Castor oil as last resort instead of pitocin?

[Butterfly89]

I know there are risks with castor oil and dangers of meconium... though I've heard it isn't that common. But I've still been avoiding it as being up all night in the bathroom doesn't sound great either, lol!

However! They've set my induction date as next Friday and said I *can* push it ahead a week possibly if everything seems ok. But even still, if I am getting to my induction date (whether that be at 41 or 42 weeks) then should I try castor oil?

I really don't think I'm going to go on my own! I will have hours and hours of cramps and BH and literally every labour sign, even bloody show, and then it will stop and go away! And I haven't dilated any more in the past week despite using EPO, DTD, and lots of brisk walking/squats.

I think my body needs an extra kick of some kind to get going! What do you think all? Is castor oil better than Pitocin? I know it might not even work, but should I try before going in to be induced?

And if so, how much should I take?

 

[cbass929]

I did it with DD and she was fine I went into labour that night and there was no meconium. I was in early labour for almost 2 weeks with my last lo and 2 days before having him I took 2 tbsp but it didnt help any and there was no meconium in the sack this time either.
I think the only way it really works any is you have to have started progressing on your own and you have to drink a lot. More then just a couple tablespoons. But the stuff is SO nasty I couldn't do it! Just thinking of it makes me want to !!

I'd say go for it and good luck!!

 

[Butterfly89]

I'm going to wait until next wednesday after my appointment and if nothing has changed, I'm going to go for it I think! I'm hoping I'll just go anyway before then since I've been having so much pelvic pressure and constant bloody show and cramping all day though!! But it keeps tricking me so I'm not tooo hopeful lol.

Last week, I was 2cm dilated, totally soft, but still a little bit of effacement to go (he said there was still an "edge" he could feel). I keep reading with your first, you usually efface before dilating, but I guess that's not for everyone.

I found this too: https://www.babycenter.ca/x1048133/can-castor-oil-bring-on-labour
And it does say to probably avoid it because of nausea, but not that its an extreme danger or anything....

Edit: The more I search, the more scary stuff I find LOL. I might end up being too nervous to do it.

 

[JillMc]

My SIL did it with all 5 of her kids and all were born within 10 hours of drinking it and all fine. I was 2 weeks over with my DD and they were still holding of inducing me (Stupid NHS at times) and I was at my witts end. I went looking for caster oil because like you I had been having all the signs for over a month but still no baby. But my search turned up nothing. Found out afterwards when I talked to a midwife that the NHS had them take caster oil off of the shelves because of too many women taking it and a problem with "slippery babies" She told me that now the only way you can get caster oil is on script from GP. I hope you have better luck finding it in Canada

 

[cbass929]

I'm going to wait until next wednesday after my appointment and if nothing has changed, I'm going to go for it I think! I'm hoping I'll just go anyway before then since I've been having so much pelvic pressure and constant bloody show and cramping all day though!! But it keeps tricking me so I'm not tooo hopeful lol.

Last week, I was 2cm dilated, totally soft, but still a little bit of effacement to go (he said there was still an "edge" he could feel). I keep reading with your first, you usually efface before dilating, but I guess that's not for everyone.

I found this too: https://www.babycenter.ca/x1048133/can-castor-oil-bring-on-labour
And it does say to probably avoid it because of nausea, but not that its an extreme danger or anything....

Edit: The more I search, the more scary stuff I find LOL. I might end up being too nervous to do it.

If you are already 2cm dilated and having bloody show I would go ahead and take it now tbh! There's ups and downs to everyone for everything. It's just like medication all have a warning label for alllll the things that could go wrong. My dr said it was safe to use. My cousins dr also told her to drink a small bottle full a few days before her induction.
I would also maybe take EPO and insert EPO. I think it really helped me along. The last week of my pregnancy I was taking 2000mg orally and 1000mg inserted.

 

[Bumpblessing4]

I guess I am going to be the only one to say the opposite. I almost tried it with my first, but then I read a story from a mother whose baby nearly died after she used castor oil to induce labor. I believe it was from "precipitous labor" (labor that is much too fast), but I don't all recall the details now. Maybe the fast labor allowed him to inhale meconium as you mentioned? I know that can lead to pneumonia and respiratory distress. Maybe they inhale the meconium because they get diarrhea in utero from the castor oil like we can get diarrhea and vomiting from it and castor oil crosses the placenta. I'm sure many mothers have used it safely before, but the risk just doesn't sound worth it to me.

 

[fides]

I am so sorry you are facing this decision - a very difficult one! As you know, the fact is, any time a woman agrees to any induction intervention, there are risks.

The risk of baby passing meconium has been talked about a lot on BnB with castor oil and it's still an open-ended question of whether the castor oil caused it or it was coincidental (women going past their EDD are more likely to have babies pass meconium; women who resort to castor oil are usually going to be past 41 weeks).

Dehydration is also a risk associated with castor oil, which makes total sense to me, so if you are going that route, please, please make sure to drink LOTS of water and electrolyte drinks! I had a bad stomach bug the day before I gave birth last time around which left me very dehydrated, and I think that is why my labor was so painful.

For pitocin, I just did a quick search online and found the following as risks:
- For mothers: Anaphylactic reaction, Postpartum hemorrhage, Cardiac arrhythmia, Fatal afibrinogenemia, Hypertensive episodes, Nausea, Vomiting, Premature ventricular contractions, Pelvic hematoma, Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Hypertensive episodes, Rupture of the uterus
- For babies: Bradycardia, Premature ventricular contractions and other arrhythmias, Permanent CNS or brain damage, Fetal death, Neonatal seizures have been reported, Low Apgar scores at five minutes, Neonatal jaundice, Neonatal retinal hemorrhage

So, like I said, any intervention has risks, but I applaud you for trying to weigh your risks and options responsibly.

I'm like you - loads and loads of prelabor signs that have gone nowhere. I am terrified of hitting the 42 week mark this coming week b/c I'll be facing the same decision you are. Let's hope our little ones come on their own, like ASAP!!

 

[patch2006uk]

*I've removed my post based on what's happened today. Hope you understand. All I'm going to say is please don't take risks with your babies by trying to intervene with home remedies. I don't regret any decisions we made. I can't imagine how I would feel if there was any chance I caused this heartbreak myself*

 

[Jemmacalland]

My sister was in the same boat as you but couldn't find it anywhere apart from online, with my first I got some, tried a tiny tiny bit but couldn't do it, when I did start labour days after she had passed a movement inside me if I had taken the oil I would of blamed that x

 

[jen_rios]

ill just share my experience.
with my first, i induced with caster oil. i took 2 tbsp and was in labor 13 hrs, then he was here.
with this one i planned to induce at 37 wks bcuz the father is in the army and had to have a specific time. my dr gave me the ok. well i was about 36 and a few days and went to the hospital cuz i thought i was leaking fluid, and found out that i wasnt, but i was 2cm dilated. so i figured i'd go ahead and do it. i took a whole 6 oz bottle within 3 days and NOTHING! im only at a 3 now and still pregnant. ive walked, dtd, everything! i told the dr i took it and he thinks everything is fine, it just didnt work. so due to certain issues, i am having a c-sect on the 18th instead of inducing on the 15th as 2nd plan. so it may work, or not. i did have a sore booty afterwards lol

 

[third time]

Have you tried inserting a pierced epo capsule? I did this on the Tuesday night, went on a 40 min walk on the Wednesday morning and my waters broke 15 mins later. Worth a try. Walk, walk, walk, my second 40 walk on the Thursday sent me into full blown labour!

 

[patch2006uk]

Have you tried inserting a pierced epo capsule? I did this on the Tuesday night, went on a 40 min walk on the Wednesday morning and my waters broke 15 mins later. Worth a try. Walk, walk, walk, my second 40 walk on the Thursday sent me into full blown labour!

We don't drive, so we walk everywhere. I've walked at least a mile a day every day. Walking gets baby into position, but I can definitely attest that it won't sen you into labour if you're not going to go anyway!!

 

[Butterfly89]

Well. I'm ridiculously spontaneous. I just gave in and tried it, lol. I took two tablespoons. If anything, it'll take care of the horrid constipation that crept up on me this past week.

I talked to my grandmother and she used it when she went to 41 weeks my aunt and was facing induction because the baby was putting pressure on her kidneys (I guess they induced for that then!). She said she was nervous to give me bad advice but it did work for her and she took half of the recommended dose (which was apparently 4tbsp according to her nurse at the time). My friend also said she had to be induced with her first and it was AWFUL so her second time around, she used castor oil and it was definitely uncomfortable but nothing compared to the Pitocin cramps. Her advice was to drink Gatorade as soon as the er, clear out started lol. And keep drinking water. So I'm going to do that!

And I have tried EPO and its awesome stuff!! Aside from the other benefits, it's made my hair and skin SO soft and before I was up all night itching. I started with 1,000mg EPO daily at 36 weeks, then 1,000mg EPO in the morning and again at dinner from about 38 weeks, then also inserting 1,000mg pierced caps each night since 39 weeks! I think it did help with softening the cervix and everything down there feels very "stretchy"... not sure how to explain it other than stretchy lol, which seems like a really good sign to me!!

I wish I could've found more medical studies on castor oil but what I did find seemed ok and I did read hundreds of personal stories and midwives' opinions that said any risks (baby passing meconium, fast onset labour) are more related to dehydration which is what causes the stress. I found some colloquial opinions saying it can cross the placental barrier, but I found two medical sources saying it does not, and that if baby does pass meconium, its from the mother's body being stressed (increased heartrate, pain from bowel cramps, etc) and not the actual chemical effect of the oil. And those things can happen with Pitocin as well. Comparing the risk to those of Pit, seems far less or at least equal.

I hope I didn't do the wrong thing. :S

 

[AwesomePossum]

Horrible, but the thing that worked for me was a home enema, a mega dose of zinc and 5-10 min of nipple stimulation (sometimes gently with a hand breast pump and sometimes with warm wet washcloth) every hour all day.

 

[Butterfly89]

I've tried nipple stimulation! It doesn't even give me one cramp. =( I think my body doesn't know what to do with prostaglandins, lol. I've literally tried EVERYTHING before the castor oil. Everryytthingggg.. Italian spices, Chinese food, Mexican food, bumpy car rides, walking, jumping, galloping, DTD, warm bath, EPO, pineapple (though I hear you need to eat 8 to have it work lmao) etc etc etc... I exhausted a list of 40 ideas LOL.

Anyway - update. Yep, it works as a laxative. Definitely do not try it if you have low pain tolerance or really hate loose bowels. The cramps when you have to go are awful, seriously! There was a second I was in the bathroom where I was wondering if I was going to survive it bahaha. But now it seems to be done with and honestly wasn't THAT bad... but I have IBS so maybe I am just used to crampy evilness. >_> I had a few light BH but nothing more yet.

It still does not compare to the time I tried the Jillian Michaels Detox capsules... omg... xD

Though I did only take the half recommended dose of C/O so we'll see. I don't really feel anything else happening!

Still though - just because I haven't had an awful experience, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else just yet. :S

 

[jen_rios]

butterfly i think you did the right thing MAKING YOUR OWN DECISION. keeping my fxed for you

 

[Butterfly89]

Ok, final verdict is... it's so not worth it, lol. When it finally kicked in, the cramps were AWFUL and it ended up in pretty much burning water coming out the wrong end. Now I just have a sore bottom and can't sleep from discomfort and for fear of not making it to the bathroom in time! And I haven't had so much as one contraction.

So there you go. This is such an "I told you so" moment for me, haha. =( The cramps combined with the worry of "did I do something wrong for my baby?" are just not worth it!

I'm still nervous about the idea of Pitocin but I'm still hoping it won't come to that!

 

[patch2006uk]

You're only 4 days over. Statistically a first pregnancy goes 8 days over. Give your body some time.

 

[Mandyblur]

Ok, final verdict is... it's so not worth it, lol. When it finally kicked in, the cramps were AWFUL and it ended up in pretty much burning water coming out the wrong end. Now I just have a sore bottom and can't sleep from discomfort and for fear of not making it to the bathroom in time! And I haven't had so much as one contraction.

So there you go. This is such an "I told you so" moment for me, haha. =( The cramps combined with the worry of "did I do something wrong for my baby?" are just not worth it!

I'm still nervous about the idea of Pitocin but I'm still hoping it won't come to that!

Castor oil can take upto 24 hours to work, i used it for both of my kids and went into labour within 6 hours, my sister (who was facing induction) didn't go into labour until the following afternoon.

It may still work yet

Whatever happens i hope you get your bubs in your arms soon x

 

[Butterfly89]

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.