reproductive health

Fresh Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

Last weekend I was sitting in my mother in law’s house and I found myself craving a cup of red raspberry leaf tea. Sometimes your body just tells you that you need something. One problem: I was in the middle of the woods, half an hour away from a store that might have red raspberry leaf tea.

But I was a five minute walk from a raspberry patch.

I love red raspberry leaf tea in general, but there is something about a fresh tea that is so much more bright and whole. So for today’s blog post I wanted to show you how I made my North Woods fresh Red Raspberry Leaf tea and how you can make some of your own.

Last weekend I was sitting in my mother in law’s house and I found myself craving a cup of red raspberry leaf tea. Sometimes your body just tells you that you need something. One problem: I was in the middle of the woods, half an hour away from a store that might have red raspberry leaf tea. But I was a five minute walk from a raspberry patch. I love red raspberry leaf tea in general, but there is something about a fresh tea that is so much more bright and whole. So for today’s blog post I wanted to show you how I made my North Woods fresh Red Raspberry Leaf tea and how you can make some of your own.
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By Jessica Gustafson, ago

Essential oil safety in pregnancy

Support for patient advocacy has never been higher than it is today.

Never before in my life have I seen patients able to have so much say in their care. This is something that excites me. As a practitioner, I see myself as a partner in care – a guide who has been trained to understand things that patients may have difficulty comprehending. My job is to educate and based off that education, the patient and I can make informed decisions about their care.

But this newfound agency comes at a high cost. The plethora of information available to the consumer is overwhelming and it’s very easy to get caught up in bad and even dangerous information.

One of the complementary medicines that is most effected by this trend is aromatherapy and one of the most vulnerable populations using aromatherapy is pregnant women.

​Pregnant women must be very careful about consumption of foods and beverages, but also topical exposure to and inhalation of natural and unnatural compounds. Here are some general guidelines pregnant women can follow to make sure that the choices they are making are the best for themselves and their babies.

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By Jessica Gustafson, ago
Single serving iced red raspberry leaf tea. Photo by Wahid Hacene via Pexels

A More Refreshing Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

As with many natural interventions there’s a bit of controversy on whether or not red raspberry leaf tea has any impact on labor. Some studies show it can shorten labor and lessen the need for interventions. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Nurse Midwifery found some 63% of certified nurse midwives used red raspberry leaf as part of their natural labor induction plan.

Other studies show that at the highest levels it can actually inhibit contractions, lengthening labors. It’s important to point out for this study the doses “at the highest level” are at a level no human would consume with a mug of tea a day. At worst you have a tasty tea that has no effect. Also note that rats are not humans and their physiology will handle things slightly differently.

Conventional and folk wisdom treat it as a “women’s herb”. It’s great to help menstrual cramps, keep the uterus healthy and may help with fertility. The only caution I regularly see with red raspberry leaf is to not consume it in the first trimester.

By Jessica Gustafson, ago