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Cohoshes

883 views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  anothermama 
#1 ·
For anyone that has used these herbs to get labor going, can you share your experience.

Is it something that happens after the first dose or does it take awhile to build up in your system?

Doing some research becuase I'd rather try this before going pitocin if it comes to that.
 
#2 ·
Natural Induction

This is a recipe, instead of just hit and miss, this is the step by step that midwives suggest. I have never used it, I was never overdue. It is not medical advice, just a recipe that some people try first.

For use when artificial induction is going to be required, or for post-date pregnancy. This is the method that can be tried first, before resorting to artificial induction.

A full day is needed, as mama needs to start first thing in the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the morning, after a relaxing breakfast, mama and daddy should make love together; making sure that semen is deposited high, at the cervix.

Mama should squat with every Braxton Hicks contraction, throughout the day.

At 12:00 - Noon, mama should have lots of fluids, and a good nutritious lunch of high protein and carbohydrates.

Just before 1:00pm, mama should cut 5 capsules of 500mg Evening Primrose Oil, then roll a tampon in the oil completely, and insert up at the cervix.

1:00pm, mama should lie down to take a nap.

When mama gets up from the nap, between 2:00 - 3:00pm, she should take a bath. Before getting in the tub, she can mix up a "Birth Cocktail".

Recipe for Birth Cocktail - One Dose
2 ounces Orange Juice
2 ounces Castor Oil
2 ounces Vodka
This mixture should be shaken. (If they don't want to add the vodka, they could omit it, but vodka is much less harmful than pitocin.)

Mama should first relax in the tub an hour, approximately.

At 4:00pm, mama should take the first dose of "Birth Cocktail".

At 5:00pm, she would take another dose. Mama should drink lots of fluids. After this she would take out the tampon, and then eat supper.

She should continue squatting with contractions.

After supper, mama would begin taking Black and Blue Cohosh, 20 drops of each, every 30 minutes - 1 hour. Should be in labor shortly, if not already. (The cohoshes can be taken up to 6 hours, but probably won't be necessary.)

This combination works fast and well if baby is ready! Mama should pay attention to her body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know of a couple who used it, there was an artificial induction hanging over their heads, by the OB. Mama was 38 weeks, her mindset was to birth her baby. Two hour labor, beautiful baby girl.
 
#3 ·
Are you already being pressured for induction? I would just remember that you CAN say no. If baby is doing well and you're doing well, there's no reason to induce.

I've never had any luck with herbs getting labor going. Never. In fact, when it did seem to work, contractions were irregular and they peetered out quickly.

 
#4 ·
I used homeopathic blue and black cohosh, but my labor had sort of already started, it was just not going anywhere. If your body isn't ready, no form of induction, natural or otherwise, is going to work. If I were you, I'd try nipple stimulation and intercourse. If your doctor is pressuring you into induction, you can always refuse, or just not show up at the scheduled time. It's never too late to switch care providers. I know a woman who fired her OB while in active labor!
 
#5 ·
Quote:
I used homeopathic blue and black cohosh, but my labor had sort of already started, it was just not going anywhere. If your body isn't ready, no form of induction, natural or otherwise, is going to work.
I agree. I used it for Nitara because I had preterm/prodromal labor from 23 weeks. When I hit 38 weeks of no sleep and constant cx I was ready to have her! I took a tincture called Labor Ease that was supposed to work in 3 days as long as my body was ready. I started taking it and on the third day I had dilated to a 4 and had Nitara very early the next morning.

To be fair I also did lots of squatting during cx, had sex with dh using EPO as the lubricant, and had my membranes stripped during my last visit to the midwife/ob office. Nipple stim. didn't do anything for me. I heard it can cause the cx to come but not the right kind to get labor started. I would skip that unless you like twiddling your nipples. :LOL

Thinking back on it I now wonder why I was in such a hurry? I was impatient and uncomfortable and moody, but Nitara now has severe reflux. She was only 2 weeks early, and there is a family history of infant reflux, but still, I wonder if she'd been allowed to cook a little longer if her problem would have been this bad. OTOH she may have come on her own at 38 weeks even without me trying everything under the sun to make her come.

Darshani
 
#6 ·
my water broke at 10:30pm the night before Ben was born, and the next day nothing was happening. so my midwife gave me pulsatilla and I alternated black and blue cohosh every 15 minutes.

I guess I took 2 doses of each before the contractions finally started.

once I started dilating (after 15 hours of being a 1
) he was born 3 hours later.
 
#7 ·
I had a similar experience to milk fairy.........

Nothing was going on, and I was taking black and blue cohosh (which is GROSSER THAN GROSS by the way!) and nothing happened. Like Pamamidwife said, I'd get little contrax that would peeter out.

Then, I lost my plug on Saturday and my water broke on Sunday......but by Monday still nothing. So my midwives came over and put me on a strict regimine of black and blue cohosh tincture under the tounge, a couple drops each, every 15 minutes, as well as homeopathic cohosh every 10 minutes. I took some castor oil in the morning, and then they showed up around noon ish and we went for a walk and stopped every so often to do the cohosh stuff and by the time I'd walked.....oh..........6 blocks or so I was in labor.

So, I agree with most others......if your body isn't ready, nothings probably going to get it started. But if you have signs (water breaking, etc) its been my experience that you can kick start things with the cohosh.
 
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