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Evening Primrose Oil

elviebirdelviebird member
in Natural Birth

Hi ladies, sorry if this question has been asked before... the search function isn't working (does it ever work?!).

My doula recommended I take EPO starting at 35 weeks to ripen my cervix.  She said to start at 1000mg per day, and increase it by 1000mg every week.  What sort of regimen did you use?  Did you find it helpful?  Is it supposed to make labor shorter/easier/faster?  I was under the impression that it was used to induce labor, and therefore not supposed to be used until close to 40 weeks.  She also mentioned something called 5-W... anyone know anything about this?

TIA!

Due 12/20/11 ~ Lost our Muskrat at 9w2d
4/25/12 ~ Our angel, Persephone James, is here!

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Re: Evening Primrose Oil

  • PansyPantsPansyPants member

    TMI to follow!!!

     

    I inserted the EPO capsules for about a week before labor because of how big my LO was getting. I don't know if it helped, but it is one of the things that I did. I don't think it made labor any shorter or easier but it might have helped to soften my cervix so that labor would start. 

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  • AppleMommaAppleMomma member
    It's usually slow working if you keep the dosage to the recommendation. I didn't use it until 37 weeks, and I don't know if it helped or not but I was 3cm and 60% effaced by the day before my daughter arrived.
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  • jennadoll87jennadoll87 member
    i don't know what 5-w is, but i did use the primrose oil with my 1st pregnancy starting around week 38. Its hard to say for sure if it helped or not since that was my 1st pregnancy, but i certainly didn't have any problems softening or dialating, so its likely that it did help. i don't think it actually induces labor, it just helps your body prepare for it. It was inexpensive and easy to take, so i will be using it again this time around just incase it DOES help. :)
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  • Dana&PeteDana&Pete member
    My doula recommended this also, but she didn't give me a specific dose. I will have to ask her next time. I mentioned it to my OB, and she seemed skeptical that it would work, but she said there was not any harm in trying. I plan on starting around 35-36 weeks.
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  • vrichvrich member
    My midwife with my first pregnancy recommended 1000mg evening primrose starting at 35-36 weeks orally. As well as drinking up to 4 cups of red raspberry leaf tea every day.  I started all of this at 38 weeks.  I went 2 weeks past my due date, was 1 cm dilated and no effacement when induced. This time around I will try it again, starting around 35 weeks. Not sure if that helps but it is my experience!
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  • StefandToddStefandTodd member

    Hard for me to recall, but I think I started taking just a capsule or two a day starting at 35 weeks, and then from 37 on I would take the same dosage and also insert one vaginally...?  I think.   

    My cervix was very soft when I was checked at 36 and 40 weeks.  I went into labor spontaneously at 40+1 and dilated fairly quickly.  

    I obviously don't know how much impact it had, but I will do all the same things again in the future. 

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