5W? has anyone taken it? what were the results?

[quiverfulmom]

This is my fourth baby-- third homebirth. All of my births have been wonderful and I haven't really done anything ahead of time (did take evening primrose oil orally with dd#1, but that's the extent of it). I had heard some good things about 5W so I thought I'd take that this time to see if it does anything.

I went to order another bottle and in my search for a site that sells it I found some conflicting information about it. Some people love it, some people hate it, it seems.

I'm very non-intervention when it comes to birth. I'm only wanting this to tone my uterus not to make my baby come earlier or anything like that.

So does anyone have any stories--positive or negative--about 5W?

TIA!

[SaraC]

I took it with my first DD and I really don't think it did anything. My MW swore by it and recommened it to all her moms. I went two weeks overdue with her. My second DD I didn't do anything at all as far as taking supplements and I went 12 days late.

I don't think it will hurt you but I found that it didn't really help me at all. Also, it made my pee smell like grass. YUCK!!

[momto l&a]

5W

[Ravenmoon]

I took something similar but it has now been taken off the market.It was with my second pregnancy and it made me have really heavy and painful braxton hicks for the last few weeks but i had a great labor.With my third kid i did not use it and i had some braxton hicks but not like with my second but i never went into labor and had to induce with castor oil.I plan to get pregnant again sometime soon and i will take it again.I would recommend Red Raspberry leaf(capsules or tea) for toning your uterus,Squaw Vine,Ladys Mantle at the very end and Evening PRimrose Oil.

[pamamidwife]

Originally Posted by Ravenmoon

I took something similar but it has now been taken off the market..

I wonder if what you're talking about was Nature's Way PN6 formula. It's still being sold, just at the website of the person that created the formula, Dr. Christopher.

I would tend to think that using something like red raspberry leaf during pregnancy is one thing - that you are supporting your body through the benefits of the herb and the nutritional beneifits (calcium, etc.). However, to assume that our bodies won't go into labor without the help of some prenatal aid or we won't have a long labor if we take something is quite different.

I love herbs and supplements. However, our bodies are not broken. Labor will start when it's supposed to and last as long as it needs to. Your body and your baby already know how to do this.

Some midwives say that they recommend it to all clients because it helps create shorter labors. Well, in a midwife's eye, that's pretty convenient. Maybe for some women, too. I just question where we are in our mind about trusting labor and trusting our bodies we start recommending this type of formula to every woman.

[quiverfulmom]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

However, to assume that our bodies won't go into labor without the help of some prenatal aid or we won't have a long labor if we take something is quite different.

I love herbs and supplements. However, our bodies are not broken. Labor will start when it's supposed to and last as long as it needs to. Your body and your baby already know how to do this.

See, that's what I'm thinking. Maybe I'll just skip the 5W and choke down RRL tea (I HATE any kind of tea). My babies have come at 8, 11 and 18 days past their due date (I hope it's not a pattern of longer, and longer pregnancies, lol). I switched midwives at 42 weeks 2 days last time around because I was firmly against induction of any way, shape or form. If this is going to be some type of slow induction than I want no part of it.

Thanks so much for the replies, and if anyone else has anything else to add I'd love to hear your experience!

[momto l&a]

Originally Posted by quiverfulmom

Maybe I'll just skip the 5W and choke down RRL tea (I HATE any kind of tea).

There are capsules of RRL. I took them with my first as I think the tea tastes like :Puke.

[MistyD]

Pam, I totally you and agree with everything you wrote.

I question the safety of so many BH that 5W causes. How does that feel to the baby? Nope, that's just not for me. I feel more comfortable with making sure I eat healthy and exercise, etc.

[Ravenmoon]

Yup it was the PN6.My midwife told me to take it.With my third kiddo my midwife didn't recommend anything.But when i reached 43 weeks and my placenta wasn't providing properly and i was losing my amniotic fluid i chose to take the castor oil.I know i can go into labor naturally.I did with my first and it was a 4 hour labor and a homebirth.i did not use the PN6 with that birth.I took it with my midwifes recommendation with the second and althought the braxton hicks were bad they also had started at 30 weeks, long before i began the PN6.They increased near the end which could've been a result of taking it or not.With my third my BH's started at 25 weeks.But i still went to 43 weeks.Now as to whether the baby likes the contrax or not,i don't know.But i couldn't have prevented them either way.

[sarahwebb]

Hmmm, how can one really know whether or not it helps?? My midwife recommended 5W and evening primrose oil for my first and again for my second. My friend who has lots of herbal knowledge and experience recommended pregnancy tea as well. My first labor was 29 1/2 hours and very difficult--cervical lip and ds had his hand by his cheek with his head unflexed...

I joked about how either the tea and supplements didn't work at all or maybe they worked great and I'd still be in labor if I hadn't taken them... I'll never know, but I'm pretty sure they didn't hurt--ds was born a strong, healthy 10 pounds 2 ounces nine days late. So I'm hedging my bets and taking them all again...

Virtually no braxton hicks contractions with either pregnancy. I'm a week from my due date this time and hoping not to be late again :-)

Best,
Sarah

[Michelle Leigh]

I highly recommend taking it if you want to.

I certainly don't think it made my baby come earlier than she wanted to. She was a healthy 8 lbs. 8 oz. just 3 days short of 40 weeks.

I do think it assisted my body in slowly progressing (thinning & opening) without pain.

Here's what happened with Pregnancy 1:

I was in a health food store & the lady working there told me that I'd want to get it.

In another town, some weeks later, an Amish lady, who was shopping there, said that she highly recommended that I take something at the end of my pregnancy. She took me over to the shelf & showed me. The other Amish women with her concurred. I thought, "They must know." I wanted to give this a shot.

I bought some & took it.
I had a great 3 1/2 hour labor & delivery (drug free) @ 39 wks. 4 days.

I do feel that it was helpful for my cervix dilating pretty far without any pain.
I had dilated to 4 cm at 39 wks. 2 days with no pain.

I will take it with this pregnancy (due July 21st) if I feel to at the time. I'm at 28 wks, so I still have a few weeks before time to take it.

(With this pregnancy, I've barely taken my prenatal, as I haven't felt to. And I'm drinking red raspberry leaf tea & Yogi Tea Pregnancy Tea & Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea when I feel like it.)

Let your conscience be your guide.
You'll naturally be drawn to what is right for you & your baby & your pregnancy.

Best wishes!!

[ksjhwkr]

When do you start taking this? I've never heard of it, can you tell me more about it? I will definately ask my midwife about it at my appt. next week. Thank you!

[quiverfulmom]

You're supposed to take it starting at 35 weeks. The 5W stands for the last five weeks of pregnancy.

[ksjhwkr]

Oh, I get it now! What is it supposed to do? Just tone your uterus and get your body ready for labor?? I am very curious about this.

[Aorere]

Pamamidwife, thanks for your comment

I agree with what Pamamidwife said. We are constantly given ther message thet labour and birth are abnormal, and so it is medicalised. We can also fall into the the same trap with natural remedies.
Who knows whether 5W works? I have used it in both my pregnancies as per bottle, and have had longer and harder braxton hicks around that time until birth. Did it make my uterus more efficient? possibly..I'll never know. I used it because the information I found reassured me that it would do no harm, and that historically these herbs have been used for centuries.
I do believe that our modern diet is relativly devoid of herbs, and wholefoods, no matter how well we manage it, and we are possibly deficient in some of the micronutrients our bodies need in pregnancy.

[mLeroux]

I used Pre-natal Tea

IT is similar to 5W it used to be called PN-6 I am expecting my 4th as well in July. I have had all my babies at home as I will this one,God willing. With my last pg I took the herbal capsules starting at 34 weeks (one a day for a week then two the next week and so on). I decided on it because my labors although uneventful were always long and drawn out. So am happy to say that my last labor was only about 6 hours. I would not go with out it. I also delivered one day before my EDD which was nice but I was more worried about the length of labor than what day I would have the baby.

HTH
Michelle edd 7/7

[Michelle Leigh]

I'm taking it again during this pregnancy

I guess I must have taken PN-6 with dd #1 because I did the build up thing, too (1 then 2 per day, etc.)

I just felt to start taking 5W at 36 1/2 weeks. I was checked at 36 weeks and was 1 cm dilated & 60% effaced, so my body's been doing it's own work prior to taking this.

I have a good feeling about it.

I agree that natural remedies, herbs, etc. can be overutilized, too, so I feel that you must follow your heart.

My heart is saying, "Yes." So, I'll be taking 5W before I go to sleep tonight.

My directions say, "Take 2 capsules 3 times per day with meals." That is 6 per day for the last 5 weeks of pregnancy. But, once again, I feel that it's important to do what you feel is right for you.

[Michelle Leigh]

A whole year later...

7-21-2005
Hindsights's 20-20. If I could go back to last year, I'd seek out the PN-6 and take it last 6 weeks of my pregnancy. What I actually did was take 5W because it was available only an hour drive away. I didn't go back out to the place to get more, but I should have. If I had it to over again, I'd take the PN-6. I hope this is helpful information. I am just want to provide information regarding my thoughts and feelings and my experience. I don't want to persuade any one to do anything! Follow your heart!! Michelle

[Greensleeves]

Hi Michelle,
It was nice of you to come back and do another recommendation. If you have the time, can you talk about what was different about your experience with the 5W vs. the PN-6?

Thanks!

[amanda2b2]

where do you get it? Online or at a reg natural food store? If it si online could someone pm me a link?