Inducing Labor with Castor Oil

By: Ⅿeagan
Key terms:
Labor Induction - stimulating uterine contractions before they start naturally to achieve a vaginal birth
Castor Oil - a naturally produced oil from the Ricinus communis plant; traditionally used by midwives as an agent for the induction of labor

Is castor oil a safe and effective way to induce labor?

Induction of labor is commonly used when there are threats to mother or fetus and when carrying post-due date but should only be done under the direction of your physician whether it be done by medical or non-medical methods (Acharya, T., Devkota, R., Bhattarai, B., & Acharya, R., 2017). You have probably heard a family member talk about using castor oil to help induce labor and how awful it tastes. There are many things that were used in past times that may not be considered safe and/or effective now. How do you know if castor oil is safe or effective? Do not trust online sources without credible sources or a medical background.

Here is an example of an online resource on this subject that would not be a credible source…

What do we know about Castor oil?

  • It tastes horrible
  • It is a smooth muscle relaxer causing diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and possibly nausea and vomiting
  • Can add discomfort to the labor process
  • There is limited research on the effectiveness of inducing labor (Gilad, R., Hochner, H., Savitsky, B., Porat, S., & Hochner-Celnikier, D., 2018).
  • Kozhimannil, Johnson, Attanasio, Gjerdingen, and McGovern (2013) claim that there is no proven effectiveness with castor oil and suggest potential maternal and neonatal harm
  • Most of our knowledge on this subject is by the personal accounts of maternal “experiences”

Should you try using castor oil to induce labor?

By: Dan Harrelson

Labor induction should be decided upon with consultation from the appropriate medical professional. Contact your physician to discuss when the induction of labor is recommended and safe, ways to induce, and if home remedies such as castor oil are recommended.

 

 

References

Acharya, T., Devkota, R., Bhattarai, B., & Acharya, R. (2017). Outcome of misoprostol and oxytocin in induction of labour. SAGE Open Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312117700809

Gilad, R., Hochner, H., Savitsky, B., Porat, S., & Hochner-Celnikier, D. (2018). Castor oil for induction of labor in post-date pregnancies: A randomized controlled trial. Women and Birth,31(1). doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2017.06.010

Kozhimannil, K., Johnson, P., Attanasio, L., Gjerdingen, D., & McGovern, P. (2013). Use of nonmedical methods of labor induction and pain management among U.S. women. Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 40(4), 227-36.