What Raspberry Leaf Tea Is For, and When to Start It
Raspberry leaf tea helps women prepare for labour in the last weeks of pregnancy, and it is what many keep drinking through the early weeks with a new baby. This blend is 70% raspberry leaf with 30% peppermint for the queasiness and the bloating, twenty bags to a box. Please read the next section before you buy, because the timing is the whole question with this one.
Raspberry leaf has been drunk for this purpose for generations and the reason is that it acts on the muscle of the womb. That is its entire traditional rationale, and it is also exactly why it belongs at the end of a pregnancy rather than the beginning. The peppermint alongside it is there for the queasiness and the bloating, and it is the gentler half of the blend.
When to Start Raspberry Leaf Tea
The standard advice is to leave raspberry leaf until the last weeks of pregnancy, commonly from around 32 weeks, and to build up slowly from a single cup. It belongs at the end of a pregnancy rather than in the first trimester, and it is one to build towards rather than to drink daily from the start.
That advice follows from how it is thought to work. Something taken to encourage the womb to contract efficiently at the end of a pregnancy is the wrong thing to be taking while that pregnancy is establishing itself. So please talk to our doctor or your midwife before you start, tell them how many weeks you are, and let them set it with you. If you are in your first or second trimester and looking for something for nausea, come and ask us instead and we will put something suitable in your hand.
Who Should Not Drink It at All Without Advice
Several situations make raspberry leaf a conversation rather than a purchase, and they are the ones to raise with our doctor first.
A caesarean already planned, a previous caesarean, twins, a baby lying awkwardly, a placenta sitting low, any bleeding in this pregnancy, high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia, diabetes in pregnancy, premature labour before, or a labour already being induced or augmented in hospital. Each of those changes the picture entirely. So does being under medical care for anything in this pregnancy. Please bring your notes and let our doctor read them.
How to Build It Up, If Our Doctor Agrees
Begin with one cup a day and stay there for several days before adding another. Pour 200 ml of freshly boiled water over one bag, brew four to five minutes, squeeze the bag gently, and drink it warm.
Stop and ring your midwife or come to us if you get strong or regular tightenings, any bleeding, or a change in the baby’s movements. Those are the signals that matter and they outrank anything a box says. Many women find a single cup is plenty and never go beyond it, and there is nothing to be gained from pushing the number up.
Drink it warm rather than hot, sit down with it, and keep it away from your iron tablets by an hour or so if you are taking them, because tea of any kind sits awkwardly with iron. Our pharmacist will go through your whole pregnancy list with you in a couple of minutes and set the order of things, which is worth doing once rather than guessing every morning. And if the taste is the problem, say so: a shorter brew makes a real difference and most women settle on three minutes rather than five.
Afterwards, and for Feeding
Raspberry leaf is also drunk in the weeks after birth, and the timing worry disappears entirely once the baby has arrived. That is the easiest part of this product to be confident about.
If feeding is what you are looking for help with, that is a different blend and we would rather point you at it. Our Nutra Mother Tea is the lactation blend, our chamomile and valerian tea is the one for the evenings, and for the queasiness on its own a plain peppermint is cheaper and does that job better. Ask our pharmacist and bring the baby’s age, because the first fortnight and the third month often call for different things.
What We Are Permitted to Tell You
No health claim for raspberry leaf is authorised, as with every botanical. So nobody may lawfully promise you an easier labour, a shorter second stage, less bleeding afterwards or more milk, and we hold back from saying any of it.
What we can give you is the proportions, the timing the standard advice sets out, the situations that need our doctor first, how to build it up slowly, and the signals that mean stopping. On a product drunk during a pregnancy, that is worth more than any promise, and it is what we would want our own families told.
Is Raspberry Leaf Tea Right for You?
Please talk to our doctor before you start, every time, because this one is drunk during a pregnancy.
- Earlier than the last weeks of pregnancy. The standard advice is to wait, commonly until around 32 weeks. If you are earlier than that and want something for nausea, ask us for it instead.
- A planned or previous caesarean, twins, a low-lying placenta, or a baby lying awkwardly. Please see our doctor first and bring your notes.
- Any bleeding in this pregnancy, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia or diabetes in pregnancy. Our doctor decides, not a box.
- A previous premature labour, or a labour being induced in hospital. Speak to your midwife before drinking it at all.
- Strong or regular tightenings, bleeding, or a change in the baby’s movements after drinking it. Stop and ring your midwife the same day.
- A child, or anyone not pregnant looking for a peppermint tea. Ask us for plain peppermint, which is what you actually want.
Where to Buy Raspberry Leaf & Peppermint Nutra Tea in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At one cup a day to begin with a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A pregnancy tea like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Raspberry Leaf & Peppermint Nutra Tea from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will ask how many weeks you are before selling you anything, and will send you to our doctor to set the timing, because on this tea the timing is the whole question. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Raspberry Leaf & Peppermint Nutra Tea: Your Questions Answered
What is in this raspberry leaf tea?
Raspberry leaf at 70% and peppermint at 30%, in twenty biodegradable bags. No caffeine, vegan and gluten-free.
When should I start drinking it?
The standard advice is the last weeks of pregnancy, commonly from around 32 weeks, building up slowly from one cup a day. Please have our doctor or your midwife set it with you first.
Can I drink it in the first trimester?
Please do not, and please do not drink it daily from early pregnancy. Raspberry leaf acts on the muscle of the womb, which is the reason it belongs at the end of a pregnancy rather than the beginning.
I am 12 weeks and feeling sick. What should I take instead?
Come and ask us. There are things that suit nausea in early pregnancy, and this is not the one. Our pharmacist will put something suitable in your hand.
How many cups a day?
Start with one and stay there for several days before adding another. Many women find one cup is plenty. There is nothing to be gained from pushing the number up.
Who should ask our doctor before drinking it at all?
Anyone with a planned or previous caesarean, twins, a low-lying placenta, a baby lying awkwardly, any bleeding in this pregnancy, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, diabetes in pregnancy, a previous premature labour, or a labour being induced.
Will it make my labour easier or shorter?
We are not permitted to tell you that, and nobody else is either. No health claim for raspberry leaf is authorised. Women have drunk it for generations and that is an honest reason to drink it, with our doctor’s agreement on the timing.
When should I stop?
If you get strong or regular tightenings, any bleeding, or a change in your baby’s movements, stop and ring your midwife the same day. Those signals outrank anything a box says.
Can I drink it after the baby comes?
Yes, and the timing worry disappears once the baby has arrived. Many women drink it through the early weeks.
Will it help my milk come in?
That is a different blend and we would rather point you at the right one. Ask our pharmacist and bring the baby’s age.
What is the peppermint for?
The queasiness and the bloating. It is the gentler half of the blend, and most people notice it first.
Can I drink it if I am not pregnant?
Women do drink raspberry leaf outside pregnancy. If what you actually want is a peppermint tea, ask us for plain peppermint, which is cheaper and does that job better.
How do I brew it?
Pour 200 ml of freshly boiled water over one bag, brew four to five minutes, squeeze the bag gently and drink it warm.
Where can I buy Raspberry Leaf & Peppermint Nutra Tea 20’s in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown above. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. Please tell us how many weeks pregnant you are when you order, because we will want our doctor to set the timing with you first.
