herbal induction?

[naturegirl7]

what are your opinions on herbal inductions (RRL and blue/black cohoshes)?

do you find that herbal inductions cause many of the same issues as artificial inductions - like painful Pitocin-like labors?


just wondering cuz I used the teas with DS, and while the majority of labor was great, after getting to the hospital, getting AROM, transition kicked in, and my labor was more like what a pit induced labor is described as than the natural labor I was expecting....Wondering if the tea or the AROM had any effect on it....

[sevenkids]

I think herbal inductions don't do a dang thing. In other words, herbs won't induce, they can only augment, so if things aren't happening anyway, they won't work at all.
I won't give herbs (I'm not a fan of herbs anyway, I prefer homeopathics) or homeopathics (or castor oil, for that matter) unless mom is dilated at least to 4 and effaced at least 60-70%. They don't work, cause discomfort and anxiety, and wear a mama out. Even with ruptured membranes, if the cervix isn't dilated and effaced, nothing will work but time (and maybe pitocin, but we won't go there).

Since your labour ws lovely until you got to the hospital, I'm inclined to think being at the hospital and all the stuff that goes along with it is what caused your increased discomfort.

[bryonyvaughn]

Originally Posted by naturegirl7

what are your opinions on herbal inductions (RRL and blue/black cohoshes)?

I've always been taught RRL was a uterine tonic and not able to induce labor... though I've heard of many antsy mommas taking it with ritualistic fervor as their due date approaches in hopes of a quick, healthy, and painless end to their pregnancies.

The cohoshes I consider in an entirely different category. I've seen them induce labor that clearly wasn't a natural labor. Like with Pit turned off I've witnessed such labors peter out as the herbs wear off only leading from induction to augmentation. I myself have had *extreme* vomiting from the cohoshes and seen it happen to others leading to dehydration, crashing sugar levels, exhaustion and a cascade of further interventions. Like with Pitocin, Cytotec, and castor oil, I've known many mothers to try it once and swear it off as "Never again!"

I've heard of some moms from MDC who were unresponsive to the cohoshes but never met any IRL. I'm sure individual sensitivity to the cohoshes vary *but* given the U-curve nature of the cohosh anecdotes, I'm suspicious about how little of the difference is due to individual sensitivity and how much is due to herbal preparation and length/nature of it's storage. Due to the way I've seen it work in my life and in my friends' lives, I am very wary around the cohoshes and would strongly urge anyone consider using them to have monitoring they'd consider suitable for Pitocin and pharmaceutical prostaglandin induction.

BV, at those too scared to UC who induce with nary a thought

[mwherbs]

I don't find that the herbs have the same level of pain you get with pit- pit has a long half life longer than endogenous pituitary hormones- since they are not producing an actual hormone but triggering release of our own hormones or nourishing the body with raw materials that can be used to produce hormones- very different effects.
of the choices I prefer castor oil for induction because it has been used for a very very long time, it has been studied and still found to be effective- and can be used and increase a mom's chances of having success with medical inductions---
to account for your labor picking up and being more intense- hard to say- could be AROM changed sensations for you, there is a slight increase in contractions after AROM for about 1/2 hr after it is done and that might have been just at the same time that your labor was going to change/transition into pushing contractions and yes maybe the herbs you drank had an effect or not- but what you experienced may have been similar even without anything added-- I had our second baby in 1 hour -no herbs no AROM no drugs and it would probably out do what I have seen some women experience on pit- opening that fast and the baby descending that quickly it was all I could do to just hang on for the ride...

take care