Nature has provided us with some herbal help for pregnancy and the process of childbirth. Raspberry leaf has traditionally been taken by pregnant women in the third trimester to assist with and facilitate an efficient labour and birth. Herbalists refer to the herb as a ‘partus praeparator’ which refers to raspberry leaf’s ability to tone the uterus and prepare it for the task of childbirth.
As it was a common practice in England for women to use an infusion of dried raspberry leaves ‘to allay the pains of labour’, a study was undertaken in 1941 by Sir Beckwith Whitehouse in conjunction with the University of Birmingham to investigate the pharmacological aspects of the commonly used raspberry leaf. His studies resulted in him identifying the active principle responsible for the relaxing effect he noticed that raspberry leaves had on the uterine muscle in his experiments and proposed it be called ‘fragarine’, which it is still called today.
Following these early investigations, it is understood that raspberry leaf works by relaxing the muscles of the uterus whilst also managing to strengthen the muscle, leading to stronger, more coordinated uterine contractions. This regulation of the uterus minimises the risk of weak, uncoordinated contractions which may lead to the possibility of requiring more intervention to deliver successfully. An added benefit of taking Raspberry leaf beyond the birth is that it will assist to decrease post birth uterine swelling.
Raspberry leaf is a very safe herb to take in the latter stages of pregnancy. At Westmead Hospital in Sydney in 2000, a study on the safety of raspberry leaf in pregnancy found no evidence of side effects and suggested that in those taking the herb, there was a lower incidence of artificial rupture of membranes, forceps or vacuum births.
Good Nutrition for Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a special time for both the mother and father and having a healthy pregnancy and birth has a lot to do with ensuring a healthy lifestyle and supportive environment throughout the pregnancy. Most people are aware of the importance of getting enough folic acid in their diet before conception but other nutrients are also needed in greater supply. During pregnancy, protein is required in higher amounts as amino acids that make up protein form the building blocks of the baby’s cells as it grows. At least 70g of protein per day is recommended so eating plenty of lean meats, fish, eggs, beans and legumes is especially important throughout the pregnancy. Iron and zinc are also needed in greater supply during pregnancy and omega 3 fats found in fish, nuts and seeds are essential for the baby’s developing brain and nervous system. Iodine is vital for foetal development especially for central nervous system development with inadequate maternal consumption of iodine during pregnancy being blamed for mental retardation in some cases.
