Have you used castor oil to try to get things going?

[lorelei]

If so, how bad was
1) taking it
2) the er... after effects

I bought some yesterday but was waiting until I'd had a good night's sleep to try downing it. Which I didn't get last night, but dh did let me sleep in from 5am til noon today, and then brought me bacon in bed for breakfast. I love that man. lol

So... yeah. I'm thinking the castor oil could be the nudge I need for these silly ctx to get their act together, and I would really rather have the babe sooner than later. I tend to have fairly large, nearly 10lbers, and they want to start talking induction if I haven't gone by 39 weeks, which is Monday, anyhow.

I don't really want to get put on a clock, and would rather see if there's some way I can help gently encourage things on my own. But I'm a little freaked about spending the next 6 hours possibly chained to the porcelain throne. lol If it helps the baby come it would be worth it, but i don't want to make myself miserable for nothing, you know?

[JennaW]

Well, I just took it this morning and it has just started having its effects.

Not that I should really need to put a disclaimer but just in case, the following info is super TMI.

As far as the taste and taking it, that was not bad at all IMO. It's just oil, its pretty much tasteless and odorless but it almost taste like unflavored chapstick to me. I mixed mine into some good fresh squeezed orange juice. I would stir and gulp. I used 4 tablespoons.

Now, I have just started experiencing the side effects. So far no real contractions. But the poop has started. For me I have had liquid poop, that has been slick to wipe. If you don't have some wet wipes around, I would get some. I've only had one poop so far, that was about 15 minutes ago and I took the castor oil about 3 hours ago.

I have been trying to sip on recharge and eat little snacks to keep from being dehydrated but I think you are supposed to take it on an empty stomach. I took mine 2 hours after eating breakfast.

I will let you know how things progress.

[Sunshine Alice]

I'm a doula and I've recommended it to moms who are overdue. However, I always give the disclaimer that it will make you miserable. It tends to work but only if that baby is ready to come out. If not, it will just clean your digestive tract out. To bypass the taste, use it to scramble eggs instead of using oil or butter. Some people have a really difficult time taking it straight. Good luck!

[finnegansmom]

I took it twice with my son and while it didn't put me in labor, I had the most sparkling colon I've ever had. I took more than 4 tablespoons. I'm think 2 ounces? It was pretty horendous to drink down, with OJ and I had to eat a sleeve of saltines after. The bathroom part was tricky, I mean uncomfortable but I didn't really have cramps or pain. Just, alot of potty time. Go get that new David Sedaris book that leave it there to cheer you up!
Good luck!

[lspelle]

I've never tried it, but I read a couple different places that it can be dangerous because it has the same effect on the babies bowels that it has on yours and can cause them to eliminate meconium during labor.

I have no idea if this is true but it was enough to make me steer clear of it.

[JennaW]

4 tablespoons is the same as 2 ounces At least that is what it says on my little liquid measuring cup

[Bad Horse]

Originally Posted by lspelle

I've never tried it, but I read a couple different places that it can be dangerous because it has the same effect on the babies bowels that it has on yours and can cause them to eliminate meconium during labor.

I have no idea if this is true but it was enough to make me steer clear of it.

Hmmm... Just thinking about this and it doesn't seem to make sense to me. It wouldn't be passed through the placenta to the baby in the form of CO, so I don't know how it could effect the baby in that way.
??

[Tenk]

I've taken it before, I threw it back up in the sink. I think, I just over thought it. Orange Juice is best to take it with tho, and it will totally clean you out.

LOL ~ Jenna ~ your description totally made me LOL, and almost pee my pants. Sorry, nothing is TMI here right?

[delicious]

i don't know. i took it to have DS. i was 42 weeks. i had the choice of transferring to an OB or maybe finding another midwife at 42 weeks. i was tired and depressed and stressed and i took it.

the drinking it itself is over in a second, so that's not really a big deal. and i've tasted much worse stuff. i took it in chocolate soy milk.

the diarrhea and contractions at the same time is pretty miserable. i only had 2 or 3 bouts of diarrhea before i guess my system was cleaned out? and then it was just a fast labor, which was pretty easy.

i would feel really uncomfortable taking it at 39 weeks. that's just too early, IMO. but that's me, and i think every mama should do what she feels is the right thing to do.

my other side effect was that for the next 2-3 nights when i should have been snuggled up next to newborn ds, i was in the bathroom. i guess i was sensitive to it or something.

i have heard that it can't really cause meconium-it doesn't really absorb into the system that way. but i am not sure if that's true.

[Emily12581]

I took it with my last pregnancy.

Taking it wasn't too bad. I took a glass of orange juice and the castor oil, shook it up really fast, then downed it.

The after affects on the other hand were excruciating. I was in the bathroom for at least 6 hours raining poo. By the end of the first hour or so I had to use baby wipes, then just a squirt bottle to wipe because my butt burned so bad. I had stomach cramping, not contractions from it. I stayed pregnant for another week, I was instructed to take it at 40 weeks.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone...it was THAT bad for me! The next 3-4 days I had stomach cramping and a very sore rear!

[Kidzaplenty]

I have used CO to get things going before. If things are "ready" it will work, if things are not, it won't.

And CO can't go through the placenta. The reason they say CO is associated with merconium is that CO is usually taken in post-dated pgcies, when merconium staining is more likely to occure anyways.

I also recomend taking it with citrus juice (not dairy). It helps greatly.

[lorelei]

I was reading on the gentlebirth site that the castor oil causing meconium staining is an owt. It doesn't pass through to the babe.

Basically, I thought I might try castor oil, because worst case scenario, if I am truly not ready for labor, I'll just have a sore bottom from it.

I should also have probably mentioned that I think my edd should have been the 7th, as we weren't sure on dates, but I let my mw mark the 21 as my edd so I'd have a bit longer before I was 'on the clock' so to speak, as dd1 came 14 days 'late' and dd2 was 10. So I could be coming on 39 weeks, or I could be coming up on 41. Either way, I personally feel comfortable with trying non-invasive methods to try to move things along.

I would really rather avoid getting to the point where either 1) I have to transfer to an OB because I'm postdates / macro again or 2) they decide to do PROM or give me pit to try to get things going. I am scared shitless of being sectioned, and would like to do everything in my power to avoid ob's hospitals, etc unless absolutely medically necessary. I was threatened with a section while in labor with both dds, and I just do not want to deal with the stress and anguish and trauma of all that again. That's one reason I'm seeing a mw and planning to birth in a bc this time around, rather than seeing an ob and going to hospital.

[Kidzaplenty]

I think that is the "best" thing about CO. That if you are not ready, you will not go into labor. And the worst case is a bad case of the "runs". (For which I found, it is best to have some disposable baby wipes and some witch hazel on hand for "dabbing" after each trip to the toilet.

[JennaW]

Haha, "raining poo" is a good description. I am having some really lovely times in the bathroom, you would think I am in labor by the vocalizations I make to get through it.

To be blunt: my anus hurts or as I was screaming i the bathroom "OMG my butthole!". I know, nice.

I have been using my detachable shower head to rinse off and then blot dry.

I have had a few "tightening" sensations that were uncomfortable, I felt the need to breathe. I am really not sure if they were contractions or not. There definitely is nothing regular happening in terms of contractions.

The "good" part is that I don't feel bad in between, only when I am actually pooping.

[ekblad9]

I took it last time and this time. Last time it didn't *work* and made me miserable. My water had already broken and it had been days so I was under the gun.

This time I took it to help my prodrom. labor. I didn't have any of the nasty effects but it started labor with a vengance. I took it with OJ and vodka.

[christinespurlock]

I'm 12 days late and doing it tonight...

we'll see how it goes.

[Kidzaplenty]

Perhaps I should try it with the vodka!

Although I have never tasted it, if it works, I am almost ready to try anything!

[lorelei]

Originally Posted by ekblad9

I took it last time and this time. Last time it didn't *work* and made me miserable. My water had already broken and it had been days so I was under the gun.

This time I took it to help my prodrom. labor. I didn't have any of the nasty effects but it started labor with a vengance. I took it with OJ and vodka.

How much castor, oj, and vodka?
I think I might have that for breakfast tomorrow. lol

[Crunchyandsweet]

I took it with my DS when I was 1 week overdue and feeling desperate. it put me into labor within the day .I remember taking *alot* more than 2-3 oz and making a shake..IT TASTED HORIBLE!!!! I thought it made for a really weird long labor, I was contracting every 3 minutes from the begininning and that lasted 18 hours, no fun. My little guy came but I just felt like my body wasnt "quite" ready for labor yet but I threw me into, in a weird way! I am seriously thinking no this time as the amnesia (even after 5years) hasnt set in yet and I can remember the not so great constant contracting and trips to the bathroom

[delicious]

Originally Posted by JennaW

Haha, "raining poo" is a good description. I am having some really lovely times in the bathroom, you would think I am in labor by the vocalizations I make to get through it.

To be blunt: my anus hurts or as I was screaming i the bathroom "OMG my butthole!". I know, nice.

I have been using my detachable shower head to rinse off and then blot dry.

I have had a few "tightening" sensations that were uncomfortable, I felt the need to breathe. I am really not sure if they were contractions or not. There definitely is nothing regular happening in terms of contractions.

The "good" part is that I don't feel bad in between, only when I am actually pooping.

giant hugs for you, mama.