The castor oil conversation

[DeChRi]

With DD 1, I was almost 2 weeks late, Dr screaming induction and did the castor oil route. I went into labor 2 days later, unrelated to the castor oil i'm guessing. DD had passed meconium which I have no idea if that had anything to do with the castor oil or with the fact that she was late late and it's more common then.

I personally wouldn't go that route again, mainly because the getting it down was almost worse that labor.

I know many people still swear by it. I know many people warn against it. In my reading, both actual research and here on MDC, I get a few bits of info. I notice that many of the people here that will say, No, don't do it, feel that way because it made them madly sick and that was a bad way to go into labor. Others, and some studies, feel there is actualy danger to it. The 2 things I hear most is dehydration due to the diarhea, and baby passing meconium.

Then, I came across a study online that stated the reason many babies pass meconium (and it tied into the castor oil concept) was because the mom was dehydrated. It concluded that the laxative effect of the castor oil did cause the baby to pass it, but the mama's dehydration.

It isn't something I know much about. I used it once 9 years ago, didn't bring on labor, nor did it make me too miserable.

What are your thoughts? What studies have you read? Experience? Feelings on the safety?

Just passing train of thought.....

[AKmomof2+1inNov]

Haven't read a lot, but think I would try it before losing my home birth or having a medical induction. Thankfully I've been able to go right under the 42 week mark twice. It doesn't sound too pleasant, but it does sound like it works for a lot of women. DD had meconium anyway, with castor oil

[Kontessa]

I am one of those odd women it seems to have no effect on, no horror in the bathroom even never mind helping baby to come. I remember reading up on it before trying it with DD and I was scared but more worried about induction.

I certainly would try it again if I was looking at an induction!

[zjande]

Lurking from dec ddc...
I took one dose in orange juice 3 days after my edd with my last baby. I didn't think it tasted gross or anything, but it did send me into the bathroom on & off for at least 2 hours where I.... emptied myself . And a couple hours after that, I was in hard labor! The thing is, I did have mec in my water when it broke. I hadn't had that with my other 2 babies & it was a bit scary. Because of that, I won't use it again this time.

[Curlita]

I've never been late (although my last labor was augmented, after my water had already broken and contractions were slow is getting going -- already had meconium) before, so don't have much experience with natural induction methods. Castor oil would definitely be my last ditch effort, and I might even consider medical induction before castor oil. Extreme diarrhea just sounds like a really unpleasant way to start labor to me.

But, this is my totally uninformed gut reaction.

[Googy]

Castor oil causing the baby to pass meconium and causing the mother to become extremely dehydrated are pretty well-documented in the medical research. I would not use it for these reasons unless it was really really medically necessary.

[GinaRae]

I will never and have never used it -- and wouldn't recommend it. The diarrhea, dehydration, meconium and the fact that once swallowed, you have no control, makes me really nervous.

[*Lindsey*]

nak

I used it successfully with DD and with the twins. Both times I was already 4cm+ and more than 60% effaced. Had a membrane strip followed with the c/o. We had no ill-effects whatsoever. Some diarrhea, sure, but that's it.

[Valerieg]

I'd use it if I was nearing 42 weeks, facing medical induction, and nothing else was working. Otherwise, it's one of those scary things I'd avoid if I could.

[pixiepunk]

i'm not in your DDC, but saw this on the main page and thought i'd add my 2 cents.

i used it with DD, but it was after my waters had been broken for about 12 hours with absolutely nothing going on (i was also GBS+), and my med-wife told me that if something didn't happen soon we'd be headed to the hospital for a medical induction because the supervising OB didn't allow mamas to go past a certain amount of time after waters breaking without progress. so i did it. i had some diarrhea, nothing horrid, and as soon as i was done pooping i started having regular ctx about 15 minutes apart - DD was born 8 hours later. There was no meconium, though of course i wasn't even quite 39 weeks at that point, so i'm not surprised.

the one thing i will say is that it was nice to be 'cleaned out' prior to going into full blown labor. i went into labor naturally with DS 4 days past his due date, and the only negative part of the whole labor is that i was pooping the whole time and it surprised me and kinda grossed me out, since i hadn't had that experience the first time around. a small price to pay to let things run their natural course, obviously, but still something i did notice.

[brooklyn_warbler]

Originally Posted by Googy

Castor oil causing the baby to pass meconium and causing the mother to become extremely dehydrated are pretty well-documented in the medical research. I would not use it for these reasons unless it was really really medically necessary.

yeah, this. i have a weird exaggerated fear of castor oil, though, i'm not sure why. it just sounds awful. i would try EVERY natural induction method before this one. acupuncture would be at the top of my list since i'm a big believer.

luckily i think i can avoid this since my m/w does not have a hard-and-fast 'risk-out' week for homebirth. she doesn't even consider a woman late til 42w and at that point she's more about checking in with movements and mama intuition than she is even NSTs (though eventually she would request we do those, too). i think this baby's going to be late, but it'd be pretty insane if he/she went past, like, 43w!

[Undercover Hippie]

I tried it twice with DS when he was overdue... the first time I had the diarrhea and ctx all day then it stopped, the second time absolutely nothing happened. A few days later I had a hospital induction. I wish I could have just done nothing and waited for him to be ready on his own, but trying castor oil and all the other "natural" things first at least helped me come to terms with the hospital induction. Oh, and he was born 13 days late with no meconium in the water, even after two tries of castor oil.

With DD I never tried it, and can't think of any reason I would this time either. My MW will let you go really late as long as baby is still growing and we are both doing fine... her latest mama went to 45 weeks, 5 days! So no time pressure and I'd rather just let nature take it's course.