If you're pregnant, you've probably heard about the wonders of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (RRLT) for easing labor and delivery. A lot of first-hand sources, including my midwife, friends, and mamas from my due date community groups, have told me this and swear by RRLT! I searched online as well, and found that Healthline.com has an article on the health benefits of RRLT, which includes strengthening the uterus to make delivery easier, which you can read more about.
My mind was pretty set on drinking some RRLT during my pregnancy as well, but it was disheartening to see how expensive it was going to be if I were to purchase tea bags! Those individual satchels come out to be really pricey, especially since my midwife recommended that I start off with a satchel or two a day and work my way up to four. I'd blow through a box of these tea bags in a blink of an eye!
Instead, I found something to last through my entire pregnancy -- a bulk bag of certified organic Red Raspberry Leaves! When I made my purchase, it was $14.16 USD plus tax on Amazon, which is an amazing find for this amount of tea that will get me through my entire pregnancy PLUS have lots more to spare after.
How does this bulk buy compare to the purchase of individual satchels?
I bought the 16 oz. bag, which yields 503 servings (each serving is 1 Tbsp of the leaves, to be steeped with 8 oz. of water). That's $0.028 per serving...less than three cents!The most popular Red Raspberry Leaf Tea brands that I've seen floating around are the Yogi and Earth Mama Organics brands.
- The Earth Mama brand currently costs $5.99 for a set of 16 tea bags, or $14.99 for three sets totaling to be 36 tea bags ($0.31/serving). The price for these 36 servings is already more than the price of the 16 oz. bulk bag above, and with 36 servings, you can't even last a full week by the end of the pregnancy.
- The Yogi brand currently costs $23.04 for 6 packs of 16 satchels, totaling to be 96 tea bags ($0.24/serving). While it's cheaper than Earth Mama, it's more than 8x the cost of the bulk bag.
These tea bags get pricy in the end!! (NOT recommended!)
The only real upside to these tea bags is that it's slightly more convenient to just grab a mug of hot water and pop one of the tea bags in. However, since you'll be aiming to drink about 4 servings of these a day, I find that making a bulk batch with the tea leaves is so much easier to do!
When do I start drinking RRLT?
I was given the green light by my midwife to begin at 28 weeks, but I've heard others say that they begin as early as starting second trimester. This is a question you'd want to ask your provider.How much should I drink?
When I began at 28 weeks, I started with a cup (8 oz) that first day. Since I did not experience any uterine cramping or other reactions, I was told to up my intake to two cups (16 oz) per day, and eventually work my way up to three cups (24 oz). Again, you'll want to check with your medical provider to get their approval prior to determining your dosage!How do I make it?
I follow the simple instructions on the label of the bag! To prepare it as a tea, simply...- Measure 8 oz boiling water over 1 tablespoon of the leaves.
- Cover and steep it for 5-10 minutes, then strain.
What does it taste like?
To me, it has a mild sweetness. The tea itself is very fragrant and you'll definitely get a nice whiff of that while you're steeping and straining. When it's served chilled from the fridge, I'd say it's quite comparable to iced teas that I've had, minus any added sugars. I like the slight, natural sweetness and wouldn't want to add anything to it, but I've heard of others mixing other ingredients in with their RRLT.What can you add to it?
If you'd like to add a kick to your RRLT, I recommend putting in a small amount of sweetener, such as maple syrup or stevia. You can also add heated coconut milk or soymilk with your hot tea to make it creamier and oh-so-yummy!
Wishing you all the best!
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