castor oil cocktail?

[omelette]

I'm looking to get more info on this - personal stories or sites, articles to read.

I'm 3 days overdue and going for a V-Bac. I met with my midwife today and she can give me one more week before she has to consult with an obstetrician regarding booking another c/s. The hospital I'll be birthing at does not induce women who have had a prior section so if I don't go into labour on my own it will mean another c/s.
I've been going for acupuncture and will go for another appt tomorrow.
My midwife was telling me about castor oil and how it works and the risks involved having a c/s scar (similar to being induced is my understanding). She is supportive of using this with me b/c I'm in good health and what she considers low risk. I'm not very informed on this option aside from what she has told me so I'm looking to do a bit more reading to see if this is a choice I'd like to make if it comes down to it. Fingers crossed that something starts happening over here anytime but if it doesn't...

[lovelymama2]

I'm waiting to hear the answer too ... I'm 41+ and considering taking castor oil. I've had some minor contractions tonight and I'm fighting with my midwives over my fluid levels and so on.

[Kidzaplenty]

CO has worked great for me in the past. And it is my first choice if I need to kick labor into gear.

[marrymeflyfree]

I used it successfully with my first pregnancy, and would do it again if I really needed to get something going - but as intense as it was, I would not attempt it if my cervix was not already really ripe and ready to go.

My story: I was either 10 or 19 days past the due date depending on which date you believe, and had a small fluid leak that had likely been there for a few days. I was birthing at a FSBC, and they gave me the choice of staying and trying the CO or going to the hospital for medical induction. The week prior, I'd been well-effaced and dilated to ~2.5cm, but we didn't check that day because of the leak. I had the CO (not sure of the dosage) around noon...the diarrhea and vomiting kicked in around 5ish. The abdominal cramping just sort of gradually turned into contractions within an hour or so. I had about 5 hours of labor, and nearly 2 hours of pushing, and that was that! I have no other births to compare it to, but it seemed that my contractions were quite intense right from the start. I'm astonished when I hear stories of women who were able to go shopping, take care of their kids, what have you, in early labor because for me there was none of that. My guess is the CO was responsible for that. I was quite weak right at the beginning of labor after the intense diarrhea and vomiting, and really had to force myself to eat and drink a bit to get my strength back up...but honestly, once that stuff was all out of my system, I felt pretty ok.

I have no knowledge at all of what risks might be there for a vbac castor oil experience, but there's my story. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

[gentlestrengths]

It'll only work if your body is ready.

I have done it in 3 out of 4 of my births. I go so overdue!!!! 2 weeks at least. My second baby came on his own (with lots of RRL, nipple stim, sex) a week and a few days over my EDD.

I finally decided to just "trust God" with my 4th, and ended up over 3 weeks overdue (I am not joking). I finally gave in and took the castor oil. It worked right away. I have tried other herbs, and everything else you can think of - walking, stairclimbing, sex - nothing works for me.

I have had the standard castor oil in orange juice way too many times that I really cannot drink OJ anymore. It is nasty. My SIL told me she did it in a Wendy's Frosty. So I had my DH pick up 2 small size Frosty's, and when I was ready we dumped it in a softened frosty - mixed well, and slurped down with a straw - I am telling you NIGHT AND DAY - compared to OJ that I gagged through so many times. If I ever take castor oil again it will ONLY be in a Wendy's Frosty...with a straw, at the back of your throat, and as fast as you can! It was so tolerable!

Labor kicks in in just a few hours for me usually. With my first I had already lost my mucous plug (and IMO now, I shouldn't have even messed with the CO cuz my body was doing fine..) - and cxts started 5 minutes after I drank the stuff. Usually within 6 hours a good pattern will start though.

[robbins611]

Use of castor oil in pregnancies at term.

Garry D, Figueroa R, Guillaume J, Cucco V.

Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, NY, USA.

CONTEXT: Despite wide use of castor oil to initiate labor, the obstetric literature contains few references to this botanical laxative. Derived from the castor plant Ricinus communis, castor oil may possess properties that are useful in post-term pregnancies. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between the use of castor oil and the onset of labor. DESIGN: Prospective evaluation. SETTING: A community hospital in Brooklyn, NY. PATIENTS: A total of 103 singleton pregnancies with intact membranes at 40 to 42 weeks referred for antepartum testing. Inclusion criteria included cervical examination, Bishop score of 4 or less, and no evidence of regular uterine contractions. INTERVENTION: Patients were alternately assigned to 1 of 2 study groups: a single oral dose of castor oil (60 mL) or no treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Castor oil was considered successful if labor began within 24 hours after dosing. Groups were compared for onset of labor in 24 hours, method of delivery, presence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid, Apgar score, and birth weight. RESULTS: Fifty-two women received castor oil and 48 were assigned no treatment. Following administration of castor oil, 30 of 52 women (57.7%) began active labor compared to 2 of 48 (4.2%) receiving no treatment. When castor oil was successful, 83.3% (25/30) of the women delivered vaginally. CONCLUSIONS: Women who receive castor oil have an increased likelihood of initiation of labor within 24 hours compared to women who receive no treatment. Castor oil use in pregnancy is underreported worldwide. This small series represents the first attempt to evaluate the medication.
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60ml is 2 oz or 4 tbs....
I just tried it with a scoop of orange sherbert and milk to make it runny enough to drink and put in blender. I drank with a straw. It was the best recipe I've tried....I've worked in birth for a while and had sips of various concoctions LOL

The cockran review of all castor oil studies did not link castor oil use to meconium staining nor to uterine rupture. Trust your instincts first though

Much Love,
Gini

[nashvillemidwife]

I mixed it with orange juice and peach schnapps.

[nashvillemidwife]

Originally Posted by robbins611

The cockran review of all castor oil studies did not link castor oil use to meconium staining nor to uterine rupture.

I think the supposed link between castor oil and meconium is a faulty correlation. Castor oil inductions are most likely to be used for postdates, and postdates babies tend to have meconium so it's only logical that you would see them together.

Remember that we don't actually know how castor oil works, but generally it's different than pitocin in that it just starts your labor which then proceeds naturally, whereas contractions induced with pitocin tend to rely on the drug to keep them going.

[xelakann]

Originally Posted by nashvillemidwife

I mixed it with orange juice and peach schnapps.

Does the alcohol help relax you?? How much did you use. I am really starting to consider it, though I am worried about having the sh*ts.

Anyone try rubbing it on your belly like Susan Weed recommends? I did it last night and I did have contractions... but nothing that stuck.

[Marlet]

I've used it 2 times, though one wasn't the traditional way. First time around I drank the whole bottle (didn't think to look up amounts ). It was May so fresh berries were abundant. I made an ice cream smoothie using vanilla ice cream, milk, blueberies, and black/raspberries (can't remember which). I mixed that first and then added the co. I took my time and drank it, occasionally eating a bit of bread (the oil seperated due to the cold and it would coat my mouth it seemed) to help absorb any extra in my mouth. I think it took me an hour (I was terrified of drinking it ). I had contractions through the night (I did it right before bedtime) but none that made me think "labour"...I just noticed them when I got up to pee. I DID NOT have bowel issues. I officially went into labour around quitting time when we sent employees home. I do think the speed in which labour started (I don't get any warm ups/BH..I just start...hers was a slow start but once it decided to be real it went into high gear) gave her less time to turn and get in a good position. That's just my theory though.

With DD2 I considered it but took one whiff and couldn't. It reminds me Crayola crayons smell wise. I googled around and found a blip on Ronnie Falcao's site. I had never noticed it in over 2 years of reading through that page (see here). It's below a bigger chunk and is hard to find sometimes so here you go:

Try castor oil on the glove when you do a looooooong sloooooow cervical stretch. CO works only partly by causing intestinal cramps -- the other part of the effect is by stimulating prostaglandins. That's absorbed through mucus membranes -- including vaginal tissues.

I gave it a go (myself since I was UCing)...basically gave my cervix a good massage and stretched the opening. I was getting contractions before I could wipe off my hand to pull my pants up. : I really don't get any sort of BH/twinges/cramps etc. until labour so that was significant to me. I went to bed with contractio0ns and woke up with them. Again, a slow start (and I don't really count them because they aren't patterned) but once I woke up for the day I was *in* labour. That birth was smooth sailing. I got the perks of it without any potential bowel issues. What more could a gal ask for. I don't know if it was that or the cervical playing though. I had had true bloody show and in theory you either start labour and/or birth within 48ish hours of that. I had posted whining about the lack of anything since the bloody show even.

If I had/have to do it again...I'd try version two first. Good luck!

[nashvillemidwife]

Originally Posted by xelakann

Does the alcohol help relax you?? How much did you use.

It probably did help relax me, though I did it mainly for the taste. I used the 45 proof so it wasn't really a lot of alcohol, I could probably have used peach syrup if I'd had any. I didn't really measure it the alcohol, just mixed it like I would a fuzzy navel then mixed in 2 oz castor oil.

I am really starting to consider it, though I am worried about having the sh*ts.

I was too, but not nearly as much as I was worried about a hospital induction. I chose the lesser of two "evils".