[Submitted Question]

My grandmother told me to take some castor oil to send me into labor, is this for real?

[WombToBloom]

Years ago, doctors recommended castor oil to bring on labor. Did it work? Probably. Castor oil is a laxative that effectively empties out the lower bowel making more room for the head to put pressure on the cervix, releasing cervical hormones and bringing on labor. A woman has to be ready for labor in other ways before castor oil would work but there is a physiological basis for it.

In today’s time, you could use glycerin suppositories or Milk of Magnesia to cause you to have loose stools that may, if you’re lucky, bring on labor and bring the head down in the pelvis. Woman actually normally have diarrhea before going into labor and that can be a sign of upcoming labor in a woman in the third trimester so you may not need to use anything at all. Your body will take care of itself.