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For more than 2,000 years, red raspberry has been considered a healer. It has really gained popularity since the 1940's when it became THE herb for pregnancies. One herbalist goes so far as to call raspberry a "panacea during pregnancy." In 1941, the British medical journal Lancet showed it contains a "uterine relaxant principle." Over the next 30 years, several other studies confirmed this finding. Red raspberry was among the first herbs I tried for my cats. Red raspberry contains nutrients to strengthen the uterus wall that assist in labor and delivery. It makes much stronger contractions as it cuts down on hemorrhaging. It also brings down the milk and enriches the colostrum. What more can you ask? I decided to try it on one of my problem queens. What a difference! This queen had typically taken up to 12 hours to deliver a litter of 3-4 kittens. This time they popped out so fast, I needed a ball glove! I was onto something here. I started giving the red raspberry to every pregnant queen we had. I give one capsule daily from the time I know they are pregnant (day 21), until the last two weeks. During the last two weeks, I give them two daily. We have had such wonderful success that I wouldn't let any of my girls have a litter without it. If the queen is caged and I know how much she is eating, I can mix it in the food. If she is eating with others, I either use a pill pusher or give her extract. They all seem to like the flavor of red raspberry. Like everything else I sell, the red raspberry can be used by people, too. The tea is mild and pleasant taste. Or it can be taken capsule form. Even though it is mainly known as the "pregnancy" herb, it is also known to be good for bowel problems and stomachaches. Red raspberry contains vitamins A, D, D, E, G, F and B. It is rich in iron and contains phosphorus, manganese and a high amount of calcium. So try it today. Your breeding queens will thank you. But remember to have your ball glove ready! It's impossible for me to talk about the incredible benefits of red raspberry without including the incredible benefits of marshmallow. On just about due date (I actually wait until they deliver), we start adding marshmallow to their food. My cats love marshmallow, so I can just open the capsule and sprinkle the contents onto the food and mix it in. This enriches the milk and increases the milk and increases the milk supply. Yes, this plant inspired the pillow-like white confection we toast over campfires. Even though the plant inspired today's white confection, today's marshmallows contain none of their namesake herb and bear no resemblance to the marshmallow sweets of old. It's a shame so few people know this herb as anything other than a candy, because marshmallow has been widely used in healing for 2,500 years! It was originally a food before it was a medicine. The Book of Job mentions that it was eaten during famines. During the Middle Ages, people ate it when their crops failed. Backpacking guides today suggest the plant for wilderness foragers.		The plant's history as a healer goes back to Hippocrates. Four hundred years later, it was still being recommended. The Romans felt that anyone who ate marshmallow daily should be free from all disease. The spongy material in marshmallow roots is called mucilage. When it comes in contact with water, it swells and forms a gel. Therefore, it is used externally to soothe cuts, scrapes, wounds, and burns. In one recent experiment, marshmallow enhanced the white blood cells' ability to devour disease microbes, suggesting that its traditional use in wound treatment and gastrointestinal infections may have been therapeutic as well as soothing. It is a great healing herb. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant for the joints and the gastrointestinal tract. It is also protective and healing in the irritations associated with diarrhea and dysentery. As a poultice, combine it with cayenne to treat blood poisoning, gangrene, burns, bruises, and wounds. It contains 286,000 units of vitamin a per pound. It is very high in calcium, and is extremely rich in zinc. It also contains iron, sodium, iodine, B-complex, and pantothenic acid. The medical literature contains no reports of any harm from marshmallow. Thank the French for the spongy confection that bears this herb's name. They first candied marshmallow roots centuries ago. They peeled the root bark, exposing the white pulp, and boiled it to soften it and release its sweetness. Then they added sugar. The result: sweet, white, somewhat spongy sticks, which over time evolved into today's campfire treat. Its benefits to a lactating queen are obvious from the first time you try it. We had never had a problem with lactation in our queens. But so many people were buying marshmallow, and raving about the results, that I decided to give it a try on the next litter. Well, I'm here to tell you that not a single mom goes without marshmallow in her food daily. The kittens are so well-fed that they are like little slugs! A sight we all love to see as breeders. Even large litters have a sufficient amount of milk, so there is no further need to supplement. Marshmallow is also known for kidney and bladder problems. Since it is mucilaginous, it coats, soothes, and heals inflamed areas in the body. If any of you have questions that you would like to have me answer, please feel free to either call {1-800-887-4372} or write to me at Up With Herbs, 965 So. Saginaw Rd., Midland, MI 48640 Don't forget, I live in Michigan, so remember the time changes when you call. My hours are 10:00 until 6:00. I love talking to you, so don't hesitate to call.