5-w?

[snuffles]

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I can't search. Does anybody have any experiences/thoughts on 5-W by Nature's Sunshine? My midwife wants me to start taking this at 36 weeks. I am a little skeptical after reading about it online and wanted to get your thoughts.

[HomeBirthMommy]

I took it during my last pregnancy starting at 35 weeks. My baby was born at 41w 1d. Labor was about 6 hours (compared to 18 with my first) and was tolerable. I had very little pp bleeding. I plan on taking it againg with this pregnancy, starting in just 3 (!) weeks.
I took it on the advice of a friend who swears by it.

[mamaheart]

Made absolutely no difference in the pregnancy I tried it (used it from 36 weeks until delivery). I went 23 days overdue with that baby. And had, if anything, a longer labor than the baby before her.

I've always taken RRL infusions in all but the first of my previous 7 full-term pgs, and took PN6 with one pg. None of these have affected the length of pg, nor have I had nice efficient labors with a "toned" uterus as advertised!

But we'll see with this one. For the first time, I'm not taking RRL infusions, and I'm also not taking anything herbal or such trying to "have the baby on time" or anything like this. For once, I'm just realizing that my babies don't come at 40 weeks and I'm not going to jump through a ton of hoops trying this, that, and the other thing.

This is immensely disappointing to dh, who DID so enjoy those multiple desperate attempts at . . . errrr, shall we say "direct cervical application of prostaglandins"

Kim, mama to 7, new baby boy due July 10th

[JENinOR]

I tried a similiar product with this pregnancy that resulted (about an hour after taking the tincture, on two seperate occasions spaced a day apart) in painful braxton hicks, a couple I actually had to breathe through. I RARELY have braxton hicks I can feel throughout my pregnancy's. I felt uncomfortable continuing the tincture as I have been early so far with my boys and didn't want to go any earlier or have painful braxton hicks the remaining 3 weeks. The product I tried was Labor Prep from Trilight Herbs. I defintely did something that's for sure, but I may just be very sensitive to these herbs?

[mamaheart]

Originally Posted by mommyjenn

I tried a similiar product with this pregnancy that resulted (about an hour after taking the tincture, on two seperate occasions spaced a day apart) in painful braxton hicks, a couple I actually had to breathe through. I RARELY have braxton hicks I can feel throughout my pregnancy's. I felt uncomfortable continuing the tincture as I have been early so far with my boys and didn't want to go any earlier or have painful braxton hicks the remaining 3 weeks. The product I tried was Labor Prep from Trilight Herbs. I defintely did something that's for sure, but I may just be very sensitive to these herbs?

Well, now that you say that . . . that's interesting. I did have weeks and weeks of painful Braxton Hicks with the births I used the PN6 and 5W with . . . just didn't do anything, kind of had tetchy labor that went away around 3 am every single night for a couple of weeks, and I'm not having that this time around. Doh, I just was thinking "gee this pg is different", LOL!!! Even though at this point in those pgs (I'm 40+ wks now) I was having prodromal labor every night for weeks.

Kim, mama to 7, due with new baby boy July 10th

[snuffles]

Thanks for the replies.. has anybody else used this? I am supposed to start taking this in a few days, but I am not sure I am comfortable with it yet. I haven't been having many BH at all and it would be nice for my body to start preparing.

[aguacates]

I used it with my last baby on the advice of my aunt who is a cnm and swears by it. I did have lots of prodromal stuff prior to going into real labor , but I went into labor within two days of finishing the bottle. My active labor was an hour long, I didn't push, my body pushed involuntarily, and dd arrived ten minutes before the midwives. But I had way less bleeding, and just an easier pp period in general, despite having two kids, and a freight train labor. Sooo.....I'm not sure if I can chalk it all up to 5-W, but I would probably take it again. HTH, you can pm me if you have more questions.

Abby

[Butter]

I took it with this baby. Made no difference. Labor was 8 hours longer than my labor with my second baby and I gestated this one exactly one week longer than either of the other two (he was 10 days late). I don't think I'll bother next time.