Evening Primrose Oil: For Those Interested

PrimRoseMama

casey78:

 OP, I am interested in the evening primrose oil but haven't researched it yet.  Am interested to hear others' thoughts. 

 

I've seen it asked about a bunch of times here and wanted to add my experience with it. My midwife firmly recommended waiting until 37 weeks to start. The reason is that the purpose is to thin out your cervix in preparation for labor. So, if you start too early you can send yourself into PTL. In my experience it is effective, so proceed with caution.

Evening primrose oil capsules look like this:

You want to get the pure EPO. Make sure it has nothing else in it. It can be expensive, you are forewarned. You can also choose to take the oil in liquid form. It doesn't taste very good, TBH. So do so at your own peril.

The most effective method (starting at 37 weeks if you choose. I wait until 38) is to insert a pill into your vagina high up near your cervix and let it dissolve. It is messy y'all. Like, wear a pad because you will have goo and discharge that will look funky. It also feels very bizarre. I tried to do insertion with an applicator but it got too awkward and painful to do it myself (back problems and huge belly towards the end).

The second most effective way is to take the pills orally. Be warned, for me they produced some serious gas and noxious burps that made me nauseated. So, I am glad I only took them for about two weeks.

I was completely dilated in under 4 hours. I don't know if the EPO significantly contributed to this or if it was just how my body does labor. However, my rapid progress was most likely helped along by the EPO according to my midwife and OB. DD was born at 39 weeks and 1 day. 

Any other moms have experience they'd like to share?  

edit: stupid pictures won't show up dammit.  
edit no. 2: FFS, why won't the pic show up? 

dontgiveupnomatterwhat

You did this in conjunction with the Raspberry Leaf Tea correct?

hollandmama

Thanks! I was about to ask you in the other thread. I will ask my MW first but it sounds like a great help... I'll pray for a labor like yours :P

One question, completely unrelated, did you do placenta encapsulation? I've read very good things about it but there's no research showing any advantages and it may be difficult and expensive to get it where I live, so I am wondering if it's really worth it. 

PrimRoseMama

dontgiveupnomatterwhat:

You did this in conjunction with the Raspberry Leaf Tea correct?

Yes!

PrimRoseMama

sandraynic:

Thanks! I was about to ask you in the other thread. I will ask my MW first but it sounds like a great help... I'll pray for a labor like yours :POne question, completely unrelated, did you do placenta encapsulation? I've read very good things about it but there's no research showing any advantages and it may be difficult and expensive to get it where I live, so I am wondering if it's really worth it.nbsp;

I would but its not in our budget this time.

Aurora317

Thanks Prim! I really appreciate the info, my OB informed me at my appt 2 weeks ago that this baby would be coming between 39w and no later than 40w1d, because of complications with the blood clotting issues I have. My husband said the look on my face was the worst thing he's seen all of my pregnancy, I was SO disappointed to find out he won't let me go late. Thankfully my OB is open to natural alternatives before resorting to medical intervention, so I'll be sure to ask him about this at my next appointment. I would REALLY like to go into labor as naturally as possible (being hooked up to a bag of pitocin a week before baby wants to vacate was never on my list of possible labor scenarios.) Thanks!

nicant11

casey78:

Thanks, Prim! nbsp;Here's praying they can't be messier than first tri progesterone suppositories. nbsp;Yuck!

Amen to the progesterone suppositories. Awful!

queenbone

casey78:

Here's praying they can't be messier than first tri progesterone suppositories.  Yuck!

For reals! I can't imagine anything being messier than that. (Says the woman whose waters have never broken.)

kathleen02

I think it helped kick start labor with DS too. At 39w I was measuring a bit small (tuns out it was mostly due to the position of DS) my fluid was measured and it was on the low side of normal. My midwives suggestion was the same above, also in congunction with sex. You can use it almost as a lubricant. It is messy so put a towel underneath. I started having regular contractions when I woke up the next day.