Does Drinking Castor Oil Induce Labor?

Once you are 40 weeks pregnant (or beyond!) you might start researching “natural” ways to get labor going. You may come across the method of drinking castor oil to induce labor. And it may even sound appealing because you are willing to try anything at this point!

Castor oil might induce labor by stimulating the GI system. This is because your GI system and uterus are geographically close to one another within your body. So the theory is that if you stimulate your bowels, you can stimulate your uterus!

I am fully supportive of non-pharmaceutical options if they are evidenced-based. But unfortunately the safety of castor oil inductions remains unclear. And what I have witnessed as a midwife is that drinking castor oil to induce labor can lead to diarrhea and dehydration, without ever inspiring labor. And worse yet, it may cause a “dysfunctional” or suboptimal labor pattern, which may lead to unnecessary intervention. It also has a horrendous taste. Think “motor oil”. Which is why it is recommended to be mixed with so many other ingredients to mask the taste. 

Does it still sound like a good option to you?!

This is an excerpt from FAQ articles that I wrote for Expectful.