8lb baby at 38 weeks.. Castor oil to induce labor?

Question

Well heres my story, i am now 38 weeks last week i was only dilated 1 cm. I had a doctors appointment yesterday and my midwife told me the options that i have. Since my baby is already 8 lbs. and im only 1 cm dilated. She told me that we can wait until next week (39 weeks) and see if i dilated any farther, and if I have then she would discuss with me when to be induced. Unfortanatly if I am still only 1 cm dilated by next week then she said the baby may end up being very close to 9 lbs. My midwife doesnt like to deliver babys 9 or 10 pounds vaginally and if im not dilated farther next week then i may have to have a c- section. I was wondering If i should take Castor Oil this weekend , so my baby is still the same size and not as big as next week. I've heard MANY things about castor oil and many womens veiws on it and their experinces. In my situation do you think its something that I should consider??? I need advice please help??

Answer 1

Why wont she induce you at 1cm? My doctor induced and I wasn't dialated at all. My doctor told me the best thing to do was walk alot and have alot of sex. The hormone in semen is like what they use to induce you. Just induction is much more concentrated so it works much quicker. I would not use Castor oil. First off its nasty and it is not proven to work. I would suggest going to a hospital to deliver. With a large baby many complications can arise and a hospital is prepared and equipped for those situations. Good luck to you and your new baby.

Answer 2

Tell your midwife to take a chill-pill, dear. Castor oil will only make you upset and nauseated, which is no fun at 38 weeks pregnant!

If the baby is 9 lbs. or over, so be it. Let the baby come when it is ready, and if the midwife wants an obstetrician in attendance, then get one for her.

Audrey Hepburn, who never wore greater than a size 2, had a son that was 10 pounds, plus!

My own daughter was 8 lbs., 6 oz., and only 19 inches long, which means she was FAT. She came out vaginally just fine.

She's now 26 years old and no bigger than Audrey Hepburn.

Answer 3

I've heard that castor oil more likely causes diarrhea and cramps, but not usually contractions.

Keep in mind that estimates of baby weights are often wrong by a pound either direction. My first was estimated to be 8 pounds at 38 weeks, but he was born at 40 weeks weighing only 7lb, 3oz. My last was guessed to be over 9 pounds, but was 8lb, 12oz. So it's not a perfect science.

And most women can deliver a 9 or 10 pound baby vaginally, unless they have a very small pelvis.

Answer 4

Have you ever seen the baby story on TLC? A woman went through this same thing and the midwife ended up telling her afterwards that the castor oil just gives you braxton hicks( I believe its what it's called), false labor. She was really uncomfortable, nervous, and didn't sleep at all, not to mention she was on the toilet all night. About 4 days later I think it was, she ended up actually going into labor ---nothing to do with the castor oil I might add. Your body goes into labor usually when you and the baby are ready physically. Don't rush it, let it happen naturally and healthy. Do yourself a favor and take the next few days or weeks and rest, rest, rest, sleep, sleep, sleep! You will be glad you did, you're gonna need it! Good luck and congrats!

Answer 5

I did the castor oil for my daughter and I was in labor 6 hours later. It really does work. You definitely will have to go to the bathroom, but thats almost better because then you dont have to worry about going on the table while in labor. You are so cleaned out from the castor oil, and in labor. I didnt think it would work either, but I was desperate, I tried the nipple stimulation, but it did not work, it just made me frustrated and then they were sore. Good luck, hope this helped!

Answer 6

My sister in law used it at 38 weeks 1 day. She was only a fingertip dilated. She took half the bottle ( 2 oz) with OJ. LIke 4 hours later she started having bowel movements. They weren't horrific or anything, just cleaned her out. Then she went to bed thinking it didn't work. 3-4 hours later she woke up with contractions 1-2 minutes apart. When she got to the hospital she was dilated to 3.5 cm and effaced 90%. Her contractions slowed up a little bit but they let her walk around and they totally kicked back in.

Thats just HER experience. Oh yeah, and if you were going to take it, have a hot wet sock, or cloth waiting to suck on IMMEDIATELY after you drink it. It will absorb the oily taste and help keep you from vomiting from the nasty taste.

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck.

Answer 7

Okay, personally I wouldn't do it for several reasons.

First, it does not usually work. The number of women who have used caster oil, and the number of women who have actually gone into labor as a result of it, is REALLY not the same. Maybe one in fifteen or twenty women actually go into labor after taking caster oil.

Of the women who take caster oil and go into labor, almost all of them were thinned and dilated at least a little more than you are and pretty much ready to go into labor.

If you take the caster oil and don't go into labor, keep in mind, you are quite likely to have some of the worst cramps and often diarrhea than you've had in your life. Not to mention, it happens occasionally that the baby has the same reaction, and basically is swimming in his or her own poo until birth. Happened with my nephew.

I assume, since you discussed this with a midwife and are trying to find non-chemical ways of inducing labor (like caster oil), you want to have a natural (non-medicated) birth. My sister has been a nurse in labor and delivery for five years, and she's told me that of the women who come in and are induced using pitocin, she's seen eight women not get drugs. The synthetic that causes the chemically-induced labor brings labor pains faster and stronger than they would be if the woman went into labor naturally. She also told me this is something that many women who have consulted their midwives are unlikely to be told.

Personally, if you're going for a natural birth, I think you need to go into labor naturally. If they decide to induce, I hope you will be at a hospital or a birthing center set up to allow the possibility of pain meds and, if necessary, a c-section.

I would not use caster oil to attempt to induce labor, because it has more negatives than it does positives. Use sex, walking, spicy food, whatever else you can think of to induce labor naturally if you want, but I would not use caster oil.

Of the options you have, I would (and did) choose induction at a hospital, but I have no issues with pain meds in childbirth.

Answer 8

Our baby was measured via ultrasound at 38 weeks and found to be 8 lbs. 9 oz. We had a c-section later that week and our baby weighed 7 lbs 9 oz. Ultrasound measurements can differ by as much a one pound in either direction.

Answer 9

Try walkin and sex and nipple stimulation...I wouldn't mess with wives tales. I heard all castor oil does is give you the poops with no baby!!! If your doctor/mid wife found out the weight of the baby by ultrasound then they are never correct, always a pound off in either direction. And as for her delivering babies over 9 or 10 pounds...isn't that your choice how to deliver regardless of babies weight unless it would harm you!!!!?!?!?!?!

Answer 10

Well first off the estimates of babies weights are not always right. I tried Castor oil (my mother in law swears by it) but I threw it right back up. She said to put a bit of orange juice in it and take it all down. Its nasty... Walking is supposed to help. There are also points in your ankle that are supposed to induce labor. So maybe get a pedicure done. Have your someone rub your ankles with pretty good pressure. My sister in law squatted on one of those work out balls that you use to do ab work out. Try sitting with back strait and pelvis tilted forward do little bounces. She went into labor the next day. I also heard eating FRESH pine apple is supposed to thin the membranes out. GOOD LUCK. if you can let me know if anything helped.