drinking raspberry leaf tea in order to help assist/shorten labor. I was probably going to start eating dates soon but probably wait for the tea until my OB says it’s okay ( I’m 32 weeks tomorrow ).
My thing is, has anyone who’s already given birth tried these and actually noticed a difference during labor? I just wanted to hear about any experiences just to see if it’s worth it haha. Plus any date recipes to avoid getting sick of shoving six dates in my face everyday wouldn’t hurt 😂
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I started at 32 weeks! I only did the tea with my first since I hated the dates and my labor was almost 12 hours. My labor started 10 days early. With my second, I was very consistent with both the dates and tea. My labor with her was about 2 hours! I was a little over 4cm for a couple of weeks prior though and went almost a week over🥲
I’m from Sept 24 but thought since I have had baby and did all of these things then I’d comment!
In all honesty, you will never know if these things helped or didn’t. Even with 2 kids, 1 child I did this and 1 child I didn’t. You never know if it helped or not.
BUT I do believe if you believe in it mentally, then it’s mind over matter.
It also doesn’t hurt to have them simply because they are good for you 🤷🏻♀️
My first labour (I was only 18) was long and traumatising simply because I was uneducated and unprepared. My second labour was fast & easy because I was educated & prepared.
It’s all mind over matter. Do the dates and tea if it makes you feel better. But don’t rely on them to make a difference because you’ll honestly never know.
Good luck & all the best 🤍
I’m a first time mom & I did dates & raspberry tea. My labor was 6-7 hours! I did have a second degree year, but baby was quite large at nine pounds. I honestly didn’t do any other prep haha. I tried - bought the exercise ball, perineal oil & a perineal massager - it was too hard because I was sooooo sore and tired.
Tear*
I ate dates from 34 weeks and did the raspberry tea at 36 or 37 weeks. Ended up being admitted at 6cm at 37+4. I would say it helped me soften. I can’t say for sure if it shortens labour it bc I early laboured for weeks before active labour started. Wouldn’t hurt to try them. You could blend the dates into a smoothie or chop them into cookies. I couldn’t commit to eating 6 so I ate like 4 big ones and had them pp in the middle of the night
I love dates they taste like brown sugar and raisins haha
I ate mountains of dates and drowned myself in raspberry leaf tea in my last pregnancy and was finally induced anyway—at 42 weeks!
I’m a ftm and I’ll be 30 weeks tomorrow I do plan on starting the dates, raspberry leaf tea, and upping on exercise tomorrow and moving forward. ( I got the clear from my midwife last week)
If theres a chance it’ll help great I’ll try it, but I do agree its mind over matter and you’ll actually never know if it really helped or not.
Everyone is so different.
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