Castor oil is one of the oldest tricks women have used to induce labor. For years, women have speed up the last few days of pregnancy by using castor oil to induce labor and speed the process along. But is this trick an old wives tail, or scientific fact?
The last few weeks and days of pregnancy can be the hardest to endure. Waiting for the special moment to arrive, without being entirely certain of when that will be. And for some women, the estimated date comes and goes without anything really happening. That is when doctors and midwives used to turn to castor oil to induce labor.
This once sure thing has now be replaced by more modern medicines, such as pitocin. However, some still argue that it is a safe alternative for women who want to avoid medical interventions. Women who have reached 40 weeks and are showing signs of labor, such as a thinning cervix and some contractions, may want to use this old fashioned remedy.
It is actually a laxative. This oil will stimulate the bowels and cause diarrhea, nausea, and some cramping. For some women this will cause a woman on the verge to go into labor shortly after. At the very least, caster oil can cause contractions that will shorten labor time later on. The nausea and diarrhea can last for a few hours to an entire day.
It is not considered safe to use by everyone. Some see a connection between caster oil use and meconium in the amniotic fluid. Meconium can be dangerous if an infant inhales it before or during birth. While not everyone agrees that castor oil is to blame for meconium, the correlation has been one of the reasons modern doctors prefer to use other means of induction.
Using castor oil to induce labor does not work for every woman. Some swear that taking two ounces of the oil is enough to kick start labor, while others say they had no luck. For some women the nausea and diarrhea is too intense to be worth enduring.
Because of the foul taste most women mix it with other things to make it easier to swallow. Stiring it into a cup of orange juice is the most common way to drink the oil. Some women prefer to drink it quickly followed by lemon or lime juice. Whatever you prefer, castor oil to induce labor may be just the thing for you.
Author Resource:-
Ensure the safety of you and your baby. Get all the facts before attempting to induce labor at home. Visit Inducing Labor Naturally
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