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EPO Users, Please Come in :)

macy42macy42
in Natural Birth

I started using EPO 2 nights ago. The first night I had cramps and ended up passing my mucus plug (not that the EPO caused the mucus plug to pass). I was almost nervous to use it again last night. However, I decided to see if it was a fluke that I had cramps the night before (or due to the mucus plug) and inserted one last night before bed. Almost immediately I started to have mild cramps and they lasted all night long- again.

Anyone else have this experience? If so did you continue to use it vaginally or did you start taking it orally? Is it as effective to take it orally?

I wanted to add that I will start taking Borage Oil(orally) in a week, so perhaps I'll just quit taking the EPO. 

Thanks in advance!!

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Re: EPO Users, Please Come in :)

  • CoreysGalCoreysGal
    I have not used EPO so I cannot help but can I ask why you are doing this at 35 weeks??
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  • danienrossdanienross member
    My MW does not recommend vaginal use before term.  I can start taking it orally at 34-36wks but I'm not supposed to start inserting it vaginally until 37wks.
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  • macy42macy42
    At my appt. last week we discussed taking them and she told me that I could start this week and to insert 1 for now and then I could bump it up to 2 once I reached 37 weeks.
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  • NoeliaVNoeliaV member
    imagemacy42:
    At my appt. last week we discussed taking them and she told me that I could start this week and to insert 1 for now and then I could bump it up to 2 once I reached 37 weeks.

    Huh. I just asked our MW about this at our last appt, and she said that they don't want their patients to start it until 37 weeks because it is proven to be quite effective.
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  • macy42macy42

    imageNoeliaV:
    imagemacy42:
    At my appt. last week we discussed taking them and she told me that I could start this week and to insert 1 for now and then I could bump it up to 2 once I reached 37 weeks.

    Huh. I just asked our MW about this at our last appt, and she said that they don't want their patients to start it until 37 weeks because it is proven to be quite effective.

    I guess varying MWs say differ things. With the research I did before even bringing it up to her i read that it can be started as early at 35 weeks, but most commonly around 36w. I started at 35w4d. She said it's only effective if the cervix has already started softening, which mine has. I appreciate the concern but I trust my MW with my (and my babies) life. Some MWs tell their patients it's safe to drink wine during pregnancy. Mine does not agree with that. 

     My main question was whether or not it caused cramping. I'm going to continue using it and I'll ask her about it on friday :) Thanks.

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  • StefandToddStefandTodd member
    My first thought (prior to reading that your MW suggested starting already) was that it's too soon for you to be taking it.  I wouldn't do it vaginally until 38 weeks (orally only from 36-38).  But, I'm all about trusting your MW's recommendations too.  Maybe you should just mention the cramping to her before doing it again though?  GL!
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  • blueeyedgirl27blueeyedgirl27 member

    imagemacy42:
    At my appt. last week we discussed taking them and she told me that I could start this week and to insert 1 for now and then I could bump it up to 2 once I reached 37 weeks.

    Since you've had two nights in a row of cramping after inserting EPO I highly recommend not using it vaginally again until you speak to your MW. If your cervix has already started softening on its own then you don't need your body to jump start labor weeks before your baby is ready (especially since you're not full term yet).

    Whatever happened to letting mother nature do its thing? Call me old-fashioned, but I never bothered with natural remedies and such with my first pregnancy and DD came when she was ready, which was 8 days early. But, to each her own. 

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  • macy42macy42

    imageStefandTodd:
    My first thought (prior to reading that your MW suggested starting already) was that it's too soon for you to be taking it.  I wouldn't do it vaginally until 38 weeks (orally only from 36-38).  But, I'm all about trusting your MW's recommendations too.  Maybe you should just mention the cramping to her before doing it again though?  GL!

    I'm sorry if my reply came off snarky, it certainly wasn't intended. I guess I got kind of defensive... I'm trying to do things in effort to help this baby be born in an unmedicated fashion. I'm showing signs of pre-e and I realllllly do not want to be induced and I'm hoping that even if I do have it I will be dilated enough that perhaps they'll just have to break my water for labor to start. My baby's health and safety are my number one priority so I'm taking the night off from EPO until I check things out with my MW. THanks for your thoughts, I really appreciate them :)

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  • BriDailyBriDaily member
    Ooo girl! If you are starting to have signs of pre-e, you need to be focusing on your diet, not softening your cervix! I've done some research into this and there are a few things I will recommend - get lots of Vitamin D (eat eggs, get out in the sun more, take a supplement if need be), get plenty of protein (eggs are good here too, nuts, meat, etc.), make sure you are getting a good portion of salt in your diet (at this point, you need all the salt you can get), oh and make sure you are drinking loads of water! I feel like there might be something I am missing... but I will ditto what the other said about not starting EPO vaginally until 36-38 weeks. You should be good to go on taking it orally though. 
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