2 Ingredient Labor Prep Tea

Wondering what you can do to help your body prepare for labor? I’ve got just the thing for you.

Listen, we’ve gotta get one thing out of the way- your body will prepare ITSELF for labor. You really don’t have to do anything, BUTTTTT there are a few things that have been shown to help your body along a little bit. Two of these things are:

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea- historically red raspberry leaf has been used to tone the uterus, improve labor outcomes, and reduce postpartum bleeding. In a few studies, it was shown to reduce the first and second stages of labor slightly. That being said, red raspberry leaf tea should not be started before 36 weeks of pregnancy and some people have experienced Braxton Hicks contractions on and off after drinking it. If you’d like more evidence on RRL tea, check out the Evidence Based Birth podcast here.
Dates- these are said to help soften and ripen the cervix, making labor easier and faster. In one study, the group who ate 6 dates per day from weeks 37 on had shorter labors and also were less likely to have pitocin to speed up their labors. You can read the study details here.

I’ve always been a two birds, one stone kind of person… and I’m not a huge fan of dates, so scarfing them down never truly sounded appetizing to me.

When I was pregnant with my third baby, I had a good friend and doula colleague who made and delivered red raspberry leaf tea sweetened with date syrup. It was a GENIUS way to incorporate the benefits of dates without having to quickly chew and swallow them or search for recipes to make them more tolerable.

While I don’t know if there’s a magical doula near you who offers this incredible service (if you are one, comment your name and where you’re located so people can find you!!), I can share the ingredients to make your own version at home!

Labor Prep Tea Ingredients and Instructions

All you need are these two things!

Instructions- Brew tea as instructed on the package. While tea is still hot, add date syrup. 1 TBSP = 1 Medjool date. Adjust depending on the sweetness you like!

Voila! Multi-tasking at its finest! Enjoy.

*Note: it is not recommended to start this regimen before 36 weeks. Speak to your doctor for personal recommendations.