This could be a dangerous question ~~

[cathynmatt]

but I was wondering what everyone's feelings were on natural inductions. Castor oil, Black/blue Cohosh, etc., etc.

Just being curious ~~

Since I'm new I don't know if this is even needed but I would feel better getting it out there ~~ Let's keep it very respectful of everyone's choices!

[Persephone]

I think that the babe will come when he's good and ready. No need for things like that. But... ask me again in 10 weeks!

Actually, I remember watching something on Disc. about how the baby actually DOES send out a chemical signal to start labor, so the babe actually is the one deciding when to be born.

Castor oil is VILE stuff, and I wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pole, even if I did decide to induce!

[Greenie]

I don't know anything about this either. I'll be waiting for more info too! :

[Hollin]

I don't think I'd ever do the castor oil or blue/black cohosh. If I go overdue I'll probably give the long walks and sex and other stuff that's supposed to work a go.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I am against induction 99% of the time that being said there are definatly medical reasons to induce. For me with my dd I went over 5 days from my edd by ovulation date. But i refused induction and would have continued to do so as long as I was sure that baby was ok in there. With ds I had to have my water broke to induce labor at 39 weeks because of pre eclampsia. I did do the blue/black cohash. Along with most of the other forms of natural induction. ie. sex, walking, nipple stimulation. None of it worked. I wanted to avoid a medical induction at all cost. But getting my water broke wasnt bad at all altho had I had a choice i would have carried ds till he came on his own. With pre e tho it was just to dangerous. The midwife broke my water at 930am and me and dh left and went to the mall to walk and stuff. I started to have ctx. about 2 1/2 hours later. And had ds totaly without meds or a iv there at the birth center.

[scatterbrainedmom]

Originally Posted by Persephone

I think that the babe will come when he's good and ready. No need for things like that. But... ask me again in 10 weeks!

Actually, I remember watching something on Disc. about how the baby actually DOES send out a chemical signal to start labor, so the babe actually is the one deciding when to be born.

Castor oil is VILE stuff, and I wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pole, even if I did decide to induce!

you can do all you want. that babe won't come till he/she is ready

[burke-a-bee]

I used castor oil with my Ds3 birth. It really wasn't that bad. I was 5 cm for over a week without a single contraction and was a week over due. I had tried sex, walking,etc. All the things that are suppose to jump start labor. I took castor oil at about 7 pm, went into labor at 11:30 and had my baby at 12:05. My mother and both my grandmothers took castor oil for their labors. Not sure why it is so frowned upon.

[beansavi]

My ds1 was born at 43 weeks as the result of prostaglandin gel and breaking my water by the midwife. Before that, my cervix wasn't even thinning! He was born naturally 10 hours later, yet looked 3 months old at 10 lbs, 6 oz! ...Fully alert, and quite a voracious and efficient five minute nurser.

I cannot imagine what would have happened if we had waited any longer or why both of us did not seem to be anywhere near labor on our own.

I am glad for the intervention in that particular case.

With my second, dd, I went into labor on my own at 41 weeks, my water breaking after sex and spicy Mexican food (not in that order)!

Hopefully number three will come on his own even earlier...

[MamaTaraX]

I'mnot a huge fan of ANY induction. Babies come when they are ready. They know, your body knows. No induction will work unlessyour body is ready anyway.

Sex,nipple stim, walking...those are okay with me, things like that. I can tell you from being in labor for 12 days and having tried everything short of chemicals and herbs that truly, NOTHING will work until you are ready. The first three days it was funny. By day five I wasn't laughing anymore and I tries all kinds of things: sex, self-induced orgasm, nipple stim, walking, bumpy car rides, hot food, you name it, I tried it. You won't catch me near any kinds of herbs and oils and stuff though.

Of those things, I'm most okay with EPO. Castor oil isn't such a bad thing, just remember that the point of it is to induce diarrhea, so you might wellbe in labor with a bad case of the runs Of the cohoshes, blue is better than black. Black cohosh is strong nasty stuff. I know of some other herbs and stuff but those are the common things. If I *had* to induce for some reason,I'd probably ripen with EPO and go the castor oil route, as unappealing as the squirts are to me and all. I'd throw in nipple stim and orgasms of course. Walking isn't terribly reliable, btw, especially if you are already an active person. I'm much more likely to just talkto my baby and my body and see what I can do from that level. I have strong belief in the power of the mind. I'd probably never take a cohosh unless someone was waving chemical induction in front of my face. The main plus to non-chemical induction is that it's basically a one-time shot. You take your cohosh and then you're done with it. With something like Pit, it's a constant. Of the non-natural inductions, I'm a fan of overnight Cervadil insertion, followed by insertion until good dilation andlabor is achieved, Pit. as a last resort, never AROM for induction.

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (7), Butterfly (2), and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Originally Posted by burke-a-bee

IMy mother and both my grandmothers took castor oil for their labors. Not sure why it is so frowned upon.

The reason some frown on castor oil is because it can cause ctx that do not stop. Putting the baby into distress. In all fairness tho most things to induce labor including pitocin and the prostoglandulan gels can do the samething. Nipple stimulation can also cause this.

[Mackenzie]

Knowing what I know now, I don't think that I will do anything (unless necessary) to induce future kiddos. With ds2, I tried castor oil, sex, ns, walking (in the ice and snow at that) and anything else we could think of. None of it worked. Now, I think that it is best left to baby

[Shiloh]

lol I tried EVERYTHING, I drank so much prune juice at one time (2 litres) that when I told my OB he said that would make him go into labour

nothing worked.
I tried it all.
Baby came out when he was ready and MIL went home

good luck.

[Nature]

I've never tried anything that I had to ingest or put inside myself. Gone for walks, bumpy roads , spicy foods... done it all and it didn't do squat. I found that having a lot of passionate sex does the trick if you're baby is ready though. My husband is proud to tell people that our last child was "induced" by him. got the contractions after orgasm, and they never went away. I had her later that afternoon.

Had pitocin for my first labor, and I will never allow it again. It was bad. Horribly bad.

[cathynmatt]

Not saying I'll be doing anything ~ just curious to what others feel. I know it can be very divided.

I had to be induced with Cytotec with DD #1 b/c my water broke but nothing else happened. I don't want that scenerio again b/c I hated waiting in the hosptial for ctx to start (plus being strapped on that darn monitor for two hours after each insertion)

But I don't know if natural inductions would work at that point either.

Just thinking out loud I guess!

[Wugmama]

I don't know much about those, so don't have any strong opinions. I do know though that I will do whatever my midwives recommend in that area. If I'm almost to 42 weeks and she recommends something like that I would hop on it in a minute. I am having a homebirth, and if I go too far over 42 weeks probably have to deliver in the hospital. Really don't want to do that again. I trust my midwives' judgement.

I won't be trying to evict the baby at 37 weeks or anything like that though! I can't imagine my midwives ever recommending something like that at that time.

~Tracy

[ScotiaSky]

I've did it all to avoid a hospital induction starting at 41 weeks(very sure of my dates).Its not something I would do just to get it over with, because I am tired of being pregnant or because a date looks good to me.I did it to try and avoid a hospital birth.

If I can recall I did spicy food, sex, walking and doing stairs, a glass of wine,EPO, aquapunture, homeopathic's and castor oil.

Certain ones like castor oil and black/blue cohash I did only under the advisement and supervision of my midwife.
BTW Castor oil did nothing for me and didn't even upset my stomach...

It was all in vain and I ended up with a hospital induction with the works after my water broke and we waited the allowed 24 hours for contractions to start, that never did.
I really wish something had worked because as much as I believe that the baby will come when its ready..the law in my province does not agree.

At the time of my DS's birth I had up to 42 weeks to give birth and still be allowed to birth with my midwives at the Birth House after that I had to be transfered to the hospital's so-called care.
Now just 20 months later they have changed it to allow up to 42 and a half weeks with consultation with Doctor and after 24 hours of water being broken as long as there is no signs of problems and a Antibiotic started after 18 hours the Mother does not need to be transfered like I was.

I did it because I was under immense pressure as my 41 week NST red flagged me as having a very large baby and at risk for SD. The hospital recommeded a c-section without even trying labour Thankfully I did my research and declined but this being in my file put a lot of pressure on me.

Hoping this time around that I won't have to resort to any of these tactic's to start labour...my problem this time around seems to be a breech baby...so send turn baby turn vibes my way as yup you guessed it midwives are not allowed to deliver breech and to be allowed to attempt a vaginial birth in the hospital is a lot of work.

[anarchamama]

I tried everything with ds except castor oil........at 41 weeks i tried cohosh and nothing happened. I want to believe i learned my lesson that babies come when they are good and ready, but ask me again at 41 weeks I suspect the nursing toddler is what will kick it off this time, as his nursing gives me prety strong contractions.........

Dh says he will know its time when my crying jags get up to twice a day.......

Heather