5W Formula/Dr. Christopher's Birth Prep/ Gentle Birth Formula???

[InfoThirsty]

Hi Ladies,

Have any of you used one of these formulas? My first labor was 56 hours, and I do not want this labor to be long and drawn out again. I am going for a vbac, and having a shorter labor will help me reach my goals (without starting to have my care providers feel I need to transfer because labor has gotten very long, etc).  I also have hormonal diagnosed hormonal deficiencies, so herbal hormones might help my body adjust better to labor. I am eating healthy, going to a webster certified chiropractor, walking constantly, and doing hypnobabies, etc....all that can be done to have a better result this time. 

Whether or not you used these herbs for a vbac (but please tell me if you did!), can you give me feedback on how well these herbs worked - or even didn't work - for you? I am trying to decide which will be a good fit for me, so any feedback would be helpful. If you could tell me the length of your labor while on any of these herbs, and whether you felt it eased delivery for you, it would be really helpful. 

[mLeroux]

Hi,


I used Dr. Christopher's blend 10 yrs ago with my 3rd PG after having long labors withy first and second. The good news is that my labor was 3 hrs from start to finish. Bad news is that when I tried it again 2 yrs later my labor was again long. It wouldn't hurt to try. Wish you the best.
Edited by mLeroux - 10/15/12 at 5:34pm

[Le24]

I have used the 5W formula and the Gentle BIrth Formula.  I had a much easier birth with using the Gentle Birth Formula.  From the tiem I "knew" I was in labor to birth was less than 45 minutes, and I was never even in that much pain.  In fact, I was literally suprised when my son was born because it seemed so easy!  I also believe the fact that it is a tincture vs dry herb makes it more effective and easily assimilated.  I would HIGHLY reccomend it.

[cocobean]

Where did you buy yours? I can't seem to find either one anywhere?

[babycatcher12]

Here is the gentle birth formula I used. 

http://www.mountainmeadowherbs.com/Gentle_Birth_p/g1030.htm

[InfoThirsty]

Wow! It is great to see a comparision of 5W and Gentle birth :). I would LOVE to only know I was in labor for 45 minutes lol! I also hadn't thought about the idea that tinctures might be better assimilated than dry herbs. Is the alcohol content in a tincture anything to be worried about in pregnancy, or no?  And those who took Gentle birth - did you take the one that had blue cohash or did you take one that didnt have blue cohash?

Would love to hear more thoughts, and I'm thankful to everyone who has replied so far (I've been sick for a bit, which is why I'm only now replying to all these messages!)

[josie423]

I used GBF with my first, nothing with my second, and Dr. Christopher's with my last two. My hardest labor was my second, my easiest were my last two (with my fourth being the easiest). I think the herbs definitely played a part! My first three labors were 12 hours and my fourth was 8. I started seeing a chiropractor at the beginning of my fourth pregnancy and I think that also helped greatly.

[Thyme Mama]

I have had 3 homebirths, and each of them have been about the same 6-8 hours of active labor and 20 minutes of pushing. I drank pregnancy tea, but took no herbal formulas. I have tons of frequent and long Braxton-Hicks during all my pregnancies and very, very long, heavy postpartum bleeding. Also, I chart my cycles and all my children have been born 1-3 days after their due date, which has always been based on my ovulation date.

This, my fourth baby, I started taking Polly Jean's formula at 35 weeks (10 days ago), and I've noticed one interesting thing so far: BH stay away as long as I take the formula at regular intervals. If I am a few hours late taking my dose, I start having lots of BH's.

I am super curious to see what labor, birth and the postpartum is like this time! I will be sure to update as things progress, and deifnitely after the birth.
 

[mwherbs]

If the formula has lobelia in it I dont recommend it, and blue cohosh as well. Acceptable levels for mom constitue an over dose of lobelia for a baby, and i have seen some breathing and seizure problems from moms using the lobelia specifically...
Blue cohosh is a different issue and if taken in a blend as a tea probsbly ok but as a cpasule it is an overdose

]

[InfoThirsty]

I didn't know lobela could do that! Thanks for the warning - it is in one of the formulas I listed, so it's at least good to know the effects others have seen. I know there's some blue cohash in Gentle Birth, but you've pointed out that the capsules are a problem. My understanding, though, is that Gentle birth is a tincture, so I guess it will be okay. If using that, I was only planning to use it as prescribed on the tincture - I am not planning to use any cohashes to induce labor; I seriously just want to prepare my body for labor so I can avoid another 56 hour long labor! It's such a quandry, but I'm so glad people are posting their experiences - this is tremendously helpful to me.

[InfoThirsty]

@tyme mama: it's weird that the polly jeans should seem to slow down your braxton hicks? I thought the whole point of the herbal preps was to bring on more braxton hicks and prepare and tone the uterus for labor, leading to more dilation and effacement? So it's weird to hear that it's actually stopping the BH in your case.....

I'm definitely looking forward to hearing an update about how they worked for your birth!  Good luck :)

[eggsandpancakes]

I know this is not what you asked, but you should also check out spinningbabies.org. Having baby in a good position when labor starts should make things easier.

[JamieCatheryn]

My midwife is going to insist I take something like this, she's one of those who has all her clients take it an attributes good labors to it. I'm not so sure most of us should have it as a matter of course - not anything stronger than RRL and EPO. I am glad to see the Gentle Birth comes in blue cohosh free also. I wonder if the standard dose with false unicorn is still gentle enough not to act as an induction agent at all. Also my uterus tends to be too strong when it comes to second stage, pushing faster than the tissues can move aside, I'd hate to add more toning to it.

[InfoThirsty]

@eggsandpancakes: thanks so much for the spinningbabies tip! I am doing some of those exercises now to see if they help me get baby into a better position for birth. Anything to have a more standard delivery this time :)

@JamieCatheryn: I hear what you're saying about not everyone needing to take these herbs as a matter of course. I think that because I have diagnosed hormonal deficiencies, though, I'm actually taking these herbs to gently assist my body in doing labor and birth in a more normal fashion. I would love to walk into L&D without doing anything...but I really want a vbac this time!  Hoping these herbs will gently assist my body in the process.