Castor oil as last resort instead of pitocin?

[patch2006uk]

I can tell you from experience that dealing with a newborn is often harder than dealing with late pregnancy. PP hormones are no picnic either.

I've been up today since 3.50 unable to sleep. DS woke at 5.37. I'm anxious about LO and the tests we have to go for later. My head is clouded and foggy. Ive been having contractions on and off (mainly off) since overnight thurs/friday. And we've got to walk to the hospital in the snow. I know the wait is hideous, honestly. But don't do anything to put your baby at risk unnecessarily. It's not worth it.

 

[Butterfly89]

I'm sorry you're dealing with all that too! =( I had to walk an hour and a half in the freezing snow/rain to get to the hospital the other day. It's terrible not being able to drive!

I hope your tests go well!

And I'm not underestimating the stress of becoming a parent nor the effects of PND, but this is completely irrational anxiety not related to my symptoms so that is why my doctor feels its hormone related. He said *generally* in his experience, women who have bad reactions to the hormone levels of late pregnancy are often the ones who experience relief with the shift that occurs from the delivery of the placenta. But I don't know.. I'm still being monitored for high risk of PND but his opinion is it will get better... I am hoping he is right. =( That's a whole other fear I have, but I have to keep hoping...

 

[smileyfaces]

butterfly xxx

 

[fides]

 

[cbass929]

How are you feeling??

 

[_jellybean_]

I was an emotional mess for the last couple of weeks, and even though I'm five days postpartum which is the prime time for baby blues, I'm actually feeling better than I was when I was pregnant. I think your doctor may be right hon. Everyone is so different, and you may just feel wonderful after your baby is born. Tbh I think that for some women, me included, pregnancy is much harder than having a newborn.

 

[Butterfly89]

Thanks _jellybean_, that gives me hope. I know parenting is going to shake up my life majorly but I have to keep telling myself I can do it.

Still no baby! Lol. =) I'm having more contractions than usual but I still don't feel like anything is happening imminently. Maybe soon I hope, like in the next 2 or 3 days, though I think that would be less about the castor oil and more just a time thing.

At least by friday I will have reached the 41w8d mark and can say I tried to be average lol. Though I found that number was only established from a small study of 140ish women in one practise from 1990. But maybe they have done more since! I did find another site that polled/studied over 1000 women and found the average time for first timers (not including induction or serious complications) to be 39w5d ... I don't know what's true! I would more likely believe the 41+ though from what I've seen.

 

[JeepGirl]

For some reason, I have every labour sign but I'm not effacing completely, just dilating... I'm worried it might be from endometriosis or scar tissue from some procedure I've had done... I'm not sure if that can be possible. Or if its my weird hormonal issues that are causing my body not to respond properly... I'm not an "average woman" so I don't feel like average statistics apply to me really..

I honestly would wait til 45 weeks if these past months hadn't been so rough. The hormones have caused me extreme anxiety to where I wasn't eating without being sick and not sleeping for up to 4 days at a time and then I'd sleep 2-4 hours then do it all over...And having racing thoughts and really weird ideas so they kept me in hospital for two weeks. They put me on anti anxiety/sleep pills as a last resort but the risks were too scary and they stopped working after a couple weeks.

Then the physical side is worrying me because the SPD is getting so much worse and I don't want to end up unable to move at all and have a medical catastrophe of a labour. Though I'm sure all the walking I've been doing doesn't help that, lol.

My doctor is worried about the mental effect pregnancy is having on me and is convinced it will get better after birth since the onset came so suddenly and mainly just third tri. I know that alone isn't a good enough reason for induction but I don't know what else to do short of going to stay in the hospital again. I really don't want to end up there against my will after the baby is born and I'm not sure if they are allowed to do that if I keep refusing induction and they decide its for "health reasons"... here they consider "mental health" part of that.

I don't know how laws work here in regards to how much control they have over birth decisions, I've tried to look it up but no luck finding answers.

I wasn't inducted, but DS was back to back and got stuck. I was given Pitocin while I was pushing to try to make the contractions stronger and help get him out. I can tell you that I had to sign a consent form for them to give me Pitocin. I think the only way they would be able to force an induction would be if the court found you mentally unfit to make medical decissions.

 

[Newt4]

You can be induced with out pitocin. Personally I would touch castor oil but that is just me. They can use a cervical inducer then break your waters and hopefully avoid pitocin.

 

[Butterfly89]

I'm hoping that's what they'll do but it sounded like he was talking about doing Pitocin after the balloon catheter. =( He said at my last appointment that I was nearly completely effaced and 2cm dilated so I'm not sure if the pessary/gel would even work for whatever is halting my labour!

But on a positive note - I'm having really bad cramping tonight. They aren't very close together yet (it seems to be around 7ish minutes apart, I still have trouble counting even with the online counter lol) but they are really painful!!

I tried nipple stimulation earlier for an hour of 3 mins on side, 2 mins rest, 3 mins other side, 2 mins rest... Then used EPO as usual. It definitely did something!!! Also had a bit of spotting/show again. Hoping this is it!!

 

[smileyfaces]

Hopefully things will get going for you!

 

[Newt4]

Good luck!

 

[fides]

good luck!