Castor Oil while pregnant? Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Question

I am 38 weeks pregnant today, and my mom keeps insisting that I take some castor oil now! I am already 1 cm dialated and I am very ready to have my baby, but I am very scared to take it. My mom took it and said that she didn't get sick, and she was in active labor 7 hours later. I don't know how to react because it's my mom so I don't want to not listen to her, but as well I am very scared that I will be sick. I am curious if I was to take it and I am in the bathroom on the pot, and vomiting can the castor oil make my baby pass a bowel movement inside of me? I know how bad it will be if she does. Can someone help me..........any prior experience? Help. How did your body respond?

Answer 1

You poor thing. Maybe by the time you get to read this you won't need the advice any more. I feel for you. I was two weeks late having my baby boy. It was during a heat wave and I was miserable. My doctor recommended drinking castor oil. He told me to put a one ounce shot into a glass or orange juice. I did and a few hours later, after having a bowel movement at home and in comfort, I went into labor and had my baby. Everything was fine and it was not as disgusting as some here have written. Unless you absolutely hate the taste of fish, I don't see any reason it would make you vomit. You are the only one who can decide what is best for you. If you are considering it though and have doubts, its best to ask your doctors opinion.

Answer 2

Okay you still have a week or even 2 to go--why would you want to go into labor now? Being tired of being pregnant is not a good enough reason.
Secondly, castor oil will not cause your baby to have a BM in the womb. It will affect your bowels, not the baby's.
Third----There is no evidence that castor oil will start labor. What it WILL do is cause intestinal cramping like you get with diarrhea----which, BTW, castor oil can also cause. Some people think the intestinal cramping will set off uterine contractiions.

Skip the castor oil, wait until your body says it's time and if it you don't go into labor by 42 weeks, your doctor will probably induce labor with pitocin---the one thing that really will start labor.

Answer 3

In an attempt to start labor, some women will drink a mixture of castor oil and juice. The various recipes for this mixture are generally called a "midwife cocktail."
2-6 Hours after drinking the castor oil, the mother will experience diarrhea and should begin contractions.

How do I do it?
There are many "recipes" for the midwife cocktail. They are all built around 2 oz of castor oil (around 4 Tablespoons).

Because castor oil is unpalatable alone, it is mixed with orange juice, grape juice, or tea.


If you really want to have the 'runs' while delivering, casotr oil will do thst,,,,,just cuz your mom didnt get sick doesnt mean you wont. whats the rush, baby will come when baby comes

if your OB thought there was an issue they would have already induced

Answer 4

Do NOT take it. It won't make you go into labor, it will however give you stomach cramps and diarrhea. Seriously, if Castor oil worked then doctors would recommend it all the time for women who are over their due date or anxious to deliver, they don't. It will only make you feel miserable and nobody needs that at 38 weeks pregnant, and if you do coincidentally go into labor after taking Castor oil, you'll be pooping during the whole labor process, not fun! I don't think that the Castor oil or your reaction to it would cause your baby to pass his meconium though, but you never know. Good luck to you!

Answer 5

You don't need Castor oil you need to walk & have sex. I have had three kids now so I know!

Also talk to your Doctor they might induce at 39 weeks but keep in mind an induced labor is much more difficult.

Best of luck & congratulations!!

Answer 6

castor oil pregnant

Answer 7

Taking castor oil is one of the most foolish things you can do. It CAN cause the baby to pass meconium in utero which is very harmful, can cause dehydration and severe abdominal pain,vomiting,etc. Plus, there is no research to back up that old wives's tale.You are on 38 wks and 1 cm dialated. Just because you are ready does not mean your baby is. If this is your first, you can carry up to 42 wks, sorry to burst your bubble. Nobody likes this last round but you have to deal with it, knowing your baby will come when your body and baby are ready. I went 42 wks with my first and STILL had to be induced.I am 39 wks with my second and I can't wait either but I am not about to jeopardize my baby 's health to spare me a few days of being uncomfortable.

Answer 8

Please dont take castor oil. I was 42 weeks and had an induction two days away so I took some castor oil ended up with the runs bad cramps and I was miserable. It didnt induce labor and I still had to be induced dehydrated and all.

Answer 9

I took it twice, before reading, studying etc. I would not use it again because of reports of it causing the baby to have bowel movements. Not to mention it didn't work, and I was dilated to at least 3 cm (I walked around at 5cm for weeks at the end).
Out of all the people I personally know who have used it, it worked for one of them.
Any home inductions or even hospital inductions will not work unless your body is ready for it. That is why with quite a few hospital inductions, women end up getting a c-section in the end.
Self inductions are up to what you feel comfortable with. Tell your mother flat out that you are not comfortable taking it. If you can't tell her that now, she'll probably be insistent on ways for you to take care of your baby that you're not comfortable with either.
Best wishes!

Answer 10

Don't take castor oil. Just let your body do what it's doing naturally.