EPO dosing?

[RNapmomma]

Can someone please tell me how much to take and when and how (oral vs vaginal).

Thanks

[mamabeca]

to initiate labor???

[RNapmomma]

No

To ready and soften the cervix in preparation for labor.

[Human_Being]

Evening Primrose Oil

Aviva Romm, midwife and Herbalist, says in "the Natural Pregnancy book" --That for late pregnancy, you can take 500mg daily for last four weeks. Do not take more unless cervix is "unripe" at due date, in which case you can double your dose.

In my practice, I don't have anyone do anything like that unless they went way overdue before, or are first timers that are totally unripe at their due date. Nature knows what it's doing, I personally don't feel the need to mess with a process that works well on it's own. EPO is pretty gentle and harmless though. It will give you prostaglandins that are the building blocks for the hormones in labor, but won't kick you into labor.

Aviva's notes on the topic in her book, which address EPO and more complex "partus preparators" are along the same line of thinking as me, she addresses herbal remedies that can be taken before labor, but says eloquently, "the use of herbs to prepare the body for labor begs the question of why one would use an herbal preparation to prepare the body for something it naturally knows how to do".

Whatever you decide to do, remember to talk to your care giver about it so they know where your mind is about it as well as what you are doing on a physical level....

Heidi

[Jenelle]

In my copy of Aviva Romm's book she also recommends the use of EPO orally as a great source of EFA's, which she says "are critical and overlooked nutrients needed for optimal brain development in the fetus".

In the general "Nutriton During Pregnancy" section she recommends taking EPO with a high-quality fish oil supplement "in order to get a balance of both omega-3 and omega-6 fattty acids", but she doesn't mention dosing.

In the section about high blood pressure, she says that "Insufficient intake of EFAs in the diet is also associated with hypertension" and she says you can take two 500mg capsules of EPO daily.

For "Itchiness and Skin Troubles" she says "Supplement with 1500mg of EPO daily and, in addition, a high-quality fish oil supplement according to dosage recommendations on the package."

And finally, for varicose veins she says you may want to take 500mg of EPO once a day.

EPO is not going to make you go into labor - I was taking it in my 2nd trimester just for the EFA benefit and because it was supposed to help with my pubic symphysis pain. And it certainly can't hurt to try, because it has other health benefits!

[mamabeca]

Ok, asked my mw (which Heidi is, btw) about epo. 1 cap 3x/day orally and two vaginally at night. She warns to be prepared because the caps melt and get gooey and can leak during the nighttime. Also warns that going to pee will probably end the session, and who isn't peeing twice at night by now!? She did NOT rec. re-inserting new caps when the first ones ooze out. LOL!! Andy