Birth Stories

Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea And Eating Dates Helped Rachel During Her Hospital Birth

  • When did you realize you were really in labor?

    I woke up at 12:30 am and realized I was in labor. I had been waiting a few weeks in anticipation of this moment. I thought it was happening a few times in the previous few weeks but when I awoke on New Years Eve I knew this was it. It was a familiar feeling and I had no doubt otherwise.

  • What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

    Being of advanced maternal fetal age the midwives wanted me to be induced if I hadn't gone into labor by 40 weeks. I was sure I would go into labor early since I had with my daughter, but by 40 weeks there was still no baby and I didn't want to be induced. I had some acupuncture, lifted boxes, shoveled snow, walked a lot, and even ate spicy food, but none of these things caused induction. I wanted my baby to come when he was ready and I didn't want to be induced and in the end trusting myself that he would come on his own time and be healthy worked out for us.

  • What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

    Maybe it was drinking the red raspberry leaf tea since my labor was very fast, 4 hours in total. I didn't do much yoga with this second pregnancy, but I did walk a fair amount everyday. Just trusting my husband and my body during labor helped. so working on that trusting relationship ahead of time was probably very helpful. I also tried to eat a lot of dates but I couldn't eat as many as are prescribed everyday.

  • What surprised you about your birth?

    How fast it went. But going fast doesn't mean it's easy. Very few births are easy. I was surprised that even being a natural birth and delivery it is still incredibly intense and something I don't want to go through again. During the birth I remember thinking, this is the last one, and he's just my second child.

  • I wanted my baby to come when he was ready and I didn't want to be induced and in the end trusting myself that he would come on his own time and be healthy worked out for us.
  • What pain relief strategies worked best?

    Breathing, my husband sending me energy during labor, being in child's pose.

  • What position did you end up delivering in?

    Tabletop / child's pose

  • How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

    Relaxing.

  • What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

    Drink the raspberry leaf tea if you like it. Perhaps this contributed to my easy labors. I am a naturally calm person but in both birth's the nurses commented that I was so calm. I couldn't imagine being any other way since the contractions are so intensely painful. But given their surprise at my calmness and their insistence that this helped me I would suggest that others practice some kind of calming practice like pranayama, meditation, or something.

Learn to have an amazing birth

(without leaving your couch)

Baby Name Finder

Discover thousands of unique and popular baby names with Mama Natural’s NEW Baby Name Finder.