Description
Myrtle & Maud’s 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.
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 red raspberry bush and it is the leaves that have the most medicinal properties. Raspberry leaves have been enjoyed by pregnant women from the earliest times. So, what makes raspberry leaf so effective for pregnant women?
Raspberry leaves are a larder of nutrients and are a tonic for the entire body. They 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, phosphorus 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 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.
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 breastfeeding.
The 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.