Castor Oil...Pros vs. Cons?

LadySprat

Hi ladies.

Have any of you tried castor oil to induce labor with this pregnancy or a previous pregnancy?  What are the pros and cons of using castor oil to self induce labor?  I'm getting desperate obviously, and my sister tried it and it worked for her, so I'm wanting to try it.  The nurse said it's okay to try by using 2 tablespoons - to start - mixed in 8 oz of orange juice and wait a few hours.  But of course I have to keep drinking tons of water to make sure I don't have horrid adverse side affects!

Basically I'm going to try it, but I'm curious to know what anyone elses experience was with it.  I'm going to try it tomorrow, cause the weather here is icy, lol.  So just in case it works, tomorrow the roads will be clear :-)

Bhobbsdz

Well my nurse told me to try anything I want except Castor Oil.  She said I did not want to be sick during my entire delivery.  I have had several friends who are nurses that have told me to steer clear of Castor Oil.  I am to chicken to try it.  I figure when ds is ready, he will come on his on.  Good luck if you do try it, but be careful.  

due 01/25/10

I thought about it, I want to meet my baby just as much as everyone else, but think of what Castor Oil is.. it's a bowel cleanser.. it's going to empty you right out and if it does work can you imagine getting the epidural, not being able to get out of bed, and having lots of diarrhea all over the bed while you're trying to push a baby out? Just the visualization of that makes me so sick that I don't even want to sniff that stuff lol..

MrsColvin

With DS I took the recommended dose on the bottle... I think it was 3 tbls... But I mixed it with coke. I didn't get terribly sick, I did have some good " cleaning out" but I didn't feel sick. But apparantly I was dialating the whole time I was pooping because by the time I felt better I went to bed and woke up a few hours later to my water breaking and when I got to the hospital is was an 8 and hadn't felt a single contraction. If you do it don't take too much. GL

bakershaker

I used it with DS, it did work. I took 1 sip out of the bottle and then started a cleaning rampage on my house. As soon as I sat down to relax after..my contractions started, but it was a very long intense labor...Started at 4 p.m on a Saturday and had him 3:48 a.m on Monday..35 hours and it was all spent at the hospital with back labor..progressed very slowly and ended up having a episiotomy and forceps delivery. I really don't think my LO was ready to come out yet..but I'm stubborn and wanted him here before Christmas. Would I do it again...never. But it did work. Good luck!

daisyterp

I WISH I had done it with DD when I was 11 days late.  I was too chicken & ended up on pitocin in bed for 23 hrs.   I couldn't get the epidural until I was 4 cm dilated, so it was 11 hrs of pit-induced contractions while strapped to a bed.  Once you get an epidural they usually do a catheter and many women poop on the table while pushing, so I really wouldn't worry about the "cleaning" out aspect of the castor oil.

I tried every other thing under the sun to trigger labor- eating spicy food and having sex on the night of a full moon, pedicure, walking, etc., etc. I should have just taken the d@mn castor oil.  

 

 

Bridgetkaryn

My DH just came home from Walgreens with a bottle... it is staring at me... hmmmm... so, 3 tablespoons right??? ekkkk! I hope I don't barf! I have a terrible gag reflex!

 

[<b>edited by:</b> Bridgetkaryn at 2:00 PM (GMT -6) on Sat, Jan 30 2010]
Update: Attempted to take 2 tablespoons... I think I got 1 tablespoon down, but threw up the rest projectile vomit style... Grossest thing ever...  Lets hope this works because I cannot do that again!

LadySprat

Bridgetkaryn:

My DH just came home from Walgreens with a bottle... it is staring at me... hmmmm... so, 3 tablespoons right??? ekkkk! I hope I don't barf! I have a terrible gag reflex!

 

[<b>edited by:</b> Bridgetkaryn at 2:00 PM (GMT -6) on Sat, Jan 30 2010]
Update: Attempted to take 2 tablespoons... I think I got 1 tablespoon down, but threw up the rest projectile vomit style... Grossest thing ever...  Lets hope this works because I cannot do that again!

OMG, you have to update!

My DH bought my bottle from Walgreens too, haha.  Since it's icy out I'm going to take it tomorrow morning.  But I'm drinking water today to keep from getting dehydrated - hopefully. 
Tomorrow I'll definitely let you know what happens.  I'm going to take it with orange juice and stay close to the potty just in case. 

I'm already 4cm dilated, so hopefully the prostoglandins and contractions will just help speed things up so I wont' have to do pitocin.

FX

Bridgetkaryn

I think I am going to go make the DH have the sexy time with me...

 I CLEARLY want this baby out!!!

Seriously, the castor oil was soooo gross.... 

fisha25

I took castor oil  last week. I was told to by my dr. after calling her for a laxative suggestion. I take iron 3x a day for my anemia and it makes me super constipated. Since i was already past the 38 week mark and i've been 4 cm for weeks now she said take castor oil it would clean me out and maybe start labor. As you can see the labor part didn't go so well. Neither did the cleaning out part either though. i went to the bathroom twice and that was it, which was good enough since that was the whole point but i was hoping if i had to drink castor oil i would get a baby out of it. no luck.