How do
I know if castor oil will work for me?
If you
are 40 weeks and showing signs of labor, castor oil may work
for you. You will want your cervix to be soft and thinning.
If you have begun to dilate and efface already, this will
increase your chances of castor oil being effective at labor
induction. You should not try castor oil if you have not reached
your due date or have a high risk pregnancy. Castor oil almost
always causes diarrhea. Its primary use is a stimulant laxative.
It has an unpleasant taste and may cause nausea, vomiting,
and abdominal cramping. If you do not wish to experience these
symptoms, do not try castor oil. Before using castor oil you
should consult your health care provider.
How does
castor oil work?
Castor
oil is a laxative. It is believed that castor oil works to
stimulate the bowels. It can lead to cramps and tightening
of the muscles in the intestines. These cramps may spread
to the uterus, tightening the uterine muscles and stimulating
contractions. These contractions may or may not lead to the
onset of active labor.
Is castor
oil safe?
There
are conflicting reports on the safety of castor oil. Some
reports were shown to show a correlation between meconium
in the amniotic fluid and castor oil. However, many others
believe that it is more a co-occuring symptom of overdue babies.
Castor oil is used most frequently in overdue pregnancies.
Since overdue babies have an increased chance of having meconium
in the amniotic fluid, many believe the overdue baby is the
cause of the meconium and not the castor oil.
Is
castor oil effective?
The verdict
is still out on castor oil's effectiveness at inducing labor.
Some women swear by it. Others feel it is nothing more than
an old wives tale and pure coincidence for the women who do
go in labor. There have been very few studies on castor oil
as used for labor induction. Therefore, the long and short
answer to this question is maybe.
How
do I use castor oil?
Castor
oil can be purchased at most drug stores in the laxative aisle.
Opinions on how to use castor oil vary. Most midwives recommend
using 2 ounces. You will likely want to mix it with something
to make it taste more palatable. Castor oil has an unpleasant
oily taste. If you use castor oil, you may want to try one
of the following recipes.
Castor
oil recipes
Castor
oil and orange juice
2 oz castor oil
1 tsp baking soda
6 oz orange juice
Castor
oil milk shake
2 oz castor oil
2 or 2 scoops ice cream
1/4 cup milk
blend in blender
Castor
oil shots
2 oz castor oil shot followed by sucking on a lime
or lemon
