Castor oil to induce labour at 39+4?

[user1465877498]

I've read numerous threads and researched thouroughly into the pros/cons of using castor oil to induce labour. I have had a truly horrendous pregnancy and I wouldn't consider this method until after my due date but it does seem to be the only method that seems to genuinely work for people to bring on labour. I undestand there are side effects such as the nausea and trips to the toilet, but from what I have read it does not enter the placenta and therefore does not heighten the risk of meconium. Can anybody tell me your experiences of castor oil? Thank you

It's dangerous. Very irresponsible to take this while pregnant.

Are you actually kidding? Incredibly dangerous. I personally know someone who took castor oil. Her baby pooed inside her and did not survive.

Oh and chemists can actually refuse to sell it to pregnant women. So hopefully that tells you something. I'm sorry you're suffering but please do NOT do castor oil.

It causes fetal distress. Do you want your baby to be in medical distress?

NO!

Do not do it. Can you imagine having explosive squirts shooting out while trying to labour. Imagine the state of the room after you.
Labour can be very unpredictable, if something goes wrong, will you always wonder if the caster oil started it?

Do not do it.

My mum did this 40plus years ago..... it made her very ill!

It's dangerous and very out dated. Believe me iv had 4 rotten pregnancies amd tried all the methods . By dc 4 I did nothing and let nature take its cause. It was my beat labour ever. No amount of trying to induce labour works . You will only go into labour when ready. All these supposed induction methods are just coincidence. Just chill

Best not beat

Err just no. If you have been reading up assume you know how it works roughly. And you will also have clicked all the million other things to try, of which only sex with the prostaglandins in the semen actually has any provable scientific link.

I had success with sex, clary sage oil/hot baths, spicy food to get your guts moving, evening primrose oil caps up the fanjo and lots of long walks and ball bouncing. Alternatively it was just my time and nothing on my list made any difference

Seriously, don't do it and ask your midwife for extra/early sweeps if you like, and discuss how early they will induce if you are really desperate. (They will NOT want you doing castor oil so might do it sooner if they think they need to for your mental wellbeing I guess)

Take care and baby will come when ready I'm sure

As previously said, castor oil has no direct link with baby passing meconium in waters, that unfortunately happens on occasion anyway regardless of the castor oil. But yes, if something bad did happen I would probably wonder. I only wanted to know people's experiences of castor oil and whether it did work to induce labour, I would never use it if advised it to be dangerous by a health care professional and isn't something I was planning on, just thinking of all my options. Has anybody tried anything that worked for them?

Can't believe you would actually consider this. Geez of course you shouldn't take it.

Thank you adagio :) will look into the clary sage oil xx

I took it and my baby did poop inside of me. Weather it was because of the oil or because he was going too anyways I will never know! There was other things I tried like putting pegs on my toes and eating curry and pine apple

Your main aim is to get the baby's head hitting your cervix, that triggers the hormones to open the cervix and hence labour etc - so lots of walking and ball bouncing and no lounging in bed as when you lay down the head can release the pressure a bit on the cervix. That's the plan anyway.

No health professional would ever advise it.

Thank you :) I've tried curry and pineapple and also tried using the breast pump as I heard nipple stimulation can help, but all that did was hurt :( I haven't got a ball but I walk daily. May pick one up tomorrow and get bouncing lol!

Pinching nipples definitely worked for me. I put on a film, crossed my arms and tweaked my nips all the way through, missed end of film though as I was on way to hospital.

Please tell the film.

I would also recommend nipple stimulation (on the same vein as sex/orgasms - to stimulate the Oxytocin chemical).
I had a tweak yesterday evening which certainly seemed to result in immediate (painless) contractions, but I stopped rather quickly - It had been a real long day and I'm just coming to the end of the worst bit of a viral infecion - So, if he's comfy in there for now, he can just stay put until I'm back to health!

Lots of other things to try.

Sex being most obvious.

Dangerous.

Plus, you're not even overdue.

No idea why people bother trying to induce labour before their "EDD". It's an "estimated" date for a reason.

And yes, all of mine were "overdue" and no, I didn't bother doing anything exceptional to get them to move. They aren't going to stay in there forever, so save yourself the stress.

Sex sex and more sex... walking aswell, keeping active. Do not try castor oil, it's extremely dangerous, if the midwife hasn't offered it to you then that should ring alarm bells as to why!?

No responsible medical professional would tell you to do this. Do not do it. Apart from the risk to your baby why on earth would you want to go into what could be a long labour so sick (vomiting, cramping etc etc) isn't labour itself challenging enough?

I lived abroad for a while in a pretty multi cultural part of Europe and this was a frequent question raised by the German women I knew. Everyone else was pretty horrified at the idea and we convinced many of the Germans not to go that route but apparently the idea is very common over there.

Thanks everybody for your advice. I won't be doing it after hearing everybody's opinions just hope she comes soon :)