Everyone here is saying not to try CASTOR OIL but...?

Question

My midwife told me it would help! If it was so risky, why would she telll me this? I just wanted to hear some postive castor oil stories, and no one here has one!! Should I not listen to her?

Answer 1

So many people who use castor oil are not doing so under the supervision of someone like a midwife that will give you specific dosing instructions. Meaning they take too large a dose in too small amount of time. However, a friend of mine took castor oil in small, specific doses at regular intervals under the supervision of a midwife. Once the contractions came they were hard and fast and accompanied by severe cramps (not contractions). They were so severe so quickly that it became dangerous and they moved to the hospital for just in case. Still under the supervision of a midwife at the hospital it was finally determined that although she had finally dilated to 9 the contractions had been so severe for so long that the cervix was beginning to swell (which equals the cervix opening getting smaller...even though it was still trying to dilate). She ended up with a c-section. She says now looking back that even if she had not started to swell she had been contracting so severely for so long that she doesn't think that she would have had the energy to do the pushing. She blames the castor oil.

Answer 2

Check out this link.

Personally, I would only do it to avoid a medical induction.

It may or may not work. You could just spend the day really uncomfortable in the bathroom. Is there a really good reason that you can't just wait for labor to come on it's own? No woman has ever been pregnant forever. ;-) ALL babies do eventually come out. ;-)

There is a slightly increased risk of baby having the first BM in the womb with using castor oil. This can be dangerous if baby aspirates the poop.

Answer 3

I would. My husbands mother was a midwife too and she has 7 healthy children all induced by taking Castor oil. They were all home deliveries too, so there couldn't have been too many complications. Listen to your mid wife; the people on this network don't necessarily know what they are talking about. They are not doctors, and neither am I, that is why you should listen to someone who is qualified.

Answer 4

All castor oil did for me is give me the runs. Look when the baby wants to come out it will don't rush it. Why are you in a hurry to stay up all night and day with no sleep any ways? It won't harm you or the baby to, but you may get the runs.

Answer 5

There's no medical proof that castor oil (or any other "natural" method of induction) actually works. If you're between 38-42 weeks, just be patient- they'll come when they're ready! If your past 42 weeks, then ask your midwife about being medically induced. Please don't drink castor oil!

Answer 6

I would be very wary of drinking castor oil. It can make you have diarrhea and horrible stomach cramps. And it is especially harmful for the baby. It can cause the baby to have it's first bowel movement in the womb which can be life threatening if it aspirates it. If the baby aspirates the meconium it can cause infection leading to pneumonia. Who would want to take that chance with their unborn child?

Answer 7

I tried castor oil and i couldnt even swallow it bc it was so nasty.But i did use mineral oil and i went in labor a couple of hours later. My son is now 8 months old.

Answer 8

i assume she tells you this, because for some people it does work. midwives use natural methods also, and a ob doesn't. but there really is no study showing castor oil works. in most cases you get really bad diarrea and cramps, also it could make your baby have a bowel movement in utero. i would ask your midwife about this first. tell her your concerns first, every pregnancy and docor is different.

Answer 9

Castor Oil is used to abort the child, This was what they used in early 1900's. That was something passed down to me from my Great Grandmother.
If you are past due, ok. but early in stage, nooooooooo.

Answer 10

I drank 4 ozs when I was 40 weeks and one day pregnant. I gave birth 27 hours later. If you are full tern the caster oil will not hurt you. If you are not a full 40 weeks then don't drink it yet.