Good day to you all.

I havent posted before but I have been reading alot of your posts over the last few weeks and I enjoy the forum. I am 12 weeks pregnant and my husband and I got married last November. I am a bit of a nighmare really with an extreme phobia of bloodtests and hospitals. I have had my 12 week scan last week but BP was through the roof only because being at the hospital completley stresses me out. My mum died in March and I am really missing her especially at this time .. I read an article recently that Raspberry leaf tea may help when labour starts and because I am such a scardey cat I would appreciate any advice on this or any other advice you can all give me. Sorry to sound like a whinge but I thought some reassurance from you guys would help as I am not sleeping very well... Thank you xxx

Welcome to the forum (well, the posting side of it anyhoo, heh)! I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your mother and can only imagine how difficult it must be to cope with your grief as well as the joy of the little life growing inside of you. I lost my parents two years before I first became pregnant, and even with that gap, I found it difficult as I would think of so many things..how much I wished they were here to see their grandson, and all of the little things. If you ever want to share about it, feel free to pm or whatnot.

Regarding hospitals and tests....would you be interested in a home birth option? I'm not sure if that's available where you are but I've heard about it...or even a midwives facility, as opposed to a standard hospital? Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable in a situation like that?

I've not heard of raspberry tea during labor, but then, I haven't been looking anything up about it recently, either. I think anything at all that might help, the better! Are you intending a ''natural childbirth'' (as in, no pain medications)? I would really like to have a natural one but find the idea terrifying as well, lol.. I went through 10 of 12 hours of labor the first time with nothing, but then got an epidural for the last two hours. However, I would like to think that if a woman is really prepared for it properly and has the support, then maybe it can be a lovely and bearable experience.

I drink raspberry tea all the time and nothing It's one of those old wives tale

Sorry to hear about your mom, it must be so hard to go through pregnancy without her. My mom is alive but alas 5000 miles away which is not the same but I can relate. We are all here to help. Welcome and enjoy your pregnancy!

xx

My MIL made a pot of this the other day and offered my SIL and I some (both of us are preggers) I had a cup but SIL declined because she read somewhere it could induce labor or something of the sort. This is her first babe so I can understand her wanting to do things by the book, but after 4 healthy pregnancies, I can't believe everything I read about what to eat and what to stay away from! So overall, I enjoyed my rasberry tea very much!

Raspberry leaf tea can in thoery help tone the uterus, so in affect if you don't have it normnally i wldn't start at this piint in pregers as it's recommended not before 36 weeks, unless your obvs used to it. I don't know how true this is but it's also linked to high bp and pre-eclampsia in some people, it did trigger off my bp so i passed onit second pregnancy. I'm on my third and would say if you've not had it before then wait until last tri.

Hospitals blood tests etc, again confide in your mw, she's there for your support so use her services. I'm choosing not to have bllood tests etc this time round cos I've had them with olivia to be sure I'm immune to german measles and don't have any diseases, and the last one is to detect the likellihood of downs, but I don;t believe in the effectivenes of these tests so won't be having them, plus fact that shld this one have a 'disbility' then I wldn't abort so why bother worrying myself.

Everyone here is fab and very supportive so get in post away they'll be an answer for everything. Start a pregnancy journal.

Congrats and Good Luck xxxx