what can you tell me about labor inducing herbs?

[queen b]

i am 10 days past due and am considering taking some black cohosh tincture. my midwife suggest 4-5 dropper fulls a day. it seems like a lot to me, but i am generally the type of gal who lets all things happen naturally and i never take medicine or try to change natures way. however, my midwife is going on vacay on friday and i would really like to have this babe before then. is there anything unsafe about black cohosh? any other thoughts?

[Charmie981]

I'll tell you what I tell my clients: you should do the research on it and see how comfortable you are with using it yourself.

In my state, midwives aren't allowed to use any herbal, medicinal or mechanical means to speed or induce labor. If a client decides to do an herbal induction, it is her choice. I've had many clients decide to use herbs and they have a moderate success rate if your body is ready and just needs a nudge. If you can get your hands on a copy of Holistic Midwifery Volume II, Anne Fry has a very extensive discussion on methods of inducing labor in a mother whose body is mostly ready for labor.