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D.C. Area Babies
Evening Primrose Oil - yay or nay?
I've heard that taking EPO in the weeks before your due date helps to soften the cervix and may help with ease of delivery (less likelihood for an episiotomy and tears). Any comments?
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Re: Evening Primrose Oil - yay or nay?
Yay! Now, I can't say if that's really what worked because I was dilating early and put on modified bedrest at 34 weeks, but starting at 37 when I was released from bedrest my midwife ok'd the evening primrose oil and I started taking it. DS was born at 38 weeks 6 days
Good luck!
ETA: as far as ease of delivery, my water broke at 5am and DS was born at 1:33 pm with no meds. I think getting in the tub helped tremendously with my progression - I went from 4cm to 9cm in 1 hour while in the tub and hardly felt a thing compared to early contractions. Pushing took an hour and a half though, apparently because DS wasn't quite in the best position for delivery - I think he was facing sideways instead of toward my back.
I am taking it and hoping it is worth it! I see high risk ob and was told he didnt think it would help but wasn't concerned with it hurting either.
I am also drinking red raspberry leaf tea.
I got my EPO off amazon. It was cheaper to sign up for the subscribe and save and then cancel since it came with 2 bottles and I dont plan to take them after delivery.
I also get my RRL tea bags off amazon because I couldnt find convienently located free leaves in the area. (LindsayJW recommended a place in alexandria, but that didn't work for me) I did subscribe and save for it also and do plan to keep drinking it after delivery.
Thanks ladies! I asked my OB about it and she asked why I would even take it - I explained to her what I read and she did not respond positively. I'd much prefer a natural route and am only seeing an OB (as opposed to a MW) because of possible complications during delivery but nonetheless, it would be nice if my physician was on the same page. Anyway, I've heard that EPO may help and will not do any harm at worst so I think I'll give it a try.
c_washington: it makes me feel better knowing you are going to a high-risk OB and that he is somewhat okay with you taking EPO.
My MW recommended a course of EPO starting at 37 weeks and not a minute before. I think it helps with cervical ripening. I think only perineal massage can help prevent tears.
I see perinatal associates and Dr. Khoury is who I talked with about EPO and RRL tea. He sort of just laughed at me, in the nice way that he interacts with patients. He laughed at me again yesterday when my husband made me call him to talk about sitting and bouncing on an exercise ball. He told me to be careful to not fall off. I could here him smiling at me through the phone though.
How funny, I actually see Dr. Khoury as well... guess I won't bother asking his opinion next time I see him. I like him, he's always been very nice but I guess he has a very "medical" view which is understandable since he is a perinatologist. Oh well... if it can't hurt I might as well give it a try!
he is definitely very medical. very cautious. I like him the best of the group though. I dont trust bronsky and nies is too blunt and not open minded. Al Kouwately (i have no idea how to spell her name) only saw us at our very first appointment so I don't really know her. Laura the NP at the ATC is nice.
I agree. I've only seen him and Bronsky and we did not like Bronsky one bit... terrible bedside manners. He didn't explain anything to us, was not familiar with my situation and was making huge assumptions before I had to correct him. Made us very uneasy. Dr. Khoury is extremely reassuring and he is so pleasant. You'd think that the ATC would have more doctors like Dr. Khoury especially because the majority of patients are high risk and already have so many concerns. Anyway, hope all goes well with the rest of your term, labor and delivery. I'm going to wait for my cervix check next week and decide on whether or not to try EPO (but I think I will probably go for it). Thanks again!
EPO is not a medicine and therefore, OBs (who are surgeons by training) are not likely to be familiar with its use in pregnancy and labor and a high-risk OB is very likely to not be familiar or recommend its use.
that said, there are no known contraindications to EPO during pregnancy. i recommend my students learn about it (I teach HypnoBirthing) and incorporate it into the latter weeks of their pregnancies. EPO mimics prostoglandins, the hormones naturally released by the body that soften and ripen the cervix (also found in semen). use of EPO will not put you into labor, but it can help prepare the cervix for labor by making it softer and easier to open when surges begin.
i used it myself with both of my pregnancies. i took it orally for a month with both , beginning at 38 weeks (neither baby came until almost 42 weeks). i took it with my second internally as well (inserted capsules vaginally). i did that only once, as i went into labor later that night and had the baby the next morning.
That is good to know - thank you! I'm planning on starting at week 36 orally and then inserting at week 38.