Evening Primrose Oil at 40 weeks

[Despicablebump]

So I am due tomorrow and there is no sign of anything happening. I have read on google that you can use evening primrose oil internally to soften the cervix which can help with labour. Spoke to my midwife about it who says that we should do nothing to intervene, no raspberry leaf tea, no EPO and no sweeps.

So my question is if I insert EPO will the mw or hospital be able to tell? Is it safe to do? What happens to the coating on the tablets, does it dissolve and fall out?

Why doesn't your midwife want you to do anything like raspberry leaf tea or have sweep?

(Although from what I remember you need to have been drinking the tea from about week 35 or something like that. Also sweeps are overrated I had 3 and the little devil, I mean DS, didn't budge so I was induced in the end).

I would be very cautious about inserting anything into/ near your cervix tbh. There is always a risk of infection for one thing. But I may just be over-cautious.

Raspberry leaf tea doesn't bring on labour, it is supposed to help strengthen the uterus for the second stage of labour (I think).

But a sweep is v different from all re old wives' tales stuff - don't see why mw can't book you in for one if you're overdue? I think even a sweep won't work unless conditions are favourable?

all the old, not re

I asked mw for a sweep when I got to 40 weeks but says they dont work, despite working with my last dc. She doesn't believe in any intervention until 14 days over, groan. I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea since 36 weeks, did this with last pregnancy and had a 2 hour labour.

I know sweeps can be hit and miss but if your body is ready I reckon it'll certainly help jig things along. If you want one you should insist. I was a bit pushy with my midwife and asked for a sweep and asked her to book me in for induction. If I hadn't she would have just left me getting bigger and bigger as she kept saying "you don't need to do anything" which is not what I wanted to hear when I just wanted him out!