Castor Oil?

[michanders4]

OK, I've been saying that I do not want to go the castor oil route this whole time because I feel that I've tried "everything else" to naturally go into labor and my body has probably not quite been ready. Well today is my due date so I'm not even past my due date yet, but I am considering using castor oil possibly in a few days if I'm still pregnant. My doctor is probably going to send me to the hospital on Thursday night if I'm still pregnant to start an induction. I'm surprisingly OK with this but figured I would want to at least try castor oil before I get to that point. Has anyone used it and had success? I think my biggest fear is that I heard it could cause the baby to have his first bowel movement in the womb which can be very dangerous. Has anyone heard of this? This is pretty much the only thing making me hesitate to try this as I'm already so worried about this baby (I'm an overworrier) and just want him to have the safest and healthiest delivery. Any opinions? It seems that between people online and people in real life that I know plenty of people at least try this and babies are fine, but I still worry.

[daisyem]

MY sister swears by castor oil and used it 2 times (18 plus years ago) with sucess.

I tried it to avoid my OB's induction when I was 4 days past EDD with #1 and it just gave me the runs and I gagged for 30 minutes. I've later heard the same thing about it having the risks you mentioned. My midwife told me not to use it, but that I could try an enema if I wanted once I was past my EDD. Not sure why/if that is safter though? Today is my EDD too and I'm trying to decide what to do. I think I might just wait it out a while longer though because my midwife won't induce so I have time...

Good luck and LABOR VIBES for you!!

[Bexo]

I would be very careful with using castor oil. Many women experience awful cramping which is difficult to distinguish from actual contractions. Then they wind up at the hospital and labor is augmented artificially. Two women I know had labors that resulted in c-sections because of using castor oil. And yes, it is also true that it increases the risk of meconium aspiration syndrome in your little one. Why does your OB want to induce you only a day after your due date? I know it's hard to remain patient (you and I only have due dates 1 day apart), but it's really safest for both you and the baby to wait for the baby to be ready. I know it's hard mama, but hang in there! It won't be too much longer now!

[Full Heart]

I personally don't believe castor oil is absorbed at all in the intestines (anyone who has taken it can attest to the oily bms it creates). It coats the intestines and therefore can make you dehydrated (ontop of the throwing up and diarrhea). Which happened to me. Thats pretty dangerous too. The only way I see mec happening is that it can cause really hard contractions but pit can do the same thing. But consider that if you took any other laxative it would not cause the baby to pass mec so why should castor oil. I would try an enema before castor oil. Always nice to be cleaned out before labor anyway. But remember an induced labor is an induced labor, whether naturally or artifically, so it can be really hard and start the cascade of interventions.

[michanders4]

Thanks everyone. Very good points. Bexo - she wants to induce me if I get to one week past my due date (not one day) - its her comfor level I guess. I Just hope this baby comes within the next week on his own which he definitely might do!!!!

[Bexo]

Originally Posted by michanders4

Thanks everyone. Very good points. Bexo - she wants to induce me if I get to one week past my due date (not one day) - its her comfor level I guess. I Just hope this baby comes within the next week on his own which he definitely might do!!!!

Sorry, I realized that immediately after I posted! Still, 41 weeks +1 day is the average for a first time mother. My first was born at 41 weeks + 2 days (totally naturally). I'm just not one for inducing unless there is a serious medical reason for doing so. Induction increases a woman's chance of having a c/section by 50%. It can also put the baby at risk. Even though it quite frankly stinks going past your due date (believe me, I know), it really is safest and smoothest to wait until the baby is ready. Merely going to 41 weeks doesn't constitute a medical emergency in my opinion. That said, here's hoping your baby decides to come soon! Believe me, I know the waiting game isn't fun. I'm in the same boat!

[Peony]

I'd only consider castor oil if it was like the night before an induction that I absolutely could not get out of for some reason.

[Murph12334]

Originally Posted by Peony

I'd only consider castor oil if it was like the night before an induction that I absolutely could not get out of for some reason.

pretty much that

I've heard some say first poo due to the caster oil. I've heard others attribute it to going over due in general

[imbarefoot]

If you really want to avoid hospital induction, I would talk to your doctor asap- like today. And explain that you'd like to wait until you're 42 weeks for induction. If everything you've tried already hasn't worked, that should be a sign that your baby isn't ready yet. ((hugs)) If you haven't resisted the induction date your doctore set, then she probably has no idea that you'd like to go beyond that. Most OB's are comfortable waiting until 42 weeks, though you may have to advocate for yourself a bit!

Castor oil doesn't tend to work unless moms are past 41 weeks. Most who use it earlier just get awful cramps, the runs, and lots of vomitting.

Either way, good luck. I hate castor oil, awful stuff. I wouldn't use it again, unless I was 43 weeks, personally. But I would try that before I'd ever set foot in a hospital.

[dawncayden]

My mom used castor oil when she was pregnant with me.
She was 41 weeks and they brought on crazy contractions, so she and my dad left for the hospital only to have her labour completely stop, so they sent her home, then they started 20 hours later, and she had me 2 hours after that.

She didn't like what it did to her body, she felt so out of control and it gave her massive vomiting and diarrhea.

[nancy11]

Sounds awful to me! Pass.

[jenmk]

I second the notion of not being induced unless you absolutely have to be. I was induced with my first two for medical reasons, was able to go naturally with the third . . . and let me tell you it was a world of difference. Natural was so much easier on my body--not that it didn't hurt, of course--but it was much more manageable than the chemically-created contractions--they're brutal. Speaking from experience, I highly recommend against unneccessary inductions.

So, here's to labor for you asap!! Good luck, mama!