Pregnancy & Childbirth

Inducing Labor

gm249
- Castor oil...
Brenda Lane
- Castor oil...

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1. Apr 28, 2008 6:45 AM

» gm249 - Castor oil

I was well into my 40th week of pregnancy with a lage baby >8.5 lbs. I had a 51 inch waist and weighed 245lbs. I am tall so I wasn't dealing with the risk of being overweight. I was dealing with the complication of depression and I was high risk for post-partum depression. I was so uncomfortable, I was useless to my 2 year old and my family, I was just sad and exhausted all the time and facing a 12 week unpaid maternity leave. Upon exam my midwife concluded that I was -2, 0% effaced, and 1cm dilated. We thought I'd be pregnant another week at least.
Desperately I asked her how to make myself just a little more comfortable, I couldn't empty my bladder, I had crippling sciatica, and I hadn't been able to manage any more than a slight bowel movement in weeks. My last labor was over 36 hours and I wasn't looking forward to another one with an even bigger baby. She suggested 4 teaspoons of castor oil in a milkshake. In the state I was in I didn't hear 4 teaspoons- I swear I heard 4 ounces! So I responsibly went home, made a milkshake and just drank it as fast as I could. I did this despite the fact that I am lactose intolerant. It was 4:30pm
At 6pm I was feeling like the laxative was working and I got up from staring at my dinner to use the toilet. It was productive and I felt much better. But the cramps continued as though I had diarrhea. This is pretty typical for me when I've used any laxative so I wasn't suprised when I returned to the loo again in another 1/2 hour with diarrhea. I felt much better but the cramps continued, irregular but still like normal cramps from diarrhea.
About 7:30 the cramping was still irregular but it was getting more painful. It dawned on me that I might be in labor. I waited another 15 minutes or so and we called the midwife who suggested we time the contractions for half an hour and see if we couldn't detect some sort of rhythm. OK, my husband got out his watch and started timing, I couldn't really tell when the cramps began but I could tell when they ended so we just timed them from end to end. They were about 3 minutes apart and about 80 seconds long. Now do the math- that puts interval at 90 seconds and each contractions lasting about 90 seconds. Well, denial ain't just a river in Egypt! We timed them for 1/2 an hour just as we had been told to. Ok, it was time to call the midwife back now that we had an answer.
I left the bathroom and went into the bedroom to get dressed for the trip to the hospital- I still hadn't broken my water so we were sure we were still in for a very long night, after all our first had taken days! I had to focus on the contractions now and was really working through each one trying to keep my cool. My sciatica was gone! i climbed up onto the bed and sat cross legged leaning back on my hands to keep my back straight. I don't know why I felt I had to do this but it felt better when I did.
My water broke in a flood and I felt the baby drop way down into my pelvis. I broke out into a cold sweat and got a little nauseous and light headed for a minute but it cleared up with the next two contractions. It suddenly occurred to me I was going nowhere. There was no way I was having our baby on the side of the highway in our brand new car!
My husband dialed 911 as she crowned and the operator talked him through catching the baby and clearing her airway. My mom and a long time family friend arrived to care for her as my husband finished with the 911 operator and the paramedics arrived a little while later to deliver the placenta and cut the umbilical cord. It was 9:42. I had labored all of 2 hours. She did move her bowels during the delivery, but it must have been after the water broke and after her head had crowned as the initial fluid was clear and she had no fluid in her mouth. From the waist down she had meconium on her.
The post-partum contractions were particularly uncomfortable but nothing a little ibuprofen couldn't relieve. I had loose and greasy bowel movements for the next 3 days but as i had an intravaginal tear I found it a blessing not to have to bear down till I had a chance to heal. As she was nursing, the baby and I were gassy and really stinky for the next week. I think it had something to do with the castor oil clearing my system. I kept drinking plenty of fluids.
In all I felt terrific considering I had delivered a 9lb 4oz baby in a little under 2 hours. The rush from the delivery was an emotional high I can still relive to this day and a moment my husband and i will share together forever. (that's probably why it didn't hurt like I expected it to) My 2 year old woke up just after delivery and he came through to hold his little sister. He adores her to this day.
I didn't suffer the emotional exhaustion I had with the last delivery, nor did I need an epidural. I wouldn't even call the cramping I felt pain. It was hard work, but the kind of pain you get when working out at the gym or playing a really rough sport. Not anything like the long and drawn out genuine pain of my first pitocin augmented hospital labor.
I would definitely recommend the castor oil method to anyone with a full term, healthy pregnancy and a decent sized pelvis. Not for the little petite princess-that's for sure. It has to be able to happen quickly or you'd really be in for a very rough and very frightening night. Listen carefully to the dosing instructions from your midwife, there's a big difference between 4 ounces and 4 teaspoons! In this case it may have made the difference between delivering at home alone or delivering with my midwife at the hospital. Post partum would have been a lot less smelly for everyone.
And make sure your house is clean because half the evening shift of the 7th Precinct shows up to see you looking and feeling your best! It's like a Chippendales review and everyone wants to hold the baby!

-- posted by gm249