It's common to feel that because herbs are natural, they must also be safe. Many pregnant women feel comfortable using herbal preparations, such as teas, near the end of pregnancy to help stimulate labor. However, there's little scientific evidence to support the safety or effectiveness of these herbal teas, particularly during pregnancy.
Labor Induction
There are two major routes by which herbs supposedly help stimulate labor. Some are thought to dilate and ripen the cervix, meaning that they help it efface or thin. Others supposedly help "tone" the uterus, meaning that they prepare it for the powerful contractions that will expel the baby. While some labor-induction herbal supplements are oils that you take orally or rub onto the cervix, there are a few herbal teas thought to induce labor.
Herbal Teas
The herbal teas most commonly used by midwives to induce labor are red raspberry leaf tea, blue cohosh, and black cohosh. Blue cohosh supposedly helps ripen the cervix, while black cohosh and red raspberry leaf tea are thought to tone the uterus. Unfortunately, there's very little safety and efficacy data available for any of these teas as labor-induction aids.
Data
No scientific studies provide safety or efficacy information on either blue or black cohosh. As such, AmericanPregnancy.org notes that it's best to avoid both during pregnancy. A 2001 study by M. Simpson and colleagues in the "Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health" evaluated the effect of red raspberry leaf tea on pregnant women and didn't notice a labor induction effect. The authors did report that women experienced a very slightly shortened stage 2 -- pushing -- phase of labor, however.
General Guidelines
In general, because there's so little scientific evidence to suggest that labor induction teas are safe, it's probably best to avoid them. If you're reaching the end of your pregnancy and want to try to stimulate labor, talk to your obstetrician -- there are a variety of medical and non-medical techniques that may help get labor going. These methods also have proven track records for safety. Note, too, that though the end of pregnancy is uncomfortable, it's important for your baby to continue its development. As such, it may be best to wait until labor begins on its own.
References
- "Journal of Nurse-Midwifery"; A national survey of herbal preparation use by nurse-midwives for labor stimulation; Barbara McFarlin et al; May 1999
- "Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health"; Raspberry leaf in pregnancy: Its safety and efficacy in labor; M Simpson et al; March 2001
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