Independent midwife, Melody Weig from Birth Rites answers YOUR questions.
I am overdue but do not want to be induced, do you know of any alternative therapies used to get an overdue labour started? Harriet, London
“Only 4% of babies are born on their due date which shows our method of calculation is only a faulty approximation. My friend who is a sheep farmer has a better idea of when her sheep are due than I do of the women I see. Anything between 37 and 42 weeks is considered a normal length for pregnancy.
A procedure offered by midwives and doctors to increase the possibility of labour starting naturally is a cervical sweep. The cervix is the bottom of the uterus, the part that protrudes into the vagina. The midwife reaches it with her gloved finger and makes a circular movement inside the cervix, giving it a little stretch. This can be uncomfortable like a period pain. Following a sweep there may be a loss of mucus or blood, which is normal at this time. This can be repeated again after a couple of days and is thought to make the induction process easier even if you do not go into labour.
There are some natural methods and therapies that can work to start labour for some women. However, there is no one method that works no matter what claims are made. I have seen acupuncture and reflexology start labour for some women. Sometimes they have needed more than one treatment for it to work; occasionally their labour has started within a very short time after one treatment. These treatments don’t always work, but they also do no harm. My own labour was started using acupuncture after the bag of waters around the baby broke but my labour did not start. My labour started after one treatment.
Castor Oil Cocktail. Women who were planning a home birth and were being invited to hospital for an induction simply based on dates sometimes use the Castor Oil Cocktail. I do not recommend it because it is likely to cause diarrhoea and discomfort, is unpredictable in its affect and is not guaranteed to work. In my experience, the success rate was about 50% after one dose for second or third time mums trying it. The success rate for first time mums is fairly low so I really don’t recommend it for them at all.
For those wish to try it despite the risks, I suggest taking it first thing in the morning after a good night’s sleep. It may take a while to move from bowel contractions (diarrhoea and stool evacuation) to uterine contractions.
The cocktail is 1-2 large tablespoons of castor oil in a glass, a large teaspoon of orange concentrate, an alka selzer, then top up with water. The orange is to make the taste more palatable, the alka selzer is create effervescence to lift the oil to help disperse it, make it more drinkable and then to alleviate some of the digestive discomfort. Take it with a pinched nose as blocking the smell will make it easier to drink. Then drink it fast, followed by a strong tasting drink to get the taste out of your mouth.”
If you have a question for Melody email: margherita@mumzine.com
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