Castor Oil what des it do to you?

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Hi I am now 41+2 and have been told I will be induced on Monday. I really don't want to be induced and have tried everything I can think of to bring on labour naturally. Someone told me that castor oil is good to bring on labour but I was wondering how much do you take and what does it actually do to your body to start labour?
Am getting desperate so am willing to consider everything especially as I have been warned that being induced can make labour more painful than natural labour. Have any of you taken castor oil and if so did it work?

will give you the runs and a belly ache

DO NOT DO IT

Lulumama would advise sex and nipple stimulation

Doesnt help! Well me anyway!

Just had a very upset tummy (which is what its supposed to do) and the hope is that by being poorly, it triggers contractions.

It can also cause distress to the baby, and highly likely baby will be born with meconium in the waters causing at least a 24hr stay in hospital post birth.

I was told that what it does is irritate the bowel and the theory is that it also irritates the uterus, thus triggering contractions. Everything I've heard says do not try it unless you want to be in labour with Diarrhoea and crippling stomach pain. Also can give baby diarrhoea - so meconium in waters as above.

Gives you a very upset tummy and can do the same for the baby. Meconium in the waters is really not a good thing for baby

Don't do it !!!

Ok thanks for the good advice I knew someone on here would know what it did.
Will definitely not be taking it. Any other suggestions for what I could try?

you do not have to agree to induction., you can ask for expectant mangement, although chances are you will have had your baby by next monday.

sex and nipple stim, with a breast pump, resting, visualisaiotn and patience!

Nipple stimulation, sex, eating spicy food or pineapple, long walk, bouncing on a gymball, Accupuncture, reflexology.

Induction really isn't the end of the world. Lots of mums have very quick labours that are not much more painful than a natural labour.

i was induced last time and it did take a while as they were forcing baby out early due to complications but mums who were overdue seemed to go into labour very quickly

AJM - that's a relief - I'm also overdue, with first baby. I've had a reflexology appointment today though, and if nothing kicks off, I'll have another one before I'm induced to hopefully get things going naturally.

I wouldn't advise castor oil.

It wont do much to get you into labour but you will probably get the runs and maybe nausea.

There is no evidence that it causes meconium in the baby - this is another old wives tale - see here.

According to homebirth.org, meconium is increasingly likely as you go overdue, so that at 40 weeks, 30% of women wil have mec and at 42 weeks 50% will have mec. ref

It stands to reason that the more overdue and desperate women get and then try the castor oil, the more chance of mec - although it is probably due to gestation rather than castor oil.

I don't think you want to be in labour with extra stomach cramps and diarrohea from the castor oil! Don't do it.