About to break out the castor oil...

[Celticqueen]

Now is your chance to encourage this or discourage this.

Somebody stop me...

-Caitrin

[pcasylum]

Well, I can't exactly discourage you because I'm about to go find my bottle as well! I'm SO done.

[AnnR33]

I did this with my last one when I was 11 days overdue and my amniotic fluid was low. It was a last resort before being admitted and using pitocin-ack!
We mixed it in with scrambled eggs so it was easier to take. A little greasy but not horrid like I expected.
It kicked in after about 2 hours. Contrax started slow but steady.
The only down side was that I threw it all up after about an hour of labor and that was really gross and stinky. My DH about lost it himself LOL

Baby was born after 3 hours of relatively easy labor.

[mamanurse]

If you can stomach it, I say go for it. Maybe you could have your care provider strip your membranes as well.

Caitrin

[Celticqueen]

Originally Posted by AnnR33

I did this with my last one when I was 11 days overdue and my amniotic fluid was low. It was a last resort before being admitted and using pitocin-ack!
We mixed it in with scrambled eggs so it was easier to take. A little greasy but not horrid like I expected.
It kicked in after about 2 hours. Contrax started slow but steady.
The only down side was that I threw it all up after about an hour of labor and that was really gross and stinky. My DH about lost it himself LOL

Baby was born after 3 hours of relatively easy labor.

Alright that's it, I'm taking it then! At this point, i don't even mind throwing up, lol.

-Caitrin

[heidirk]

My Mw told me it can make the baby poop in utero. Makes sense since it makes us poop too!

[weliveintheforest]

Please don't take it, it's really not good for you.

eta:

"Inducing with castor oil isn't safe. Once swallowed the castor oil is hydrolized by intestinal lipases to recinoleic acid which stimulates intestinal secretion, decreases glucose absorption and increases intestinal motility. Castor oil is used in lipsticks, too. Many women who can tolerate the oil quite well on their lips get a reaction on their mouths if the oil converts to recinoleic acid. My question to a midwife who says castor oil is not absorbed is 'Would you please provide me with references for that statement'.

It's not so long ago that birthing women were given soap suds enemas (high, hot and a helluva lot) because someone started a rumor that soap was not absorbed through the colon. We know this is not true and that this black page in Obstetric history is best forgotten. Too many women have turned from saying 'My doctor says' to saying 'My midwife says'. Take responsibility for your and your family's health. It's fine to respect professionals but ask for references on everything you're not l00 % sure of and use your internet to scope things out. There is so much crap that passes for science without anyone questioning it.

On the subject of all the women in a hurry to get their babies born: I was 3 weeks 'overdue' with my oldest daughter. What really helped me was that I had lunch with a friend at about 8 months pregnancy. Her son had been born 6 months before. When she saw me walk in the restaurant all hugely pregnant she said 'Oh, Gloria, when I see you I miss my pregnancy so much'. I knew that one day I'd be saying that, too, so I made up my mind to enjoy it as long as possible and I'm so glad I did. Six months from now you'll be wondering what the rush was. I worry about women taking castor oil because you also give your baby castor oil when you take it through the gut. This means the baby will get diarrhea and pass meconium, too. then you're into all the transports for meconium."

-- Gloria Lemay

[AnnR33]

It didn't make baby poop in utero but as soon as he came out it was a poop factory! He just kept going and going-we had no idea he could have so much in him LOL

[txgirl963]

my mom tried castor oil on her due date. I finally showed up 3 weeks later. She said it made her so sick, that she didn't care if I was any later, she just didn't want to do the castor oil again, ever!

and now I'm late, too. I keep apologizing to her for being so late on her!

[ferretfan]

lilith was 6 days late. i was bordering on cracking open the castor oil, but was put off by the notion that it might make the baby poop in utero (turns out she already had without the CO).

the day before she was born i went for a long walk and spent a couple of hours raking leaves in the yard. i was neither effaced nor dilated at that point. that night dh and i DTD and labor started 2 hours later.

how far over are you? i'm sure if i'd hit 42 weeks i would have gone for the CO. maybe your babe isnt' quite ready yet

[birthdancedoula]

Originally Posted by heidirk

My Mw told me it can make the baby poop in utero. Makes sense since it makes us poop too!

This is actually disproven in the research if the mama takes the recommended doseage. Now if you downed an entire bottle than sure, it could cause mec but there is a strong relationship to the ba
be passing mec and postdates which is most likely the cause of the supposed link between mec and castor oil.

I've taken it in 3 of my 5 pgs...including this one. It didn't do a darn thing the first 2 times but when I think it really helped this time. When I took it this time I was already 3cm and having major prodromal ctx so my body was ready. I took 2 TBS of it in juice and waited around the house all day until it kicked in. Less than 24 hrs later I was in active labor.

I say go for it if you can stand the less than pleasant start to labor it provides.

[Changed]

I tasted it.... like literally just a single taste and was in labor a few hours later. Good thing because there is no way I could have drank it!

[baybee]

<<This is actually disproven in the research if the mama takes the recommended doseage.>>

Can you please provide the reference for this? thanks

[birthdancedoula]

Originally Posted by baybee

<<This is actually disproven in the research if the mama takes the recommended doseage.>>

Can you please provide the reference for this? thanks

Methods for cervical ripening and induction of labor. Tenore JL, American Family Physician, 2003 May 15, Vol. 67, Issue 10

^Talks specifically about the study participants having no adverse neonatal outcomes from castor oil induction.

There is another one that I'm looking for (I did a search on this for myself when I was deciding to take it or not) that talks about how mec is the result of postdates and not of labor induction with castor oil.

There are also a few in the Journal of Nurse-Midwifery that talk about the safety of CO.

One study that was really interesting was done in Africa that found mec to be dosage related.

The key really seems to be cervical ripening. If a mama's body is not ready to go into labor and she takes a lot of CO, than sure, the likelihood of the babe passing mec is higher. But if she takes CO when her cervix is ripe and her body has other signs of impending labor...she will probably see the onset of labor in 24 hrs. In all the successful CO inductions I've seen, not one babe was born in the presence of mec.

[carolina~mom2be]

interesting post! Good read So Caitrin, did you take it?!?!? Are you laboring right now?!?! :

[Celticqueen]

Originally Posted by carolina~mom2be

interesting post! Good read So Caitrin, did you take it?!?!? Are you laboring right now?!?! :

Heheh, nope, I decided against the castor oil. Just doesn't sound worth it anymore.

And I was thinking today- If I truly want to know what it's like to start labor naturally, then I probably shouldn't force it unless I'm way overdue.

Maybe I'm being too impatient about all of this. Is it justified? Maybe- afterall, I am a week overdue. But maybe I need an attitude adjustment. Lately, I think I've become terribly selfish about all this- instead of imagining my baby's face and holding him, I want him out for other reasons like wanting my body back, wanting my pelvis to tighten back up, wanting my back to stop hurting, etc.

Well that's just great : What I SHOULD be thinking about is "I want this baby out so I can meet him!"

That's the purpose in all of this- not me. So I'm feeling a little guilty right now.

Just some thoughts I've had tonight...what do you mamas think?

-Caitrin

[mollee19]

Not in your DDC (I'm in February!) but I think your change of heart is wonderful. I became a doula after the birth of my first baby and I've seen and learned so much about how important it is to just let babies come when they're ready. They know what they're doing in there! I know it's so hard to wait but your baby WILL come and you will meet him/her soon!

Good luck and enjoy your last days of pregnancy!

[Baby_Cakes]

Caitrin, towards the end I had so many of the same thoughts! And I wasn't overdue so I can only imagine how you feel. Don't feel guilty. I think it's perfectly rational to look forward to getting yourself back after being pregnant for so long.

I'm glad you didn't take the CO - if your body isn't ready it wouldn't have helped anyway, and might have put your sweet LO at risk.

I'm thinking of you today. Soon you'll be holding your precious baby in your arms!

[sheilige]

I am right there with you! I was due Oct 31st and having no action at all. I have a start up tincture that I am trying hard to avoid for the same reasons you don't want to take the caster oil. I don't want to induce, yes I want to be in labor but I want to cooperate with my body and my baby. I want to experience the mystery of how labor starts on its own. I have now reached the point where this is the longest I have ever been pregnant (later today). My son was born 40 weeks and 4 days and my daughter 37 weeks and 4 days.

Just for today my distraction is election day. I think my baby wanted to wait until Bush is out of office. Tomorrow, I have a midwife appointment and we plan to discuss herbs. Thursday I may go for an acupuncture treatment and chiropractic adjustment. Friday I am considering the herbs.

Keep us updated because everyone is cheering for you! Hang in there! Sara

[bsideu4ever]

I have been debating CO as well. I know what you feel like!! Hang in there, you little one will be here before you know it!!: