Is blue cohosh really safe for inductions?

[tribalmax]

I am facing the possibility of a medically necessary (IMO) medical induction.

I would like to try some natural things first...

Castor Oil scares me -- DD had lots of meconium and I would really like to have a water birth -- and if the caster oil causes meconium, I would not be able to have my water birth...

My cervix is ready -- open to about 3 cm and soft -- the baby is low and engaged -- and I have been having "false labor" for 2 weeks now.

We have tried nipple stimulation -- this brings on strong contractions but then they fade away...walking -- same thing -- contractions that come but then fade away...

I am ready to try black and blue cohosh -- but I am scared about blue cohosh -- and the correlation between infant heart attacks and its use.

Does anyone have any info on this?

Thanks,

[gratefulmama2isaac]

Why does castor oil scare you? Besides the taste, which is scary : ). I have never heard of any correlation between its use and meconium. It works in about half the women who take it; if your body is ready, it will bring on labor, if it's not, it won't. I would, however, worry about meconium if I was going to be induced at the hospital with pitocin or, frankly, anything else. It sounds like you will go into labor any day - have you done the research on the "medical reason" for induction you are being told? There are very few truly valid reasons for induction. VERY few. Supposed low amniotic fluid levels, a supposed "big" baby, and most of the other reasons mothers are given are NOT evidence based reasons. Being 42 wks - supposedly - is NOT an evidence based reason. Allowing your baby to decide when it is ready (for it is the baby who initiates the release of the intricate interchange of hormones which begin labor) is the safest way for you, and your baby to begin the birth process. If you want to know more about these herbs, I would suggest consulting with a direct-entry midwife who has enough knowledge about herbs (not all do) to give you the correct dosage information and possible side effects. But I think it's more important to first make absolutely sure this is the right thing for you to do (the hospital induction I mean). Inductions can go well, but more often they lead to a cascade of interventions, and greatly increase your chance of an "unnecesarean" section. I would urge you to use the feedback you can get from others who have been through this and know there is a better way before you agree to this. Baby will come when it's ready. I promise.

[gratefulmama2isaac]

BTW - sex is more effective in initiating labor than nip stim and walking.

[georgia]

There are lots of threads in here about inductions, for better or worse. Since you've stated you medically require some assistance, you might consider doing a search in the Birth and Beyond forum for the homeopathic cohosh protocol. A search term for one of the cohoshes to try is cimifuga or cimicifuga IIRC. The homeopathic version is gentle, won't work if baby and mom aren't ready and is often quite helpful if conditions are favorable For me, I'm a huge believer in letting the baby decide, but sometimes, reality dictates something different. I'm a huge fan of homeopathic route vs. the actual herbs themselves, FWIW.

Best wishes

[momto l&a]

The cohoshes scare me. My mw likes to be with you when a mother uses it to monitor the heart.

I have used castor oil twice and never had meconium, just had wonderful births.

I have had a meconium water birth. Didnt bother the mw at all. The baby was perfect. She is a healthy 5yo today

[Individuation]

Maybe the only pro-cohosh post you'll read.

I used cohoshes to help get both of my births started. Here's how it went:

Charlotte (1998): I was seeing an OB clinic, and was "two weeks overdue" (really not). An induction was planned and I didn't know I could refuse. I took cohosh the night before, and it started a mild labor that stopped as soon as I got to the hospital. After that, well, Pit, IV, etc. Nice tear-free vaginal birth, though.

Nico (2007): I'd been having prodromal labor for weeks, and was 41 weeks along and really, really felt the baby was ready. Trusting my instincts, I began taking the cohosh (and had some sex) around 2 pm, and was in active labor by 6. THe labor was fast, painful and intense but ended well with another smooth delivery. Nico was 9 lbs, 11 oz, had REALLY long fingernails and slightly wrinkled hands and feet. I truly do believe he needed that little push to come out.

The natural birth community is really anti any sort of "induction," but I think cohosh is pretty good. If it isn't time yet, I don't think it will work anyway.

[DBZ]

I used cohosh for my 2nd birth. I started trying at 40 weeks. Every few days I'd take a little and nothing would happen, but then when I was just shy of 42 weeks I started contracting. I think the cohosh helped. I was also using Evening primrose oil. My labor actually started the night before the scheduled induction. I managed to escape the pit. I did have an epidural though and I had a 2nd tear...this was my first vbac btw.

[Bird Girl]

Tribal, I was in exactly your situation with my DS--at least a week overdue, prodromal contractions day and night, and nothing would get this kid going. I finally did go into labor on my own, about six hours after taking leave of my senses.

My midwife did strip my membranes, but it took another five days to get him going.

By the way, when I did go into labor, it only took about seven hours between major contractions starting and the kid hitting the Outside.

Good luck!

[DoomaYula]

I tried it, didn't work for me. I tried homeopathic also. And castor oil. (All of this after my water had been broken for over 36h with on/off ctx.)

[candiland]

I don't know, I'm a bit leery of pushing your body when it's obviously not ready yet (or it would go into labor on its own, kwim?)

A friend of mine was doing lots of castor oil and cohosh to get her contractions going. She did go into labor and it did help her progress... but babe wasn't positioned properly, so she had to go in to the hospital and have a c/section. Part of me really believes that if she would've allowed her body to labor on its own without interference - natural or otherwise - the baby wouldn't have been squashed into the pelvis in this unnatural position with such intense contractions.

Our bodies usually work the way they do for good reason. May I ask why you feel like you need to be induced?