The paper I got that's on my fridge that I got the first appointment I had says absolutely do NOT take castor oil. I know a few decades ago it was the thing to do but I think it has been proven to not necessarily be a safe bet. I would say just let nature take its course, its only another week or so and then they would induce. Patience is crucial!

Personally I'd say no I've heard lots of bad things about it including A lady who took it and her lo had bad diareahh (sp) inside her and was very dehydrated and sadly died ......it's not worth it Hun hang on in there your lo will here with you soon.... Easier said than done I know I was 10 days over due despite being induced lol! Deffo worth it in the end..... Have a bounce on a gym ball, go for a walk get some nookie lol xxxxx

Well i asked my midwife what she thinks of castor oil and her exact reply was "you can take it if you want but be prepared for the shits" and i've read your other replies and a couple of other people said they had award winning obs/midwives and they said it's perfectly safe. So i wouldn't worry about the safety side, i'd definitely trust our health professionals over people on the internet. Some people will say it's unsafe just for a bit of drama and to scare you. So anyway, i took 5 tablespoons of it with some orange juice on weds night at 37+6 (too early i know) and 5 hours later i was contracting and it sent me into the latent phase of labour. HOWEVER i contracted for 10 hours then they stopped, but during those 10 hours i went to the hosp and they confirmed i was in early stages of labour, the following night (last night) i contracted for 5 hours, then they stopped again. So for anyone thinking of taking it as early as i did, i would say have re-think because all it does is get your hopes up then contractions stop.

BUT...at your stage i would say it is likely to work for you and labour is likely to progress (unlike mine) so go ahead and good luck! xxx

Oh and also, it's true when people say it gives them the shits - i was on the loo for about 20 minutes!!!! Not pleasant at all. Oh and it is very hard to get hold of, i tried about 15-20 places and only 2 places sold it - this place where i live in Warwick called "warwick health foods" and asda pharmacy xxx

I think it's a little stransge to ignore warnings that involve severe fetal distress and even death. People aren't saying it to be dramatic, they're warnings that seemingly need to be given. I am certainly grateful for them. You can pick and choose whichever advice is goingto suit what you personally believe but i think dabbling with stuff that's proven dangerous is quite insane.

If my midwife had said it's unsafe then i would never have tried it. But seeing as she has qualifications and has been doing the job for decades, i definitely trust her professional opinion above the opinions on here, sorry but i think most people would trust their midwife over just any old person. Also, PP's have said they asked their OB too who is one of the best around and that it took them ages to see this particular OB because they are so good, anyway she says this OB said it's perfectly safe. So i am not worried. Some people are unfortunately going to have complications and poorly babies with or with out castor oil, you can't pinpoint these problems on the castor oil itself. If there were any direct links to be found, then my guess is that they would already have been found, and health professionals would be advising us against it, but they're not, they're saying it's perfectly safe.

Castor oil has been proven to be dangerous!!! Your choice if you want to take it and risk it

Starting a drama? I was offering advise to the original poster... Telling her about the potential dangers I'd feel terrible if I'd sat here and said yeah go for it knock the whole bottle back when I know for a fact it can be very dangerous

I'm sure the mums to be that did take and the worst did happen wish someone had started a "drama" and warned them first


Your baby will come when it's good and ready so wait what's the rush

Also why do you think when you buy it whoever serves you in mos replaces asks if your pregnant if you say yes then most good retailers would not sell it to you! Surely that proves its not good to try

X

Ok bottom line is - my miwdwife has said it's fine and she's been doing her job for over 30 years - therefore i am trusting her over you.

Thought this may be of interest to you

Castor oil may produce dangerous side effects such as dehydration, fetal distress, and meconium staining. Dehydration can likely happen because castor oil can cause diarrhea, allowing the pregnant woman to lose needed body fluids. Since the oil also promotes bowel movement, this may be reflected in the baby, causing an early passage of stool. The baby’s stool is called meconium, and when the fetus defecates inside the mother, this could be toxic and highly dangerous for the pregnant woman and the infant.

Personally not worth the risk xxx