Caster oil - is in inadvisable?

[BroccoliSpears]

My midwife suggested I take some caster oil to get this baby out.

I thought caster oil was generally reckoned not to be a good thing.

Your midwife suggested it???? Seriously???

Well I was a bit surprised too.

I said aren't there risks about taking caster oil?

She said she wouldn't know about that, and that she'd taken it because her friend suggested it.

Anyone?

I'll go and search archives. I bet this has been covered before.

I dont think it is recommended and have seen a thread recently advising that way, however my own personal experience is that i used it for my DS1, i had a terrible pregnancy from 30 weeks on, and was desperate for the baby to come, i didnt start until just before 37 weeks, and baby had steroids, but he was born at 36+6 after only 4.5 hours from start to finish, dont know whether the castor oil had anything to do with it though!!!

Have just re read my message, i started just after 36 weeks, sorry put it down to baby brain!!!

I can find lots of people advising not to take it, but I can't find out WHY exactly.

My little boy had poo'd inside, so maybe thats true. i hear years ago they used to use it to induce you. I probably wont try this time to be honest.

It'll get you started if that's what you really want - thta's for sure.

if you want to be dehydrated with appalling stomach cramps and pains, and labour on the toilet in pain from your belly and your labour, tehn go for it !

totally inadvisable imo

if your cervix is unfavourable then you need to ripen it .. so get with the sex and then nipple stim to try to get ctx going

as hatrick has said it can increase the incidence of meconium in your waters, which can affect the path your labour takes

so , IMHO and my non medical opinion your MW was wrong to advise this

Well, at 41 weeks, getting started is exactly what I want. But not if there are risks to the baby or myself.

Thanks Lulu. Your opinion is one I take notice of. As I said, was a bit surprised that MW suggested it.

Will just wait for induction next week.

I took it TWICE! Hideous. However, the 1st time (at 42 weeks) it did start contractions which then disappeared during the night. The second time was at 43+2 (yes really) and it had the desired affect, but tbh baby probably on the way anyway. I would not recommend it as during labour as I suffered as "mightbe" said.... contractions, leaking waters, diarrhoea on the loo - NOT NICE!

Oh dear hatrick, sorry . Am a bit lot self obsessed at the mo and should think more before I post.

hey, i namechecked you hatrick !

broccoli, my lovely, if you need to cook your babies for 43 weeks, so be it. you don;t have to be induced at term + 10 oe 12 or 14.. if your baby is happy in there, he/she can stay in there. you can ask for expectant management.

if your cervix is not favourable before induction it can take longer and be a really drawn out process. as you know

best to try to wait untl your body and your baby is ready. IMO

I was nearly 42 weeks pregnant and did a LOT of researching on castor oil. I have known some midwives do say you can take it.

The way that it owrks is that it's a really effective irritant to your stomach and intestines and can give you quite severe vomiting/stomach cramps/diarreoha. You womb is sitting in the middle of your intestines with your stomach sitting just on top of it. So this can get your womb irritated and jump start the labour.

I ended up taking it as my induction day (booked for Xmas day) was looming. I vomited the stuff back up as soon as it hit my stomach - so it never worked.

However, I've spoken to lots of women to whom it's worked but they have felt really poorly before labour starts.

The concerns are that you are at risk of dehydration which fetus's do not like at all. Also - labour can start quite aggressively. Both these factors can adversely affect the health of the fetus in labour and probably increase the risk of fetal distress. It can also make your experience of labour a poor one if your are labouring with your head and rear end alternatively down the toilet. Not pleasant!