Black Cohosh....

[MummaBump]

Hi Ladies,

Just wondering if anyone has heard of even tried Black Cohosh to induce labour?

It's too early for me yet... but i was in Holland & Barretts today stocking up on Rasberry Leaf Tea, i was speaking to another pregnant lady who was buying Black Cohosh capsules, she said she took it with both her previous pregnancies and it worked within 2 days both times!!

Has anyone else tried this?

 

[mamato2more]

My sis did, and all it did was make her miserable..It gave her contractions, but she was not ready, so it just was a pain

 

[NuKe]

i havent used it personally, but i did use to work in H&B and i can tell you that a LOT of women use it when they have reached their EDD and its worked for a lot of them! That's from the horse's mouth too!! I'd give it a go!

 

[Love Bunny]

You might be better asking this in baby club =D ! Just to see if any mummies in there had used it with their LO's? If you do I'll be checking out the replies! I heard about this but haven't had time yet to look properly into how it works and stuff

xX

 

[Eternal]

i heard about it but also heard that it should only be used under direction of health care provider :S there are always big warnings with it that make it seem quite scary! Would def be interested in knowing people who have taken it and it worked though.

There is also blue coshosh that works simularly and i think false unircorn horn as well, which i actually have cos i used it when i was trying to get pregnant but not sure if i am brave enough to take it! lol!

 

[MummaBump]

Thanks for your replies!... Nukes its good to know it seems to work for a lot of women, Im due Xmas Eve and really dont want to go overdue! I want bubs here for xmas!

Think i'll take your advice Love Bunny and post this in Baby Club X

 

[Eternal]

post a link so we can check up if anyone replies! Thanks x x x

 

[Love Bunny]

awesome! look forward to seeing the replies ! if poss, ask about the different methods of taking it too cause you can get drops or capsules and i think i'd prefer the drops cause taking tablets make me gag, especially herbal ones!!!! x

 

[snagglepat]

It's worth speaking to a professional herbalist before taking these herbs - they can be very effective but you need to understand how they work and know that they affect different people in different ways.

Very briefly, black cohosh works by stimulating you to produce more prostaglandins. These are the hormones that help to soften the cervix so works in a similar way to the prostglandin pessaries that are given at a hospital induction - they make the cervix soften, and often this is all it takes to kick start labour.

Blue cohosh works by stimulating oxytocin production. It's a bit more potent than black cohosh. Some practitioners make up a labour tincture which is a combination of these two, plus one or two others, such as ginger or false unicorn.

As a rule, tinctures (the liquids) are more potent than tablets/capsules.

It's worth noting that with any herbal/natural/alternative method of induction, it will only work if your body and baby are ready anyway. Like Mamato2more said above, if not it may stimulate something, but not enough to get you into established labour. Days of latent labour or lots of stop-starts will just tire you out and frustrate you, and there's no sure way to know if you're really ready or not.

Good luck!

Gina.

 

[MummaBump]

Thanks for the info Snagglepat I think if i do decide to try it around my EDD i will defo ask in my local herbal shop for advice first.


Here's the link to my other thread Ladies https://www.babyandbump.com/baby-club/224179-black-cohosh.html

 

[NuKe]

awesome! look forward to seeing the replies ! if poss, ask about the different methods of taking it too cause you can get drops or capsules and i think i'd prefer the drops cause taking tablets make me gag, especially herbal ones!!!! x

taking anything in dropper form is generally better than capsules, as it gets into your bloodstream quicker!

 

[Eternal]

It's worth speaking to a professional herbalist before taking these herbs - they can be very effective but you need to understand how they work and know that they affect different people in different ways.

Very briefly, black cohosh works by stimulating you to produce more prostaglandins. These are the hormones that help to soften the cervix so works in a similar way to the prostglandin pessaries that are given at a hospital induction - they make the cervix soften, and often this is all it takes to kick start labour.

Blue cohosh works by stimulating oxytocin production. It's a bit more potent than black cohosh. Some practitioners make up a labour tincture which is a combination of these two, plus one or two others, such as ginger or false unicorn.

As a rule, tinctures (the liquids) are more potent than tablets/capsules.

It's worth noting that with any herbal/natural/alternative method of induction, it will only work if your body and baby are ready anyway. Like Mamato2more said above, if not it may stimulate something, but not enough to get you into established labour. Days of latent labour or lots of stop-starts will just tire you out and frustrate you, and there's no sure way to know if you're really ready or not.

Good luck!

Gina.

wow thanks, how do you know so much? are you a herbalist?

I have nothing like that near me, i live very rural so dont really know who to go to for advice, I start getting some mild contractions if i am walking or bouncing on my ball, or standing for awhile, but once i sit down and relax the tend to go away. not sure if this means my body is almost reday or def not! :S lol!

 

[Eternal]

Also where can you buy blue cohosh? i was researching both and cant seem to see any tablets of blue cohosh in the UK. whats the oil do? how do you use that?

 

[MummaBump]

Also where can you buy blue cohosh? i was researching both and cant seem to see any tablets of blue cohosh in the UK. whats the oil do? how do you use that?

I was wondering the same they have Black Cohosh in Holland and Barretts but i didnt see Blue Cohosh, I'm thinking they may sell it in Chinese Herbal shops?

 

[Abigailly]

I'll give it a few more days then I'm off to hunt some out!! I'm already in 'slow labour'. Could this maybe speed it up a bit?

 

[snagglepat]

I don't know if Chinese herbal shops would sell it. I buy most of my herbal supplies from Baldwins - https://www.baldwins.co.uk and they are very good. You can call them for advice or buy direct from their web site, and things usually arrive within a few days.

I ought to add that I'm not a qualified herbalist. I studied herbal medicine for a year intending to become one but realised it wasn't the path for me. The only herbs I was interested in were the ones that were useful for pregnancy and birth, so I became a doula. It's the best decision I ever made (after deciding to become a mum that is).

Gina.

 

[Eternal]

I don't know if Chinese herbal shops would sell it. I buy most of my herbal supplies from Baldwins - https://www.baldwins.co.uk and they are very good. You can call them for advice or buy direct from their web site, and things usually arrive within a few days.

I ought to add that I'm not a qualified herbalist. I studied herbal medicine for a year intending to become one but realised it wasn't the path for me. The only herbs I was interested in were the ones that were useful for pregnancy and birth, so I became a doula. It's the best decision I ever made (after deciding to become a mum that is).

Gina.

Thanks, whats a tincture? they sell it here but only as that or liquid (unless thats the same?) do you swallow it?

 

[Raven24]

i asked my midwife today if i can do anything to get things moving and she said baby will only come out when he is ready and all the labour inducing things people swear by are just old wives tales so i dont really believe they work however saying tht even as a placebo if you think its gonna work maybe power of the mind will get it going who knows i think if i end up being overdue ill have a different view and be clutching at every straw offered.

 

[snagglepat]

You're right Eternal. The tincture is the liquid form of a herb.

Zoe, I'd tend to agree with your midwife on most things, but herbs are not old wives tales, they are what the vast majority of our modern medicines come from - just in a less processed form. That's why you need to be careful with them. Some of them are as strong as (if not more so in some cases) the medicines you'd get at hospital/from a doctor. That's why it's important to tell your midwife/doctor what herbs you have taken because they can interact with medications.

Gina. x

 

[Eternal]

You're right Eternal. The tincture is the liquid form of a herb.

Zoe, I'd tend to agree with your midwife on most things, but herbs are not old wives tales, they are what the vast majority of our modern medicines come from - just in a less processed form. That's why you need to be careful with them. Some of them are as strong as (if not more so in some cases) the medicines you'd get at hospital/from a doctor. That's why it's important to tell your midwife/doctor what herbs you have taken because they can interact with medications.

Gina. x

So i assume you ingest it? really confusied lol! clearly pregnancy is affecting my brain.