Red Raspberry  

In honor of my daughter, Danielle, who has recently carried new life in her womb for nine months, and then 11 days ago gave birth to a new baby girl, I am writing about a very special herb, Red Raspberry Leaf, Rubus idaeus.

 Red Raspberry is the best and most useful herb to use throughout a woman’s entire pregnancy.  It is rich in Iron, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B and E and Calcium.  This good tasting herb can relieve nausea and vomiting, will help prevent miscarriage and will facilitate childbirth. The Fragarine in the plant helps tone and relax pelvic and uterine muscles making it a safe uterine and nutritive tonic.  It can enrich and increase milk flow after birth and will decrease uterine swelling while also cutting down on postpartum bleeding.

 I believe it is best to drink Red Raspberry tea, as an infusion at the beginning of pregnancy if there is any concern for miscarriage and to help alleviate nausea.  It is best again to drink it regularly during the last trimester of pregnancy to help prepare the uterus for delivery.  Soon after a vaginal delivery, Red Raspberry can be used along with other herbs such as Nettles, Comfrey, Chamomile and Lavender in a Sitz bath to encourage healing of the perineum.

 Red Raspberry is native to Europe and Asia, is found in woodland clearings and grows in moist, nutrient-rich soil.  Well, does that leave out Central Texas???  I do have a couple of Heritage Red Raspberry plants in a shade section of my garden.  They stay alive but have not yet produced any berries.  I have seen Red Raspberry growing wild in the woods of the Northeast and that is where I believe it thrives.

 Red Raspberry tea is delicious by itself, but I love it mixed with Red Clover and Nettles which is my Everywoman’s tea.  Red Raspberry is so nutritious that it can be used by woman of all ages and not only those of childbearing years.  The fruit of the plant can also strengthen and enrich the blood.

 So my heart-felt thanks to Red Raspberry for helping my daughter have a safe, healthy pregnancy, a beautiful birth, a rich supply of breast milk and a successful post-partum healing process.  I hope that all women get to know this herb personally.