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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Has anyone taken castor oil to being labour-

23 replies

sarahmikeandharry · 28/01/2008 09:30

Hi i have tried everything else,

my due date is 6 days time but my DS was 3 weeks early, so i feeli like i have been carrying forever!!lol

Really fed up of being pregnant now-!!

Just wondered what peoples experiences of taking castor oil was.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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lottiejenkins · 28/01/2008 09:33

I would suggest you wait till your due date! Your lucky that youve gone so far. Some people have very prem babies and would love to get as far as you have! I know youve said tht your first child was 3 weeks early but as ive isaid id hang on!

LazyLinePainterJane · 28/01/2008 09:35

Just wait until you are well overdue

I tried raspberry leaf tea (gross) and bought some kohosh but couldn't bring myself to use it.

Original poster

sarahmikeandharry · 28/01/2008 10:21

already taking rasberry leaf tea capsules!!! have been for about a week, tried fresh pinapple, hot curries, sex, swallowing(sorry TMI) massage, nipple stimulation so really i have exhausted all other avenues in the last week,

i have a feeling LO is happy where she is at the moment!!! lol

OP posts:

lottiejenkins · 28/01/2008 10:46

I cant believe that people actually want their babies early and as for the "swallowing" that sounds awful i think those sort of things are private and if that makes me a prude then im sorry!
My son was born at 26 weeks and only survived for two hours. I'd have loved to have been only six days away!

Mintpurple · 28/01/2008 11:07

sarahmikeandharry - sounds like you have tried just about everything. Your body is probably not quite ready to go into labour yet and if thats the case, theres not much will get you started. Good luck though.

lottiejenkins - sorry to hear about your loss, but you are coming across as quite patronising and negative. SM&H is asking a perfectly reasonable question and your answers are really not helpful, given that she is in a very different situation to yours.

Original poster

sarahmikeandharry · 28/01/2008 13:00

Sorry about your loss lottie- however i agree with the above post, this was not supposed to offend anybody, and i am not trying to have a prem birth i am classed as term and just wondered about other peoples experiences of taking castor oil as it seems to have very mixed reviews!

OP posts:

Original poster

sarahmikeandharry · 28/01/2008 13:01

thank you mint purple, it means alot that you have stood up for me- re lotties post,!!!

OP posts:

onepieceoflollipop · 28/01/2008 13:10

Re the castor oil; I vaguely remember a thread about this a few months ago when I was impatiently waiting for dd2 to arrive. I think (but am happy to be corrected) that the main effect of the castor oil will be to give you terrible tummy ache (for want of a better word) and diarrhoea. Iirc, this would only trigger labour if your uterus was ready anyway, and I doubt that you would enjoy labour with the added side effects of the castor oil (!)So my advice would be not to, but I am not an expert or a midwife or anything like that!

I know these last few days can seem everlasting but shouldn't be long now. Good luck.

glaskham · 28/01/2008 13:12

castor oil is absolutly minging!!! i tried it with ds and i only had it the once but it made me throw up....i went into labour with him a few days later after lots of sex.....and dd came on her own at 38wks after a few days of practise contractions and dilating for me!! i got into a hot bath and 7hrs later had her!!

i also agree re lotties post- there was no offence intended, and he baby wouldn't be 'early'...trying to help labour along at 39wks isn't going to do her baby any harm!!

goingfor3 · 28/01/2008 13:12

sarahmikeandharry castor oil can cause the baby and also you stress, really not worth it.

lottiejenkins · 28/01/2008 13:18

sorry to offend!

Original poster

sarahmikeandharry · 28/01/2008 13:48

Thanks everyone,

I think i will give it a miss- have heard it tasted revolting anyway!!!

OP posts:

wb · 28/01/2008 16:21

Please don't use castor oil - it can cause such a strong reaction in some people that it can be dangerous (placental abruption etc).

AngeK · 28/01/2008 17:42

My friend's mum took castor oil to bring on labour... my friend was born very quickly in the end, but with the cord wrapped twice around her neck! I'm a firm believer in waiting till bubs is ready to come out...

TeenyTinyTorya · 28/01/2008 17:47

Agree with wb - please do not use castor oil, it's very unpleasant and risky.

Sycamoretree · 28/01/2008 18:01

My mum took it in the 70's on GP's suggestion - and spent next 12 hours on the lav - don't do it! Raspberry leaf and nookie (if you can face it ) and fresh pineapple.

elvisgirl · 29/01/2008 11:48

I saw a program where a woman took it on the recommendation of her caregiver & she did go into labour the next day. She took it overnight and her caregiver said that it is better to take it during the day as it will make you go to the lav & you won't get any sleep overnight if you do this.
Personally I'd leave it too!

sweetbean · 29/01/2008 12:19

Have to say i know its a drag but try and hang on till your bodys ready it much better for both of you that way!

I know its really hard!!!!! xx

Lenki · 06/02/2008 21:44

I drank a bottle of Caster oil and went into Labour the same day - it worked but it tasted horible. Grrrrr. Also hot bath seemed to work.

liahgen · 06/02/2008 23:35

castor oil can be very dangerous, please do not try this to bring on labour. There are far nicer natural methods you could try.

Castor oil can cause baby to pass meconium inside you, he could then inhale it into his lungs, and worse case scenario, could die.

sex,nipple stimulation, walking, etc, just not castor oil, please.

Mintpurple · 07/02/2008 08:42

I keep hearing that castor oil can cause meconium in the baby etc, but I would be really interested in any proof if anyone can point me in the right direction, as I cant find anything conclusive to back up this assertion. The Cochrane Collaboration, which is one of the most authoritative medical article review bodies did a Cochrane Review of Castor oil as a labour inducing method and found that there was no evidence of increased meconium or low apgars due to taking castor oil to induce.
The main side effect was nausea in the participants. Article can be viewed here

The reasons for meconium in someone who takes castor oil are blurred by the fact that they are very probably overdue anyway, leading to increased chance of physiological meconium and we dont tell people not to go overdue in case they get mec and baby dies

Other reasons are dehydration from the diarrhoea, but this can be remedied by drinking lots and keeping well hydrated until the diarrhoea passes, even using some isotonic sports drinks.

Mec is present in 12-13% of normal term pregnancies in varying degrees, rising to up to 50% at 42 weeks source and in the vast majority of women does not cause any problems whatsoever, although it can be a sign of distress in conjunction with other signs like CTG abnormalities, this being why we monitor babies with meconium.

So please dont frighten women with this information as it really is not very helpful.

Sparkletastic · 07/02/2008 09:04

I deffo wouldn't do it as even if it worked poor baby and midwives would probably get covered with poop. Some people swear by acupuncture.

disneystar · 07/02/2008 09:58

my mum gave me castor oil and pure orange juice when i was 3 days overdue with my son now 19 it was disgusting and made me sick but she swore she knew better than me and then even mw were suggesting it well i went into labour 10 hours later very quick birth no problems but maybe i would of done without it who knows i have had other babies and never taken it again there was no problem with meconium but i have had had problems with meconium in other labours without the castor oil i have no idea why this is just my personal experience after saying this 6 days to go is still 6 days that little one will come when its ready and not before its lovely and safe in there thats what i always think good luck and hopefully it wont be to long out of my 6 babies its ranged from 6 wks early 3 wks early 5 wks early to a week or 2 late i reckon they call the shots before there born and when there here theres still number one

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