Evening primrose oil

[rightlittlered]

My midwife has mentioned that taking evening primrose oil, orally and vaginally, may help to ripen my cervix or start labour before I'm induced.

Just wondering whether it's actually worked for anyone?

She did say that I'll need to do other things along side this to get things going... raspberry leaf tea, lots of walking, bouncing on a birthing ball etc!

I took EPO in both my pregnancies after 38 weeks. DS1 was born at 38+3 and DS2 at 39 weeks exactly. Both very fast labours with quick dilation, both only needed gas & air. Make of that what you will but if I had another baby (very unlikely!) I would take EPO again!

I took 1000mg twice a day, orally,

Thanks so much for your response - sounds very positive! Will definitely be giving it a go! I've been told to start off on 1000mg at 36 weeks and increase by another 1000mg at 38 weeks.

Yes I've heard of this this time around! With my first I didn't know about it but ate dates and drank RLT like a trooper.

Sorry to sound dim but how do you apply it directly? Do you leave a capsule up there to do its thing or do you just need to get the liquid out and use that?

I think you snip off the tip and insert the capsule to aid the oil out.

I've been drinking RLT since 32 weeks, I'm 35+6 today, started the EPO capsules this morning!

I tried RLT and EPO before my induction but sadly my cervix remained long, firm and clamped shut. Hope it works better for you though - I was induced pretty early!

With my first pregnancy I started the tea at 32 weeks, I delivered naturally at 38 weeks, the pushing stage was nice & easy & not long at all! Fingers crossed for the same scenario!

Ah than you notyet

I found that drinking RLT really regularly at 32 weeks + defo helped!

As for the primrose oil just be warned that you insert it but it will leak out and it's quite messy haha! My cervix wasn't soft at all when labour started (my waters Broke first). When it did start though, it was a pretty quick labour for a first baby! :)