primrose oil capsules to induce!?

[MaMaWentz]

About 10 seconds ago i had my DH insert a primrose capsule into my cervix, or a least as far as it would go lol i am 38 weeks and 50% effeced my friends mother told me to try it, she was exactly where i was but a couple of days less. and it broguth on her labor. Has it worked for anyone else? and if so how did you know it worked?? and what did your contractions feel like??

EDIT: the capsule dissolved, but i leaked alot of it out!! what does that mean 

Edited by MaMaWentz - 4/17/12 at 9:52pm

[katelove]

When you say "into your cervix" you mean into your vagina behind your cervix don't you? You should definitely not be inserting anything into your cervix (and you won't be able to anyway if you havent started dilating).

EPO may "ripen" or soften the cervix. It won't actually cause you to go into labour itself but ripen the cervix may start labour if your body is ready. Is there a particular reason you're trying to induce at 38 weeks? That's still pretty early and you have plenty of time to go into labour naturally.

EPO can interfere with blood clotting so that is something to consider. I tried EPO with my last pregnancy. I used it twice a day for 3 days. When I had IVs and an epidural inserted I was unusually (for me) oozy around the insertion sites. I also had unusual amounts of ooze from my incisions, both abdominal and uterine, during surgery all of which I attribute to the EPO. It wasnt a huge issue but it's something to be aware of.

[Youngfrankenstein]

My midwife had me put in 6 capsules and hold them there with the Instead cup.  They are for ripening the cervix, not inducing.

[cryswilkins]

I have never heard of it inducing labor. I used it to to help ripen my cervix last time, starting at 36 weeks per my midwife. My previous pregnancy was overdue at 42 weeks and that pregnancy my water broke at 37 weeks and labor started. I plan to do EPO this time, but probably not until 37 or 38 weeks.
Edited by cryswilkins - 4/18/12 at 11:50am

[MaMaWentz]

should of been more clear, to soften my cervix and not in it but near it. lol im trying to induce because i am a very small person...and my husband is a big body builder. the doctor wants me to have her earlie for a safer delivery. when not pregnant i weigh 116, and im 4"11. my huband is 5"10 and about 225... see the difference lol

[finnegansmom]

I've used EPO capsules to help ripen the cervix.  It won't put you into labor.  It will help get your body for labor, like drinking RRL tea and sitting on the yoga ball, having intercourse, all those things.  The only thing that worked for me, as someone who has never had a baby before 40 weeks, is the baby being ready to come out. 

Also Kate I hadn't heard about EPO affecting blood clotting before, interesting. 

[AmandaMamma]

My midwife has suggested for me to start taking it orally at 35 weeks. My first pregnancy my water broke at 41 weeks and I didn't go into labor for a looooong time... Had a hard very unripe cervix. So if this helps a little I'm all for it.

[MaMaWentz]

raspberry leaf tea is also good for your uterus!! it helps prepare you for labor i drink it everyday, but be careful it puts some women into labor if their almost 100% effeced of dilated!  either way its good for your body 

[zoe77]

I just wanted to comment on the size difference between you and your husband.  That is meaningless.  Your body will build a baby to fit YOUR body regardless of your husbands size.  I am 5'6'' and my husband is 6'5''.  That means the difference in size between mom and dad is the same for you and I.  I was perfectly capable of birthing my son vaginally and drug free 3.5 years ago.  Do not let your OB use scare tactics to get you to induce early.  Babies are born when they are ready.  Good luck and happy birthing!!

[littlest birds]

I would be scared of the doctor who wants you to have an early baby.  It's less safe, not more so, to try to get baby moving before it's ready.  You husband is rather average in height and would have little effect if any.  His weight makes no difference at all and the body building certainly doesn't have any relation to baby size.  You are pretty small but there is no particular reason to expect genetic size of the baby to be a problem.  I would be very nervous of any doctor who played the "baby size" card and also wanted to purposely push a birth to happen before he went out of town.  Bad combination IME. 

So many high-intervention births start out with a doctor deciding baby is too big.  Now no one says you have to try to avoid the high-intervention birth if you don't want to, but if you do--they tend to start with something small and end in C-sections a lot more often than they need to.  If you are hoping to avoid that, I'd back off and cross my fingers that baby comes after 41 weeks instead, when you doctor will presumably be back from his vacation.  41 weeks is a nice, healthy time to give birth.  It's a very normal length of pregnancy and results in healthy, normal-sized babies.  I have heard of so, so many babies who were induced early for size being a full pound smaller than predicted, often below 7 lbs when predicted to be over 8 lbs.  Usually, they aren't quite ready to be born, though I've noticed doctors don't really mind that much since they have the NICU available anyway but as a mom I sure as heck do.  

I expect that your baby is likely to on the small side when born when she is fully ready, since you are.  I understand why it would see scary, but small mamas usually have smaller babies and "too big" is really, really rare even for them.   

[phathui5]

What we've recommended to moms who want to use EPO is to take it orally, one in the morning and one at night for a week and if they're really trying to bring on labor, the next week you increase it to two in the morning and two at night.

[kawa kamuri]

it does zero for me. i go well into 41w no matter what i do.