Women from all over the world say that drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea during the second half of their pregnancy really helped with their labor.

Raspberry Leaf Tea, also known as red raspberry leaf, is a common herbal remedy. It's not the same as raspberry fruit tea. Raspberry Leaf Tea is said to support the female system during pregnancy. The idea is not so much to speed up labor, but to help it to progress at a nice, steady pace. Because Raspberry Leaf Tea takes several weeks to accumulate in the body, it is said to work better on women who are overdue. It is also believed to help produce nutrient-rich breast milk. Although there has been little research (and therefore evidence) to support these claims, some midwives have been carrying out observational studies of their own.

According to an article in Pregancy, Birth and Beyond, "there has been research on the effects of raspberry leaf extracts on animals and on women in the first week after birth (Burn & Withell, 1941; Whitehouse, 1941). Raspberry leaf was found to cause a relaxant effect on the uterus. It is also believed that this relaxant effect caused the uterine contractions of labor to become better coordinated and more efficient, thus shortening the length of labor." This inspired three midwives from Westmead Hospital in Sydney to try and find further research on the use of Raspberry Leaf and its effects on labor. Read more.

Resources:
http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Prenatal/raspberry.html
http://www.pregnancy.com.au

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