Castor oil

[ml600]

Hello everyone. I've been researching all day about using castor oil to help labour along. I've been having on and off cramps and contractions and been told I'm in the latent stage of labour, but it's been a week and to say I'm fed up is an understatement. I've tried sex, spicy food, pineapple, walking, rocking, scrubbing floors...
There are loads of stories of the oil working, but also a few of complicated birth which people have put down to the oil...
Has anyone got any experience of this??
Thanks xx

 

[MummyBee]

I havent personally tried it and i also wouldnt. I know one friend that done it and she went into labour later that night she also ended up with a bad dose of the runs! Lol. Like yourself iv heard it can cause complications so i just wouldnt risk it xx

 

[ml600]

Yeah that's what I'm starting to think... I'd never ever forgive myself if there was the slightest chance I caused him any distress... I think I'm just getting desperate lol x

 

[Sugar10]

Ah I feel your desperation! I haven't heard much about it but wouldn't try it. You're so so close now!! I know you're desperate but it won't be long and you'll be having cuddles x

 

[ml600]

I just literally can't do anything the past few days! I constantly feel sick, my back is in pieces, I keep getting dizzy and hot... Ugh... What a moaning myrtle! X

 

[Louise2013]

It's now deemed (amongst medics) quite dangerous to use castor oil to induce labour so I would 100% advise against it (although I know lots of Grannies who would disagree....but they also thoughtsmoking wasn't hazardous back then so.....). Baby will come when they're ready xx

 

[MummyBee]

Your soooo close now! You Came this far already it wont belong till you have your little one in your arms. This stage is by far the hardest. Iv 3.5 weeks left and im really starting to struggle also! Once you have your baby placed in your arms youll forget all about it and itll suddenly seem all so worth it. Xx

 

[ml600]

I know, I know. I don't think k I ever would have taken it tbf... One bad story is enough to put me off lol. But you know when you're just so desperate
Come on baby!! X

 

[Sugar10]

Honestly once you have baby - SOON - you do forget all of this. The last weeks are by far the hardest.

I feel like that too, it's awful, I feel like my body should know what it's doing so why is it being so pathetic and niggling away! I'm trying to manage 3 kids in the school holidays and wouldn't mind waiting if I had no signs, but I keep thinking iys starting then it isn't!

The only comfort we have is that we know in the next couple weeks it will all be over and we'll have newborn cuddles x x

 

[Natalie_reid]

Try pineapple, sex and hot bath. Im due tomorrow and going to try all this later as im booked to be induced on Monday and would prefer to go naturally before then lol arghhh x

 

[ml600]

I've been trying everyday lol. Like sugar said, I wouldn't mind if it wasn't for all the stop starts. It's driving me nuts! Good luck with your induction, but I hope baby comes over the weekend for you!
As much as the thought makes me cry, I'm going to try sex again later... How romantic! X

 

[Louise2013]

Sex! God you're brave..... There is no chance of hubby getting anywhere me at the moment good luck though! X

 

[kumber]

We're so close ml, just hang in there! I've moaned so much that I'm boring myself, but we have less than 3 weeks left! We can doooo thiiiiiiis!

 

[ml600]

Lol Louise!! We dtd 3 times last week but think it only works once baby is ready and just needs encouragement, so I'll try again!!
Thank you kumber! I really don't know what I'd do without you ladies for advice and support!!
How sentimental ey!!! - must be the hormones x

 

[Emerald rose]

My mum used this on my Brother she was 38 weeks. He was her 5th and she had an awful experiance that ended up as being emergency c-section.
She does say it was because of the castor oil but it could have been just as bad if she hadn't used it.

 

[Sugar10]

We are all waiting this out together!! I genuinely think we'll be amongst the last few now! :/ grrrr it's so frustrating! Don't even know why we hope to go before 40 weeks, suppose we are just so fed up now and hormones everywhere! But after all this time we can manage another couple of weeks baby HAS to come out!! X x

 

[MysticTeen]

This might be an unpopular opinion but honestly there is no proof that castor oil harms the baby. People claim it causes them to have a poo inside of you but there is no evidence to back it up.

I personally drank two soup spoons of castor oil in a glass of pineapple juice at around 18:30 on Thursday. I felt a bit yucky and gassy but nothing bad. The next morning at 9:23 my waters suddenly broke and by 19:29 my baby girl was born healthy & beautiful. Now I am not sure if it is the castor oil or not as I had had two sweeps a couple days before and I was doing plenty of walking and would randomly dance and jump around.

 

[Kiagirl]

My gran was a midwife and swore by it. My SIL had a spoon ful on her DD and her waters went 2 hours later with him arriving 4 hours later. I was 36+6, had a korma for tea and dtd at 9pm with no intention of starting labour hence my choice of takeout and my waters went about 11pm. X

 

[Louise2013]

This might be an unpopular opinion but honestly there is no proof that castor oil harms the baby. People claim it causes them to have a poo inside of you but there is no evidence to back it up.

I personally drank two soup spoons of castor oil in a glass of pineapple juice at around 18:30 on Thursday. I felt a bit yucky and gassy but nothing bad. The next morning at 9:23 my waters suddenly broke and by 19:29 my baby girl was born healthy & beautiful. Now I am not sure if it is the castor oil or not as I had had two sweeps a couple days before and I was doing plenty of walking and would randomly dance and jump around.

Just my tuppenceworth, but the risks of meconium in waters can be severe; meconium aspiration syndrome is a life-threatening condition, and whether a person chooses to listen to the current medical position or not (e.g. to avoid castor oil to induce labour and in countenance to the statement there is no evidence to support the idea that it causes meconium in waters, there is none to support the idea that it DOESN'T, especially when laxative effecting elements of stimulant laxatives - of which castor oil is - ARE in some circumstances known to cross the placenta), the fact that that even anectodally this would be a concern should be more than enough to avoid it.

Hope the DTD worked it's magic ml!!!!

Edited to add: I forgot to mention that it's not only risks to baby that is the concern. As a stimulant laxative castor oil stimulates muscular contractions which, as for it's reasons for original use also affect the uterus. This also increases risks for uterine rupture (as the uterus is in effect forcibly contracted rather than hormonally induced) which again, can be life threatening.

But, as with all these things, each to their own....

 

[ml600]

Thank you all for your advice. I pretty quickly decided against it once I researched a little. It's not just the meconium issue, but it can cause very intense contractions and quick labours, which can obviously distress baby. But it's always interesting to see different opinions.
We dtd this morning so I'm hoping a long walk a little later might move things along x