Castor Oil Stories

[~Kristina~]

I need to hear the good, bad, and the ugly. Thanks!

[pamamidwife]

About 50% of the women that take it in my practice have contx that turn into labor. One woman had horrific intestinal pain that lasted a full day and a half (more?) after taking it..it was the worst case I'd ever seen.

I think the hard thing about castor oil is that it starts contractions pretty sporadically, but it takes awhile to facilitate a regular pattern.

[momto l&a]

Have used it twice. The first time the first dose did nothing so I took a second dose. Six or so hours later I went into labor. An hour later dd was born. I had one bout of sitting on the toilet. So was so nice for the day after birth being cleaned out.

Second time I used it was just one dose and went into labor a few hours later. Once again it was fast and furious.

For me castor oil works very well and is easy on me and the baby.

[mimiharshe]

I want to know as well. I took it w/ds, but my labor was already happening and crazy! PP said it works well for her, but the problem is there's no telling and once you have taken it you can't go back.

[Martha_2sons]

I did castor oil with DS1 and it put me into active labor very quickly (after I totally/ uncomfortably emptied my bowels). With DS2 my H.B. midwife did not recommend it because it can also cause the baby to release his/her bowels before birth.

[loriforeman]

i've tried it twice...and both times, i crawled. thank god it didn't work, cause i was puking for hours...not to mention other things.

never, ever, ever, ever...i get a cold sweat just thinking about it.

[charmama]

My story: I took castor oil with dd2. I was 41 weeks 1 day. I had had a few bouts of contrax over the previous week. I did 2 doses, 2 hours apart. I know I was on the toilet a lot after dose #2, but nothing runny or painful. Contrax started an hour after the second dose. They were 2-3 min apart the first time I timed them. I had a few hours of moderate contrax, mostly continued on my day until dh got home from work. Then 2 or 3 hours (that sounds long, it wasn't) of intense labor and she was born, 7 hours after the castor-contrax started. No problems with labor or birth or anything, a wonderful birth in fact!

[DoomaYula]

I took it with dd. Gave me bad diahrrea and sporadic ctx. I went to the birth center but they tapered out after a couple hours. She was born 4 days later. No mec.

I've had a client who took it and it worked well for her, she went into labor about 6h later -- however the diahrrea was no fun. Also no mec.

I wouldn't do it again.

[~Kristina~]

Thanks ladies. I'm really nervous about taking it, so I think I'll just hold out. The whole meconium thing scares me and I don't want to sit on the pot for hours either! lol

[2bluefish]

I look it last time when I was having alot of prodrominal/early labor - had one nice comfortable bowel movement - no progress. I took the dose on the bottle for laxative use - maybe if I had used a bigger dose...

[pamamidwife]

Originally Posted by ~Kristina~

Thanks ladies. I'm really nervous about taking it, so I think I'll just hold out. The whole meconium thing scares me and I don't want to sit on the pot for hours either! lol

Well the meconium thing isn't related, IMO. It hasn't been shown that castor oil causes meconium release. What is true is that most babies past their due date release meconium - and most women taking CO are doing it past their due date.

[Singfourever@yahoo]

I wouldn't do it unless you think you really need to. I took it 24 hours after broken waters. I could only get through half the rec. dose (6ozs!!) I'm just glad I didn't puke up what I managed to get down. I took it at 9am, labor kicked in at 2pm. Just as I wanted to get in the pool, I started to feel gassy, so I held off on that. But I got in later and baby was born by 5pm. I got the poops soon after which was actually okay because it cleared me out with no pain.
But it is gross, don't mix it with something you enjoy. You might not afterwards.

[pixiepunk]

my experience with it was after my waters had already broken and labor wasn't starting - just wussy ctx every 30 minutes - so while it was used to induce labor, it was after things had already somewhat gotten rolling.

worked like a charm - i took it with a meal, laid down for a nap, and about 45 minutes into the nap woke up with cramps. pooped my brains out, and as soon as i was done with that i started having real ctx about 15 minutes apart. DD was born about 8 hours later.

[beautiful_mama]

I did it with my last baby and am considering it again with this one already, my babies come out big and I wonder if I have hormonal issues causing labor to not start without kick start etc...

Anyway, with DS I had some accupressure, had sex, and mixed only 2 TBSP's of it with a wendi's frosty, I ate it at 8pm, labor began at 3:55 am baby was born less than 2 hours later.

I don't think you have ot mtake much...I have taken it before with many of my other kids and it never worked, BUT those times I was always pre EDD ( at least a week or more) and I took A LOT more than the 2tbsp's and it made me soo sick.

I will try it again if I odn't see baby by Sunday morning I refuse to have a 12 lb baby, and if CO is my only recourse...then so be it.

BTW I have heard too the reason for the possible meconium release is because of women being post dates, NOT because of the CO.

None of my kids have ever had meconium....even the ones I took CO with.

GL!

[pamamidwife]

Originally Posted by Singfourever@yahoo

I wouldn't do it unless you think you really need to. I took it 24 hours after broken waters. I could only get through half the rec. dose (6ozs!!) I'm just glad I didn't puke up what I managed to get down. I took it at 9am, labor kicked in at 2pm. Just as I wanted to get in the pool, I started to feel gassy, so I held off on that. But I got in later and baby was born by 5pm. I got the poops soon after which was actually okay because it cleared me out with no pain.
But it is gross, don't mix it with something you enjoy. You might not afterwards.

Who recommended 12oz!???? I only recommend 2oz and then another 2oz (if necessary) two to three hours after that.

Wow - even 6oz is ALOT!

I do think it's easier to go down in iced root beer, while someone stirs it constantly as the woman drinks it with a straw.

[pamamidwife]

Originally Posted by doulamom7

I did it with my last baby and am considering it again with this one already, my babies come out big and I wonder if I have hormonal issues causing labor to not start without kick start etc...

I will try it again if I odn't see baby by Sunday morning I refuse to have a 12 lb baby, and if CO is my only recourse...then so be it.

Well, if you induce a couple weeks early, this won't keep your baby from being big. Babies don't gain but about 1/4 to MAYBE a 1/2 lb a week - and after the due date the gain is MUCH less. I think there is this belief that somehow inducing early or not going over the 'due date' keeps babies smaller. That's just not the case.

I wonder, too, if your belief about your body not starting labor comes from not being supported about going past your due date. If you have pressure to induce or not go past a certain date on the calendar, you can come to this conclusion. The truth is, babies sometimes need to cook longer. What is wrong is how women are walking around blaming their bodies for a situation in which they are not to blame.

[charmama]

Yes, I will add that my castor oil baby (see above post) was almost 12 lbs, 11-9 to be exact. (Don't worry, she wriggled right out, no voluntary pushing at all.)

Also, I'd say do *not* take the co with ice cream! I read this advice, made a milkshake and it was terrible because it was so cold, I had to sort of swish it around and also had to wait a moment between gulps. Man, the cold made it take forever and was terrible! Second dose I think I used orange juice, downed the whole thing quickly, much better!

[beautiful_mama]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

Well, if you induce a couple weeks early, this won't keep your baby from being big. Babies don't gain but about 1/4 to MAYBE a 1/2 lb a week - and after the due date the gain is MUCH less. I think there is this belief that somehow inducing early or not going over the 'due date' keeps babies smaller. That's just not the case.

I wonder, too, if your belief about your body not starting labor comes from not being supported about going past your due date. If you have pressure to induce or not go past a certain date on the calendar, you can come to this conclusion. The truth is, babies sometimes need to cook longer. What is wrong is how women are walking around blaming their bodies for a situation in which they are not to blame.

no , it's not that reaally, I have a condition where my body does make sufficient mammory glands eveyr time I am pg (breast hypoplasia), it's a hormonal issue, so part of me wonders if it doesn't affect other areas too.

I once had a 39 weeker who was 10.7 lbs...yeah. NOT small. And I am not GD either, so ...part of me wonders if there is not an issue.
My body has felt ready for over a week now and I have had serious prodomal labor for almost 2 weeks and baby dropped a week ago saturday, (btw my babies never drop until they are ready to be born...ever not in 6 pgs!!) but still no major contraction pattern. I get bouts of strong contractions every, single, night middle of the night when hormone levels are at their highest, but they peter out by wake up time.

I'm not saying I have any issue, I jsut question that maybe I could, and I REALLY don't want to try and birth a 12 lb baby.

BTW, I am not being pressured by my midwife...AT ALL, she is 100% supportive of going the long haul, part of this is *ME* and my mommy instinct kicking in not being comfortable with trying to birth an overly humungous baby #1, and not feeling comfortable going past 42 weeks, period #2.

[Wildecat]

HOW does Castor Oil actually work to make one go into labor???????????????