Castor Oil - Don't Use It!!

[Lilly12]

EPO isn't used to induce labor, castor oil is, since it stimulates your bowels and stomach (which will make you vomit and poop) they believe it'll therefor also stimulate your uterus and therefor kick start labor.
It's not been thoroughly studied so claiming that it'll make your baby pass it's first meconium isn't right.
It isn't harmful, but if you don't watch yourself and read up on it first then you could get dehydrated, this is why nowadays they don't recommend castor oil.

Epo isn't like castor oil at all, EPO is used to soften/ripen your cervix, not to kick start labor.
EPO doesn't have any bad side effects as far as I know. All it will do is help your body prepare for labor, just like Red Raspberry Leaf Tea which tones your uterus.

 

[aliss]

I don't understand why people want to force out barely full term babies (or younger) that are not ready to come, even at the expense of their (mom OR baby) health. If you have a medical reason to force labour then the midwife or doctor will take charge of that.

 

[RNmommy]

I don't know anything about EPO, just the basics. Thats why I posted that information I found on another thread on this website for the other member to read.

And I posted my original post because I wanted women to be aware. And if you read through the threads you see where I stated that there are no studies that have been done on it.

I am going based on what I was told years ago by OBGYN. I took it after one of my family friends recommended it. I didn't do hardly any research on it. Then when I told my OBGYN and the nurses in L&D (when I went in with Braxton Hicks) that I had taken it, they all told me the same thing. That its POSSIBLE that it could cause the baby's first BM in utero.

Im not a doctor or a researcher, Im going based on what I was told by my doc.

Just trying to offer my opinion. I don't think it is healthy for the mother or the baby. And like I said before, I would NEVER take it again. The risks outweigh the benefits.

I don't know why people are getting offended or upset by my post. This is a place for advice, suggestions, support, opinions, etc.

Yes, castor oil is a stimulant laxtive. And it is believed that by it stimulating the muscles of the intestinal tract that it will also stimulate the uterine muscle.
But even though it may make you have contractions, it does not always put a woman into "active labor".

This is just an FYI for anyone considering the use of it and thats all it was meant to be.

Thank you everyone for you replies.

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

It is quite terrifying that some women are still taking this as a means of kick-starting labour and yes I am anxious to meet my LO now, as well as being uncomfortable but from what I've read castor oil is a BIG no no and you can actually get into a lot of trouble with the midwife team for taking it and rightly so tbh. I have had a couple of curries, a clary sage bath and I've been walking a lot though xx

 

[special_kala]

Thank you for posting this

I dont understand why people would ever risk this. Their baby will come when its ready not when the mother is fed up of being pregnant!

 

[RNmommy]

It is quite terrifying that some women are still taking this as a means of kick-starting labour and yes I am anxious to meet my LO now, as well as being uncomfortable but from what I've read castor oil is a BIG no no and you can actually get into a lot of trouble with the midwife team for taking it and rightly so tbh. I have had a couple of curries, a clary sage bath and I've been walking a lot though xx

You know, when I was approaching 38 wks my OBGYN decided he was going to induce me at 38wks if I hand't gone into labor by then. He was expecting my son to be close to 10lbs if i went term. So he told me tons of things to help kickstart my labor. He even stripped my membranes in the office a couple days before I hit 38wks to see if it would help get things going. So thats when I took it upon myself to try the castor oil after my family friend told me about it. I was young and didn't think anything would happen, so I tried it. And then my OBGYN all but yelled at me.

Lesson learned. I will be the poster pregnant woman with the patience of a saint waiting for that baby. Well, ok, maybe not the patience of a saint, but I wont try any castor oil!!!! LOL!!!!

 

[yhl80]

Here's an online wiki reference about the use of castor oil specifically in pregnancy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil

Women who receive castor oil have an increased likelihood of initiation of labor within 24 hours compared to women who receive no treatment( Following administration of castor oil, 30 of 52 women (57.7%) began active labor compared to 2 of 48 (4.2%) receiving no treatment)[30]

Castor oil, when ingested, triggers cramping in the bowel (making it an effective laxative). Thus, it is intended that such cramping extend to the uterus. In an overdue pregnancy in which the mother's cervix is already effacing and partially dilated, this cramping can lead to labor contractions.[citation needed] The irregular, painful contractions of castor oil-induced labor can be stressful on the mother and fetus.[citation needed] It also leaves the laboring woman quite dehydrated as a result of the vomiting and diarrhea which result when the recommended dose of castor oil for labor induction is taken—2 oz, or about 4 tbsp.[citation needed] This leaves her without access to the energy she could otherwise derive from food or drink throughout her labor process. Using castor oil for induction is not recommended without consulting a medical practitioner and is not recommended in a complex pregnancy.[citation needed]

Ricinus communis var minor) administered orally once to each of 12 women volunteers at a dose of 2.5-2.7 g per 8 months, protected against pregnancy over a period of 7-8 months of study.

 

[PeanutBean]

Sorry when I said applied topically I meant to bump not cervix. It's absorbed through the skin and apparently can have an effect that way. As I'm not going to do anything to try kick-start labour (quite the reverse because of the circumstances of my last birth) I haven't looked into it at all but I imagine there must be something online somewhere... Just wanted to share that there might be a safe(r) way to use it.

 

[RNmommy]

Thank you PeanutBean....LOL!! Im sorry i got confused....I was kind of wondering how you'd get it up there, but....I guess you answered that for me.

Wishing you the best with your pregnancy!!!!

 

[mommyof2peas]

When I was 21 with my daughter I tried this.....Yeah it caused lots of pooh and made me feel even worse...and it DID NOT kick start anything, except my trips to the bathroom lol... Also to me it tasted like liquid chap stick! not the flavored kind...the nasty ol' plane kind. It was quite possibly the most nastiest thing I had ever eaten. Nothing happened to my DD thankfully. But Just on taste alone I would NEVER try this stuff again! Plus at 30 Im ok with waiting a bit longer for my LO

 

[BigPoppa192]

Well like the OP said it just about peoples opinions and beliefs really. Castor oil, or intercourse or pineapple as far as im concerned are all methods of trying to bring on a baby so i don't think any prejudice should be attached to people who try them. Once 38 weeks has been reached i don't see anything wrong in trying to help the process along if you've had a problem-free pregnancy that far, i can't begin to imagine what it must be like to be pregnant for almost a year.... i give all you ladies doing this journey a HUGE

 

[carterclan02]

I just want to share my story of Castor Oil..I decided that i would give it a try instead of being medically induced..I drank and gaged and drank some more. with in a few minutes later I was off to toliet.. Pretty soon contractions started we timed and thought this was it..we arrived that the hospital and pretty shortly got an epi as i laid in the bed i kept pooing on myself..I couldn't feel it and didn't even know it had been done till a nurse would come in to clean me up.. this happened 3 times...When i got ready to push I head back for fear of pooing on the doc which with every push i did..when my water broke we realized that baby had a bowl movement in the uterus.once he was born he was rushed away because he was having difficulty breathing and required oxygen..I also feel that for my 4th child my labor was the longest with him and i think that castor oil slowed it down..
My advice is to not do this..I would never recommend this to a person for the dangers to not only your self but for your child also..

 

[AP]

Tbh babys gonna come anyway somehow, why people risk it(for their own benefit) i will never understand.

 

[special_kala]

Well like the OP said it just about peoples opinions and beliefs really. Castor oil, or intercourse or pineapple as far as im concerned are all methods of trying to bring on a baby so i don't think any prejudice should be attached to people who try them. Once 38 weeks has been reached i don't see anything wrong in trying to help the process along if you've had a problem-free pregnancy that far, i can't begin to imagine what it must be like to be pregnant for almost a year.... i give all you ladies doing this journey a HUGE

Dating scans can still be out by a few weeks. 38 weekers have been known to need oxygen.

Women have managed to put up with pregnany for thousands of years so i dont see why we all cant manage the same annd just put up with those last few weeks.

Castor oil can make your baby go into distress which can make them poo in your waters. If they swallow that then they can get a infection....worth it??? i think not!

A baby is distress jerks around and their heart rate is significantly raised. Would anyone want to do that to a newborn? I doubt it so why would it be ok to do it to a unborn baby just for your benefit?

 

[BigPoppa192]

Well like the OP said it just about peoples opinions and beliefs really. Castor oil, or intercourse or pineapple as far as im concerned are all methods of trying to bring on a baby so i don't think any prejudice should be attached to people who try them. Once 38 weeks has been reached i don't see anything wrong in trying to help the process along if you've had a problem-free pregnancy that far, i can't begin to imagine what it must be like to be pregnant for almost a year.... i give all you ladies doing this journey a HUGE

Dating scans can still be out by a few weeks. 38 weekers have been known to need oxygen.

Women have managed to put up with pregnany for thousands of years so i dont see why we all cant manage the same annd just put up with those last few weeks.

Castor oil can make your baby go into distress which can make them poo in your waters. If they swallow that then they can get a infection....worth it??? i think not!

A baby is distress jerks around and their heart rate is significantly raised. Would anyone want to do that to a newborn? I doubt it so why would it be ok to do it to a unborn baby just for your benefit?

I dont see it as something to get heated about really its simply just another thing that bubbles down to people personal evidence, the fact is there is no proven medical evidence to suggest meconium to castor oil. Im not really talking about the use of induction here just its possible effects. I believe people have arrived at his conclusion because it causes women to have the runs, but then again the same argument could be given about lactulose which is actually absorbed into the bloodstream which means the baby gets it nobody however says that will make the baby pooh, as far as im concerned meconium is related to distress!! I like i said earlier every woman will try something in the last few weeks to try and help the labour develop be it walking, intercourse, pineapples etc so no particular stigma should be attached to any one method unless there is unquestionable medical findings!

 

[PeanutBean]

I finally have access to the scientific literature so I've just searched about castor oil. A study from 2009 had the following results:

Of 612 women with a gestation of more than 40 weeks, 205 received castor oil for induction and 407 did not. The time to birth was not significantly different between the two groups (hazard ratio 0.99 (95% confidence interval: 0.81 to 1.20; n = 509)). Castor oil use was not associated with any harmful effects on the mother or fetus.

Conclusion - neither helps nor is harmful!

Just one study but there don't really seem to be any others...

 

[AP]

Still confused why people take the risk? Why bother? Like, why not just......just forget the idea?!

 

[PeanutBean]

Still confused why people take the risk? Why bother? Like, why not just......just forget the idea?!

Well I feel the same way about trying to make baby come early but each to their own!

 

[special_kala]

There are ways to encourage your body to go into labour if its ready but castor oil to me seems more like forcing your body into it.

Personally id rather the few days leading up to what could possible be a long labour chilling out rather then running to the toilet because im having stomach cramps and diarrhea (sp?)

With this pregnancy I will use my birthing ball, take walks and take raspberry leaf tea but none of that is to make my baby come out its to get my body and baby in the best position so that when my BABY is ready to come out its easier on both of us

 

[vetti1979]

I too have watched A Baby Story and have seen mothers to be taking Castor Oil in order to induce labour - personally, as much as I want our baby here now and fed up being pregnant I wouldnt take it. Didnt they use to use castor oil years ago to punish people?/children?.

I have been drinking RLT and taking two EPO caps since 34-35 weeks but thats about it - bouncing on my birthing ball too.

Obviously, like anything each to ther own but i have enough to contend with having SPD and learning we have a posterior baby so will have to try to turn her - the last thing i need is to be stuck in the batroom on the loo with very very loose bowels too! lol!.

Good luck ladies x