Since the heroine of Deadly Devotion has a fondness for herbal teas,
I thought I’d post on a couple of teas that are getting a lot of attention in our family these days.
As we’ve eagerly awaited the birth of our second grandchild, Red raspberry leaf tea has been a staple in our eldest daughter’s diet.
It’s supposed to encourage easy labor, and since her first child was born fifteen minutes after my daughter stepped into the hospital, she’s a believer in it’s helpfulness!
I try not to begrudge the fact that I labored with her all night and spent an agonizing two hours in delivery before the doctor finally yanked her out.
Wish I’d known about raspberry leaf tea!
Raspberry leaves are a rich source of calcium, iron, manganese and magnesium, and help decrease heavy periods. Magnesium and calcium also help relieve leg cramps during pregnancy.
Of course in these final days, with junior kicking my daughter awake in the wee hours of the morning, she’s been craving chamomile tea to help her sleep.
But alas, chamomile tea is one of the many herbal teas that pregnant women should limit or avoid during pregnancy.
So… I was thinking how much she’ll enjoy finally being able to enjoy a cup and a full night’s sleep when the baby arrives.
Right, what was I thinking?! A full night’s sleep is not in her near future!
But if Junior proves to be a little colicky, the chamomile tea might help soothe baby’s uncomfortable tummy. We tried it with my first grandchild… without much success… but some mothers find it helps.
If all else fails, as my daughter falls asleep over her steaming cup of chamomile tea, she’ll discover it’s also great for brightening up dull, tired skin. 😉
Guess what? Steamed marigolds are great for this, too. Those who’ve read Deadly Devotion know why I bring up marigolds. 😆
Raspberry tea is also good for nursing mothers, as is fennel tea. It is safe for children and increases milk production. Fennel is also good for colicky babies.
Your Turn: What’s your favorite tea for what ails you?
GIVEAWAY:
Have you heard of The Book Club Network? The facilitators describe it as place where people can “feel safe, have fun, share hearts and embrace, Finding Hope through fellowship in reading groups.” Membership is free. And right now my publisher is giving away 5 copies of Deadly Devotion in the discussion we’re having in the “Revell” group. You must sign in and join the group to leave a comment to enter. We’re having a lively discussion and hope you’ll join us!
Crying Baby Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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LOL — me thinks you are having just a little too much fun at your daughter’s expense. I’m a raspberry tea believer as well.
I love a soothing peppermint tea when I’m feel ‘off’ — whether it’s an upset tummy or just plain achy and tired — there’s something soothing about peppermint tea. Including the aroma. Sigh. And it makes a great iced tea as well.
And I love fruit tea blends — with oranges and cranberries and the like. So sweet you wouldn’t think of adding sweetner. Great iced as well. (Can you tell we are heading into a heat wave?)
You know what I haven’t had in ages? Rosehip tea!!!!! I used to love rosehip tea!
So, all this teatalk leads to one burning question: Bag or loose?
Honest, there’s good reason for me hoping to get my edits done first. I take over toddler duties as soon as she goes into labor!
I’m glad you brought up iced herbal teas. Yum, one of my writing friends has been making these for our meetings, and I’ve decided I like the fruit teas waaay better cold than hot. I’m a bag person. I hate getting bits in my tea which my strainer always seems to let through.
You need to get an infuser, Sandra. I got this lovely mug from Bridgehead that has a very, very, very, fine screened infuser that nestles in the cup. No bits in my tea! 🙂 Happy editing!
Yes, I have a tea ball, but it lets things through. I’ll have to check out what else is out there.
Ooh, I love raspberry so I should try that tea.
I was recently in Savannah and picked up some Hazelnut Cookie loose leaf too. It’s like…dessert in a cup. Amazing. 🙂
Mmm, that sounds yummy!
I love tea! I drink Earl Grey with milk every morning and Green Chai in the afternoon. I totally believe in Ginger tea for stomach issues, and love Chamomile and Peppermint for relaxing!
That all sounds so much better for me than the tea I just brewed for “caffeine”. 🙂
I wanted to take Raspberry leaf tea when I was pregnant, but I am very allergic…bummer! As for my fav “teas”, I always stick with non-caffeinated–not black, etc–and I would say lemon ginger or peppermint. Yum! Fun post–hope all goes well with your daughter. 🙂 (I’ll try not to feel jealous that her labor was easy either. LOL *wink*)
That is a bummer, Amber. I’m careful not to drink too much chamomile tea for fear of developing allergies.
It’s a boy! Not sure if my daughter would say it was an easy labor with that tea as she’d been feeling uncomfortable with regular contractions for a couple of days, but…in the end, the baby was born 23 minutes after she woke up her husband, and she wasn’t even sure if he should call the midwife yet, so…I’m thinking their is something to that raspberry tea. BTW, no the midwife didn’t get there in time. 1 minute after. 🙂
Helpful herbalsHerbal teas can help hydrate the body when women don’t want to drink plain water,” says Amelia Hirota, D.Ac., an herbalist and acupuncturist at Phoenix Fertility Center in East Greenwich, R.I. Plus, some provide important pregnancy nutrients, including calcium, magnesium and iron. Rooibos tea, in particular, is a good one to try because of its antioxidant properties; it’s also caffeine-free. Other herbal teas may help alleviate morning sickness (ginger and mint), prevent insomnia (chamomile) and promote more effective contractions during labor (red raspberry leaf). “Many midwives believe that raspberry leaf tones the uterine muscle, which may help make contractions more efficient,” says Hirota.