Can Raspberry Leaf Bring On Labour? - BabyCentre UK

Maybe your like

Community
- Find your birth club
- Free antenatal classes
- Meet local parents & parents-to-be
- See all in Community
Getting pregnant
- Ovulation calculator
- Am I pregnant quiz
- How to get pregnant fast
- Best sex positions
- Signs of pregnancy
- How many days after your period can you get pregnant?
- How age affects fertility
- Very early signs of pregnancy
- What fertile cervical mucus looks like
- Think you're pregnant but the test is negative?
- Faint line on pregnancy test
- See all in Getting pregnant
Pregnancy
- Pregnancy week by week
- How big is my baby?
- Due Date Calculator
- Conception Date Calculator
- Baby movements week by week
- Symptoms you should never ignore
- Hospital bag checklist
- Signs of labour
- Your baby's position in the womb
- Baby gender predictor
- Vaginal spotting
- NT scan
- Fetal development chart
- See all in Pregnancy
Baby names
- Baby names finder
- Baby name inspiration
- Popular baby names 2025
- Numerology calculator
- Gender-neutral names
- Old-fashioned names
- See all in Baby names
Baby
- Your baby week by week
- Baby milestones by month
- Baby rash types
- Baby poop chart
- Ways to soothe a crying baby
- Safe co-sleeping
- Teething signs
- Growth spurts
- See all in Baby
Toddler
- Your toddler month by month
- Toddler development milestones
- Dealing with tantrums
- Toddler meals
- Food & fussy eating
- When to start potty training
- Moving from a cot to a bed
- Help your child sleep through
- Games & activities
- Vomiting: what's normal?
- See all in Toddler
Preschooler
- Your child month by month
- Food ideas & nutrition
- How kids learn to share
- Coping with aggression
- Bedtime battles
- Anxiety in children
- Dealing with public tantrums
- Great play ideas
- Is your child ready for school?Top tips for starting school
- See all in Preschooler
Life as a parent
- Postnatal symptoms to watch out for
- Stitches after birth
- Postpartum blood clots
- Baby showers
- Sex secrets for parents
- See all in Life as a parent
Baby essentials
- Best baby products
- Best formula and bottles for a windy baby
- Best car seats if you need three to fit
- Best nappies
- Best Moses baskets
- Best baby registries
- Best baby sleeping bags
- Best baby humidifier
- Best baby monitors
- Best baby bath seat
- Best baby food
- See all in Baby essentials
Popular searches
- Back pain in pregnancy
- Pelvic girdle pain
- Perineal massage
- Signs you're having a boy
- Signs you're having a girl
- Can you take fish oil while pregnant?
- 18 weeks pregnant bump
- Can you eat salami when pregnant?
- Edwards' syndrome
- Mucus plug
- Missed miscarriage
- Should I harvest my colostrum?
- Rhesus positive vs. Rhesus negative
- What do contractions feel like?
- Hunger in early pregnancy
- First poop after birth
- When do babies sit up?
- When can babies have salt?
- MMR vaccine rash
- Vaping while breastfeeding
- How to transition from formula to milk
- When do babies start grabbing things?
- Sperm allergy: can sperm cause itching?
- How long after taking folic acid can I get pregnant?

Community
Getting pregnant
Pregnancy
Baby names
Baby
Toddler
Preschooler
Life as a parent
Baby essentials

Pregnancy
Labour and birth

Can raspberry leaf bring on labour?

Medically reviewed by Clare Herbert, Senior midwife and team leader Joanne Lewsley

Written by Joanne LewsleyIN THIS ARTICLE

How does raspberry leaf tea help with labour?
Can I take raspberry leaf tea to help with labour?
Why can’t I take raspberry leaf tea to start labour or close to my due date?
I’m overdue. Can I carry on taking raspberry leaf tea if I’ve been taking it for a while already?
I have high blood pressure, can I still take raspberry leaf tea?
Can raspberry leaf tea cause Braxton Hicks contractions?
What other side effects can raspberry leaf tea have?

The herbal remedy raspberry leaf or raspberry leaf tea (also known as red raspberry leaf tea) shouldn’t be used to start labour as it may be harmful to your baby. However, taking raspberry leaf earlier on in your pregnancy may help prime your womb (uterus) to make labour easier. This is because it’s thought to tone the muscles of your womb (uterine muscles) so they work more efficiently when you're in labour. But the evidence isn’t strong and it's not suitable for pregnant women with health complications, like high blood pressure or if you’re expecting a breech birth. You also shouldn't take it too close to your due date.

How does raspberry leaf tea help with labour?

Raspberry leaf is a herbal remedy that can be taken as capsules or tea, not to be confused with raspberry fruit tea. Many herbalists believe that taking raspberry leaf during your last trimester tones your womb muscles ready for when labour comes. The idea is that this will then help labour progress at a nice, steady pace. Some complementary therapists also believe it helps to soften the cervix ready for labour, although there’s no firm evidence for this. Advertisement | page continues below More research is needed to say for sure that raspberry leaf tea works.

Can I take raspberry leaf tea to help with labour?

Always talk to your midwife and a medical herbalist with experience of pregnancy before drinking the tea or taking capsules. Raspberry leaf contains chemicals which act in exactly the same way as drugs. It may not be safe for you and your growing baby. Even if it is, it's important to make sure you're taking or drinking a dose that's safe for you both. If you do decide to give it a try, it’s recommended you start with a low dose when you’re about 32 weeks pregnant. You can then take it in gradually increasing doses. You could start with one cup of tea a day, gradually increasing to three cups spread throughout the day. If you don't like the taste of the tea, you can buy raspberry leaf capsules in health food stores – just be sure to follow the directions on the pack.

Why can’t I take raspberry leaf tea to start labour or close to my due date?

If you suddenly start taking the remedy when you are at term or overdue, it may cause contractions that are so intense that your baby becomes distressed. That’s why you shouldn’t use raspberry leaf tea too close to your due date or to bring on labour.

I’m overdue. Can I carry on taking raspberry leaf tea if I’ve been taking it for a while already?

If you go overdue, it's fine to carry on drinking the tea or taking the capsules if you've already been taking raspberry leaf for a few weeks. But don't suddenly start taking a lot of it once you're past your due date, as this may distress your baby. Provided you have been taking raspberry leaf for a few weeks already, during early labour at home, you can either sip hot tea or suck ice cubes made from the tea. You could also take a flask of the tea with you into hospital or your birth centre. However, don't take the tea if your labour is being induced, or if you are having treatment with a hormone drip to speed up labour.

I have high blood pressure, can I still take raspberry leaf tea?

No, raspberry leaf tea is not recommended if you have high blood pressure or any other complications or health problems in your pregnancy, including gestational diabetes. Don’t take it either if:

You had a previous labour that lasted only three hours or less, from start to finish.
You’re scheduled to have a planned c-section.
You’ve had a c-section before.
You’ve had a premature labour before.
You’ve had vaginal bleeding in the second half of your pregnancy.

Advertisement | page continues below It would also be wise not to have raspberry leaf tea if you:

Have a family or personal history of breast or ovarian cancer, endometriosis or fibroids.
Are expecting a baby who is breech.
Are expecting twins.

Can raspberry leaf tea cause Braxton Hicks contractions?

It may do. If you have strong Braxton Hicks contractions after drinking the tea, cut down the amount you drink, or stop taking it.

What other side effects can raspberry leaf tea have?

Raspberry leaf tea can also cause other side-effects, such as diarrhoea and nausea, so be careful you don’t overdo it. Get more advice on herbal teas and remedies in pregnancy.

See more about labour and being overdue

Find out whether hypnobirthing can make labour easier and less painful.
Watch our expert video on the signs of labour.
Find out how long a normal pregnancy should be.
Read what our expert has to say on speeding up labour.

Advertisement | page continues belowWas this article helpful?

Yes

BabyCentre mums tell: What I did to bring on labour naturally
By Polly Logan-Banks
Speeding up labour
By Jenny Leach
How will breastfeeding help me bond with my baby? (Video)
Monitoring your baby's heartbeat (fetal heartrate monitoring)
By Chess Thomas

Track your pregnancy on our free #1 pregnancy & baby app

Sources

BabyCentre's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organisations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Cheang KI, Nguyen TT, Karjane NW et al. 2016. Raspberry Leaf and Hypoglycemia in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Dec;128(6):1421-1424. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000001757. [Accessed January 2021] Dante G, Bellei G, Neri I et al. 2014. Herbal therapies in pregnancy: what works? Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology. 26(2): 83-91. [Accessed January 2021] Kennedy DA, Lupattelli A, Koren G et al. 2013. Herbal medicine use in pregnancy: results of a multinational study. BMC Complementary Alternative Medicine. 13: 355. [Accessed January 2021] Illamola SM, Amaeze OU, Krepkova LV et al. 2019. Use of herbal medicines by pregnant women: What physicians need to know. Front Pharmacol. 10: 1483. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01483. [Accessed January 2021] Langhammer AJ, Nilsen OG. 2014. In vitro inhibition of human CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 by six herbs commonly used in pregnancy. Phytotherapy Research. 28(4): 603-10. [Accessed January 2021] NHS. 2020. Inducing labour. NHS Choices, Health A-Z. www.nhs.ukOpens a new window [Accessed January 2021] NICE. 2019. Caesarean section. CG132. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. www.nice.org.ukOpens a new window [Accessed January 2021] Tiran D. 2014. Raspberry leaf tea in pregnancy. Information for mums-to-be. www.expectancy.co.ukOpens a new window [Accessed January 2021] Zamawe C, King C, Jennings HM, et al. 2018. Effectiveness and safety of herbal medicines for induction of labour: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open;8:e022499. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022499. [Accessed January 2021]. Joanne Lewsley

Joanne LewsleyJoanne Lewsley is a freelance copywriter and editor, and specialises in creating evidence-based parenting, health and lifestyle web content. Opens a new window Opens a new window Opens a new window

Where to go next

BabyCentre mums tell: What I did to bring on labour naturallyBy Polly Logan-Banks

Pregnant woman lying on back in hospital being electronically monitored

Speeding up labourReviewed by Emma Dufficy, Midwife

How will breastfeeding help me bond with my baby? (Video)

Pregnant woman lying on a hospital bed and being monitored

Monitoring your baby's heartbeat (fetal heartrate monitoring)Reviewed by Clare Herbert, Senior midwife and team leader

The benefits of skin-to-skin with your baby

Natural ways to bring on labour: photosBy Francesca Whiting

HerniasReviewed by Dwight Lindo, Retired consultant paediatrician and neonatologist

Blocked ducts during breastfeedingReviewed by Christine Griffin, Breastfeeding specialist

Health visitor making notes and sitting next to mum holding new baby

Get the best out of your health visitorReviewed by Helen Davies, Health visitor

What pain relief will be available? (Video)

When my bump drops, does this mean I'll soon go into labour?Reviewed by Harriet Gibbs, Health visitor

Pregnant woman looking at vitamins in a shop

Is it safe to take evening primrose oil in pregnancy?Reviewed by The BabyCentre UK Editorial TeamMy pregnancy week by week2weeks pregnant Fertilisation illustration