castor oil

[mamawhitson]

ok i'm 34 and a half weeks pregnant and i had an ultra sound on Friday were the they told me my baby is growing at a faster rate at about 36 weeks at 6 and a half pounds they also tell me that my water is low and they want me to do a high risk ultra sound and redo the glucose test the doctor looked worried when she told me this and i.m afraid that the baby gets bigger he will suffocate or starve to death people keep telling me he is big enough to live out side of the whom so what should i do

[jeminijad]

Please don't do anything to evict the baby at 34.5 weeks pregnant. You know "term" is 37 weeks, and even that is too early for some babies.

Have you asked your doctor about when he/she thinks you should deliver? Here, most feel that the baby should decide their own birthday, but I'm sure we would all prefer the 38 weeks or so that an OB may suggest to 34!

Finally, castor oil is very unlikely to work this early. You will almost certainly spend hours with painful diarrhea and a burning backside, but no baby.

[2xy]

You should keep very well hydrated and try not to worry (I know, easy to say) until after you have your second ultrasound.

If it turns out that your baby will be better off outside the womb, inducing labor yourself seems unwise. A baby that early will need medical care in a hospital.

[Italiamom]

I would add that the use of castor oil can really deplete bodily fluids.  If you are truly experiencing a low level of amniotic fluid, dehydrating yourself by using castor oil would probably only make that worse...

Low amniotic fluid levels can be serious, but I'd agree with other mamas that taking castor oil is NOT a good solution to that issue.  If baby is truly in danger, this early along is where medical intervention is truly needed.