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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Labor: Ways to Get Things Going

No, not in labor yet but I'm working to get things going! There are several suggestions I've gotten on getting labor started, most of which I read in Ina May's Guild to Childbirth. 

One of those is castor oil. Here's what I read: 

Indigenous peoples all over the globe have used castor oil to induce labor for centuries. Taken orally, castor oil acts as a laxative, and the stimulation of the digestive tract often starts labor at term. No one knows exactly why castor oil works to start labor. When there is little or no money to be made as a result of research, generally little or no research is done. Nobody has figured out how to make an appreciable amount of money from castor oil, so this subject has received virtually no research attention. Nevertheless, it seems to be quite safe. Nearly nine percent of nearly eleven thousand pregnant women in a large birth center study used it to start labor, with no adverse outcomes. At The Farm Midwifery Center, we recommend beginning a castor-oil induction at breakfast after a full night of sleep. One tablespoon is added to scrambled eggs or mixed with fruit juice to make it more palatable for the woman. If necessary, she takes one more tablespoon one hour after ingesting the first. 

I just bought my castor oil at the pharmacy, and I think I'm taking my dose tomorrow morning since I thought that my due date was Wed 23rd and my midwife said Sat 26th. Sure hope it works! 


Here's a funny add about the stuff. Looks like they used to give it to children.

Don't worry, Tegegne, I won't make you take any of this yucky stuff!
photo source

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