Is it too late to start evening primrose?

mw_sorrel

For evening primrose to be effective - is it something I should have been doing much earlier in pregnancy???

 I'm being induced next week for medical reasons and hoping I could start using evening primrose to hopefully soften my cervix.  

 

I know sex can help ripen the cervix, too - but the thought of sex right now makes me want to stab people.   

abell77

I don't know the answer to your question, but I would look at it this way...it certainly isn't going to do any harm to start it now, so why not try it and hopefully it will help.

citychicks

No, but it is usually placed on the cervix, which may be difficult to reach.

Finalbride

mw_sorrel:

I know sex can help ripen the cervix, too - but the thought of sex right now makes me want to stab people.   

 

This made me laugh...thank  you.  I keep thinking, that's what got me into this state. LOL!

lilbit923

From what I've been told you can take it orally and insert it vaginally. You can find it in the vitamin section at most grocery stores. I have the 1000 mg capsules. Before you go to bed puncture the capsule and insert it as high as you can into your vagina up near your cervix. It will help your cervix soften and ripen. I am not sure how long it will take for it to work. But I did read that to put it in vaginally you'll need to do it at bedtime, otherwise it will fall out.

You could google evening primrose oil and cervical ripening to see what else it comes up with. And you're right. Sex does help ripen the cervix and actually semen is said to be stronger than epo.

RayRay007

I think the usual recommendation is to start it orally at 34 weeks, and vaginally at 36 weeks. I wouldn't say you're too late. Anything to help, right?

ETA: 3-4 500mg capsules/day is recommended from 38 wks on (2/day prior to 38 wks)

missmiss307

I agree with PP that it probably wouldn't hurt anything, but I think it is usually taken vaginally at your stage of pregnancy. It's on my list of things to talk with my doctor about at my appointment tomorrow.

JYeagersGrl

Just start with the higher dosage (its not gonna hurt anything if you start with the higher dosage) and if anything it will help a little bit and will make your induction possibly go a bit faster. 

 Take 3-4 500 mg capsules ( you can get larger mg's so you don't have to swallow so many pills) and insert one gel cap directly in your vagina as close to your cervix as possible at bed time.  You don't have to actually apply it to your cervix like the other person said it will dissolve in there while you sleep and you can also massage your perineal area with it if you want.

kesrya

citychicks:

No, but it is usually placed on the cervix, which may be difficult to reach.

Incorrect about placing it on the cervix - but I'll get to that in a minute.

EPO should not be started until 37 weeks - so you are right on time to start using it.  It typically takes a few weeks to fully ripen the cervix, but it can speed things up very quickly, especially if your body is already producing an increase in prostagladins - which is why it should not be used prior to 37 weeks in the case that it might prematurely open the cervix and lead to pre-term labor.  If you are being induced next week, i would recommend taking the full dosage now - which is two pills (1000mg) 3x per day WITH FOOD - it is fat soluble and your body won't digest it properly on an empty stomach.

Now on to the taking it orally vs. taking it vaginally.  I am a licensed health care provider who works with a lot of pregnant women, and I had never heard the suggestion nor read in any of my herbal med books of using it vaginally until coming on these boards.  I was a bit suspicious of this suggestion b/c the oral supplements are coated in a gelatin that is intended to maintain their integrity.  In other words - you need the acids of the digestive system to break down the capsules, the moisture of the vagina is not enough to do it.  At that time, I speculated that opening the capsules and applying the oil directly might still be of some benefit - though still not as effective as oral dosing.

But when someone reported on the Natural Birth board that she developed a yeast infection after using it vaginally, I decided it was time to due further research to put this myth to rest once and for all.  I went onto Cochrane Database - a peer-reviewed medical database and pulled up multiple studies reviewing EPO.

In fact, the reason why EPO does what it does is because the GLA that is present in EPO is a precursor to prostaglandin in the body.  Prostaglandin is the hormone that causes the cervix to efface and dilate - this is why having sex can induce labor (semen contains prostaglandin) and why some OBs will use prostaglandin gels (which are typically derived from animal semen) directly on the cervix to induce prior to using pitocin.

However, EPO is the *precursor* to prostaglandin - it is not prostaglandin itself.  Your body must convert the GLA to prostaglandin, and this takes place in the digestive tract with the proper enzymes and other amino acids present to convert and transport to the organs/endocrine system that produce such hormones.  There is nothing in the vagina or the cervix that can convert or make a hormone out of raw materials.  It would be like BRUs dropping off an oak tree at your house without any building tools instead of sending you the pre-made crib that you just have to screw together.

WannaBeCrunchyMama

abell77:

I don't know the answer to your question, but I would look at it this way...it certainly isn't going to do any harm to start it now, so why not try it and hopefully it will help.

 

AshasaurusRex

kesrya:

citychicks:

No, but it is usually placed on the cervix, which may be difficult to reach.

Incorrect about placing it on the cervix - but I'll get to that in a minute.

EPO should not be started until 37 weeks - so you are right on time to start using it.  It typically takes a few weeks to fully ripen the cervix, but it can speed things up very quickly, especially if your body is already producing an increase in prostagladins - which is why it should not be used prior to 37 weeks in the case that it might prematurely open the cervix and lead to pre-term labor.  If you are being induced next week, i would recommend taking the full dosage now - which is two pills (1000mg) 3x per day WITH FOOD - it is fat soluble and your body won't digest it properly on an empty stomach.

Now on to the taking it orally vs. taking it vaginally.  I am a licensed health care provider who works with a lot of pregnant women, and I had never heard the suggestion nor read in any of my herbal med books of using it vaginally until coming on these boards.  I was a bit suspicious of this suggestion b/c the oral supplements are coated in a gelatin that is intended to maintain their integrity.  In other words - you need the acids of the digestive system to break down the capsules, the moisture of the vagina is not enough to do it.  At that time, I speculated that opening the capsules and applying the oil directly might still be of some benefit - though still not as effective as oral dosing.

But when someone reported on the Natural Birth board that she developed a yeast infection after using it vaginally, I decided it was time to due further research to put this myth to rest once and for all.  I went onto Cochrane Database - a peer-reviewed medical database and pulled up multiple studies reviewing EPO.

In fact, the reason why EPO does what it does is because the GLA that is present in EPO is a precursor to prostaglandin in the body.  Prostaglandin is the hormone that causes the cervix to efface and dilate - this is why having sex can induce labor (semen contains prostaglandin) and why some OBs will use prostaglandin gels (which are typically derived from animal semen) directly on the cervix to induce prior to using pitocin.

However, EPO is the *precursor* to prostaglandin - it is not prostaglandin itself.  Your body must convert the GLA to prostaglandin, and this takes place in the digestive tract with the proper enzymes and other amino acids present to convert and transport to the organs/endocrine system that produce such hormones.  There is nothing in the vagina or the cervix that can convert or make a hormone out of raw materials.  It would be like BRUs dropping off an oak tree at your house without any building tools instead of sending you the pre-made crib that you just have to screw together.

Whoa, supper interesting, I had always heard to insert it vaginally!

sandrea77

kesrya:

citychicks:

No, but it is usually placed on the cervix, which may be difficult to reach.

Incorrect about placing it on the cervix - but I'll get to that in a minute.

EPO should not be started until 37 weeks - so you are right on time to start using it.  It typically takes a few weeks to fully ripen the cervix, but it can speed things up very quickly, especially if your body is already producing an increase in prostagladins - which is why it should not be used prior to 37 weeks in the case that it might prematurely open the cervix and lead to pre-term labor.  If you are being induced next week, i would recommend taking the full dosage now - which is two pills (1000mg) 3x per day WITH FOOD - it is fat soluble and your body won't digest it properly on an empty stomach.

Now on to the taking it orally vs. taking it vaginally.  I am a licensed health care provider who works with a lot of pregnant women, and I had never heard the suggestion nor read in any of my herbal med books of using it vaginally until coming on these boards.  I was a bit suspicious of this suggestion b/c the oral supplements are coated in a gelatin that is intended to maintain their integrity.  In other words - you need the acids of the digestive system to break down the capsules, the moisture of the vagina is not enough to do it.  At that time, I speculated that opening the capsules and applying the oil directly might still be of some benefit - though still not as effective as oral dosing.

But when someone reported on the Natural Birth board that she developed a yeast infection after using it vaginally, I decided it was time to due further research to put this myth to rest once and for all.  I went onto Cochrane Database - a peer-reviewed medical database and pulled up multiple studies reviewing EPO.

In fact, the reason why EPO does what it does is because the GLA that is present in EPO is a precursor to prostaglandin in the body.  Prostaglandin is the hormone that causes the cervix to efface and dilate - this is why having sex can induce labor (semen contains prostaglandin) and why some OBs will use prostaglandin gels (which are typically derived from animal semen) directly on the cervix to induce prior to using pitocin.

However, EPO is the *precursor* to prostaglandin - it is not prostaglandin itself.  Your body must convert the GLA to prostaglandin, and this takes place in the digestive tract with the proper enzymes and other amino acids present to convert and transport to the organs/endocrine system that produce such hormones.  There is nothing in the vagina or the cervix that can convert or make a hormone out of raw materials.  It would be like BRUs dropping off an oak tree at your house without any building tools instead of sending you the pre-made crib that you just have to screw together.

Thanks for the information! 

missmiss307

To the OP (follow-up to stuff previously posted): I would still ask your doctor or MW about it. The person on here who says she is a medical professional definitely sounds like she knows what she's talking about, but ultimately all of us advice offerers are just a bunch of folks you don't know from the internet.

kesrya

missmiss307:

To the OP (follow-up to stuff previously posted): I would still ask your doctor or MW about it. The person on here who says she is a medical professional definitely sounds like she knows what she's talking about, but ultimately all of us advice offerers are just a bunch of folks you don't know from the internet.

Absolutely!!!  I have intentionally kept an anonymous user handle and not joined my bump's birth month FB page b/c for me, thebump has been a *personal* place I have enjoyed relaxing and learning throughout my own pregnancy.  

When I post medical information, I try to either give direct resources (like links to medical journal articles) or give enough information about the process (like in this case, I'm trying to explain the way nutrition works in the body) so that a reader can do their own research further themselves and come to an informed decision.  I mention my medical background b/c there are a lot of snarky people who, when a random bump member gives any advice they don't agree with, post things like "oh where'd you get your medical degree".  So i want you all to know that I'm not pulling this info out of my butt ... but you definitely should still inform yourself.

One thing I hope I have contributed to this community is the desire for women to be more involved with their own health care and decisions regarding their bodies.  so many times, I have seen someone post something that their doctor told them that is completely false or out of date in terms of current medical research - but the woman just accepts it b/c ONE doctor has told them so.  Doctors are human beings -- and all human beings make mistakes.  They are not gods, and they don't know absolutely everything.  They do and can sometimes tell you something that is out of date b/c they don't have the time to constantly be updating their medical information - they must take time to treat us also.  So do your own research, and ask your medical practitioners for details when they give you a one sentence instruction that doesn't make sense to you or you've never heard before.

As an aside, I've taken a lot of time this pregnancy to learn the "facts" behind the myths of pregnancy -- like in this case ... why does EPO do what it does?  What is the mechanism in the body that causes contractions to start when you eat spicy food (it has to do with the capsaicin compound found in *some* but not all spicy peppers).  And as a result of that research, I do plan to publish in the near future, under my real name and in a real medical forum an article on such with proper citation, etc.  I will be happy to post a link when that happens