How much castor oil is needed to induce labour?
There are reports of castor oil being used to bring on labour as far back as the Egyptians, though how it works is poorly understood. The most commonly given explanation is that it acts as a powerful laxative, and when it stimulates the gut it also stimulates the uterus and so “kick starts” labour. Is it safe? Nausea is likely to be the immediate effect, followed by a bad case of diarrhoea and there is a risk that you will become dehydrated. For this reason, we would NOT recommend taking castor oil. Does it work? A study of 100 overdue women found that 57.7% began active labour after a single dose of 60ml of castor oil, as opposed to 4.2% who received no treatment. Another small study found that taking castor oil had no adverse affects on mother or baby. Neither study was of a large enough scale to be conclusive. How do I try it? This is one we would NOT recommend but, according to a survey of midwives, 4 fl oz of castor oil mixed with orange juice is the usual dose. It is revolting (v
