Desperate. Castor oil is waiting at home.?

Question

I'm due Tuesday. My doctor is going out of town next week. If I go past my due date, I have to wait ANOTHER week to be induced. I've started to dilate and efface, but I'm ready to speed this process up.
Has castor oil worked for anyone?
And yes, I've tried other things. I walk 3 miles/day and still having plenty of sex.

Answer 1

I wouldn't use castor oil. Castor oil only works because it causes extreme distress by coating your intestines so they can't absorb nutrients from the food that you eat. Your body isn't absorbing the water and food, you become dehydrated and undernourished causing distress which can bring on the labour, but your don't want to do it that way....because sometimes it doesn't bring on the labour very quickly, so the end result is you are depriving yourself and baby of very needed nutrients and hydration for something that may or may not work. Don't do this, it isn't worth the risk.

Just go with it. Do what you are doing now, enjoy walking and having sex...baby will come when it is ready! Enjoy a few more days of freedom! When baby is here, you will be busy enough. If I could go back in time, I'd quit wishing my baby would get here, and instead spend that precious time enjoying a nap on the couch (uninterrupted)...a last matinee at the movies....a trip to starbucks....anything instead of obsessing about "when will it happen"....enjoy the bit of freedom you have left! :)

Good luck.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

i don't think we will ever know if taking castor oil is actually what caused a woman to go into labour, but i have several friends who took it as well and while a few went into labour, the others didn't. But they all said that it gave them diarrhea and it was just a big mess on the delivery table. My advice is to let the baby come when he's ready. It's better for the both of you. When your body goes into labour "unnaturally"( meaning some kind of induction) then 99% of the time the labour is alot harder than it would have been because it wasn't ready yet. Let nature take its course. You've come this far and that baby won't be in there forever, so sit back, put your feet up, and relax, so that when the time does come, you're not all stressed out. Happy baby!!!

Answer 4

My OB said you can try the sex and walking, but if you are not ready yet to actually labor, than it will do nothing at all. The baby will get the process moving when he/she is good and ready. I have been 1cm and 100% effaced since 30 weeks, at 32 weeks I am still the same (glad of course, cause we want at least a few more weeks)

Don't take the castor oil, yours just asking to mess up your system, not what you need when pregnant.

Answer 5

Please don't put yourself through that honey! I did it with 2 of my 4 children. With my son I guess you could kind of say it might have worked, but I really don't think so. I did go into labor the next morning after I took it but I really think it was just because the baby was ready. I tried it again with the next child & I drank that nasty, horrible, disgusting stuff like 4 different times & it didn't do anything at all. It just isn't worth it cuz no matter what that baby is going to come when it is ready. What I would suggest to you (if you haven't done so already) is after you go on a power walk, come in & drink a glass of wine (just one - no it will not hurt the baby). The power walk gets your body worked up to start having some contractions then the wine helps your body to relax to help make you dialate & eface. Worked for me. But the bottom line is to be patient (I know this is much, much easier said than done), the baby is only going to come when ready. Good luck & congratulations, hope everything goes well for you.

Answer 6

Castor oil will make you cramp regardless of if you are in labor or not! I know 1 more week sounds like torture, but don't make things worse by stressing and giving yourself the craps. Keep doing what you are doing, and stay hydrated. Stay busy. Pack your case for the hospital. Shop for a bring home outfit for the babe. If you already have one, go shop for another. Start addressing your birth announcements. Pick out thank you cards for gifts you will be receiving. Make sure you keep up the laundry,because you want to make sure there is not a pile sitting there when you do come home from the hospital. Play with some astrology books. Keep a journal of your last pre delivery days. Before you know it you will have your babe! Congratulations!

Answer 7

I took castor oil before my due date and it made be have artificial contractions but not strong enough to go into active labor. Maybe I did not take enough. However, since I was having contractions, my doctor decided to induce my labor. The pain from being induced led me to 45 minutes of intense labor. So, I had my son within an hour. Thank God my son was developed. Yet, I'd rather go naturally next time. Only you know your body. You do what floats your boat. However, I don't recommend it if you are not near your due date.

Answer 8

I wouldn't do it. Castor oil will most likely give you the runs and make you miserable. You might go through all that and still not go into labor. AND if it gives YOU the runs, it can do the same to BABY. Baby could pass his first bowel movement in the womb, which can be dangerous to him.

I'd find out who the back up doctor is and, if possible, meet the back up if you haven't yet. You might NOT have to wait another week to be induced because you could go into labor while your doc is gone. Labor is much easier when it comes on it's on than when we try to force it.

Answer 9

While that may be an old time 'remedy' for quick labor, they are saying now that it is a really bad idea to use castor oil because it can carry some sort of disease. If you are already dilated, don't worry. Don't push it. If they really feel the need then your doctor would be looking into pitocin (awful drug). Your body knows what its doing!
Good luck and congrats!

Answer 10

Just wait, like someone already said you need patience as a parent. How would you feel if you somehow induced labor and it had a negative effect on the baby? I am not sure if induced labor can harm a baby or not but why live with the guilt if something bad does happen?