Pregnancy Info HOME

What week is considered too early to try to induce labor using castor oil??

It worked for me I drank four ounces at 1pm on a Sunday and my water broke Monday at 4:30am. Dont listen to the negative things people post about it. If you body isn't ready it wont induce labor. I think I only made three trips to the bathroom.

My friend is 37 weeks and 5 days. Today she is trying castor oil. So hopefully we have a heathly little girl soon.

Haven't you ever heard of a thing called prodromal labor? It's wonderful that you can sit there and judge women who don't "wait it out" but try having contractions that are 3-5 minutes apart for 2 weeks with no dialation and then judge me for wanting to induce at 38 weeks!

Im 40 weeks on the 15th, my mother and Grandmother had both taken Castor Oil and between them they have had 7 healthy children. They both had told me about it and said to try it, I am however a little worried, I am going to be asking my doctor for advice tomorrow and will let you know what she says. Im very tired from lack of sleep and wish to have my daughter asap. So if my GP says its up to me i will be taking it on wed morning.

I am on my 4th baby. with #2 I drank 2ozs of castor oil at 36 weeks and went into labor within 6hrs. had a healthy baby boy. I tried it with baby #3 and nothing happened, but severe cramping, contractions with no dilation, and a sore b___t. Now I am 37 weeks, tried to drink 2ozs, again nothing happened but the campy stuff. Now I won't try it again. I'll just wait. I recommend if it doesn't work the 1st time then to just be patient. The only reason I even tried it is because I was having severe sciatic nerve pain, not because I was tired of being pregnant I think it is true it will only work if the baby is ready. GOOD LUCK

With my first child, I tried casor oil at 36 weeks. It was gross, my b___t hurt, and there was oil in the toilet for a month, but nothing happened. I don't think my body was ready. With child #2, I didn't try. Now I am pregnant with child #3, am 37 weeks, and I have been dilated to 3 for over a week. My cervix is 70% effaced, and my doc told me to try it. I think it effects everyone differently, and it is a personal choice. When your feet are so swollen you can't hardly walk, and your body feels like a reproduction line that is about to be sc___pped out, more power to ya!

If castor oil was not safe, doctors and nurses would not recommend it, and midwives and doulas would not use it to induce labor. Face it: it's a laxative. Spending three hours on the toilet just isn't the most pleasant way to begin your labor experience, and that is why it's not recommended. The reason that people believe it causes meconium (baby pa__ses its first bowel movement in utero) is because most inductions occur after a woman's due date, when meconium is more likely to be pa__sed (hence one reason for inducing). Complications can occur with any labor, and there is no proof that castor oil causes complications. Some women take it and don't go into labor, and some do. Everyone is different. Stimulation of the GI tract may cause labor for one woman but not for another. Plenty of women over the decades have had very pleasant labor experiences involving castor oil. Babies are considered to term anywhere from 36-38 weeks. It is rare for a due date to be off now that we have ultrasounds. There are risks of inducing labor just as there are risks of continuing a pregnancy when something is wrong or letting the baby stay in utero after 40 weeks. Some say that the baby will come out when it's "ready." If that's true, why aren't more babies born early? Plenty of women are induced at 36 weeks, and their babies come out just fine, apparently ready for life outside the womb. So why didn't they just come on their own? It is better to wait until your due date, at least, to try induction, but anytime after 37 weeks is fine. A lot of women have planned inductions or C-sections in the hospital just for personal preference, and if it was so dangerous, it wouldn't be done. The point: castor oil isn't going to hurt you or junior.

I am 37 weeks and have had false labor once already and have had many contractions since but nothing has happened. I am starting to eface and no dilation. My friend said that castrol oil worked to self induce with all 3 of her kids and i have read all the other comments on it. some say its ok and some say it almost killed there child, i think it was something else that almost killed their child if its been ok for everyone else. I think It's worth trying. Im uncomfortable and honestly cant afford to be out of work, which i am now. I'm going to take 2 oz today and will let you all know tomorrow what happened.

I tried castor oil last night, and it didn't do anything whatsoever. It isn't too bad if you drink it with lots of OJ, wipe your mouth after each gulp, and eat something afterwards. Anyway, it gave me gas and made me nauseated, but I didn't throw up or even have to go to the bathroom. Maybe it's because I went to sleep just a few hours after taking it. Just thought I'd let you all know. :) By the way, I decided to try inducing with spicy food today. I ate two hot wings and then had a huge contraction, but after the third hot wing, I was full so I saved the rest for later. Spicy food might be worth a try, especially if you're like me and spicy food generally irritates your tummy :D

I'm 36+3 weeks pregnant and I heard about caster oil from a friend who drank it and had her daughter that night. Also my friends mother drank it with all three of her daughters and it put her into labor each time. I went to the doctor today and he said I am 1.5 cm dilated. I've done a lot of research on caster oil and I want to try it, i'm just a little nervous from a few comments. My doc said it doesn't work but I think i'll wait another week or so and try it..good luck to anyone else!

I just wanted to follow up from my entry last week. I drank castor oil around 6pm that day and was sick throwing up and running to the toilet from 7pm - 10:30pm. I went to sleep as soon as it all stopped, and woke up at 11:30pm with contractions. 2 and a half hours later when I realized they weren't going away, we went to the hospital. I gave birth at 6:10pm the next evening. The labor was normal, the birth was normal, and everyone is healthy. Castor oil didn't work with my first child, but it definately kick-started labor with my third child. If you are full term and considering this method, I think it is worth a shot. Good luck to all.

i took it with my 1st and had no side affects. now with my second i took about 4tbls last night at 9 am and i have been only had little pooping its 5 am and i still waiting to c if it works

It worked for me. I was 38 weeks and couldn't face another day at work. Took four ounces, had diarrhea and within 1/2 hour I was having full contractions, within 3 hours I had my beautiful baby boy. Castor oil increases prostaglandin production and causes bowel contractions, this is right next to the uterus and caused contractions here as well. If you are ready (at least slightly dilated and effaced) the contractions will be strong enough to elicit full labor. If your not ready, you'll have diarrhea and go to bed. By the way I have a medical degree and researched this fully before I tried it.

it didnt help me. I had diaria real bad all then then from that I got a major hemerriod. But I herd that if you try it when you are close to delivery, like you are already dialated and what not it helps a lot. When I start to dialate I'm just gonna do an enama. I hear that works too.

I am 37+3 days pregnant...I am soooo tired of being pregnant. everyone is telling me to use the castor oil but I am a little scared.....what should i do....