Epo?

Evening prim rose oil
Does it help ripen the cervix (thin)? I'm confused on what it actually does. I've read about it on a few websites and always seem to read that women use it to induce but I was under the impression that it only helps the cervix prepare for labor.

Quoting stfubeeouch:" Evening prim rose oil Does it help ripen the cervix (thin)? I'm confused on what it actually does. I've ... [snip!] ... always seem to read that women use it to induce but I was under the impression that it only helps the cervix prepare for labor."

It supposedly can help ripen the cervix, but according to a local (well ex-local since I moved) midwife, it's no longer being recommended even for that. I'm not positive and I'm too lazy to go back and read up on it, but I believe it's recently become linked to premature rupture of membranes so many people are no longer recommending it.

That's crazy I'll look into that. My nurse recommended it last visit since they told me no intercourse and that semen and evening prim rose work in the same way.

EPO is full of prostaglandins - the same thing in semen that helps to soften the cervix. It isn't recommended before 36 weeks. And for some women, it does nothing.

I see now, I did read that women were taking them at 28 weeks. She told me to start over the weekend which I will be 38 weeks. The whole inducing labor freaked me out a bit that's why I was asking.

Okay I went back and did a quick search. Luckily it came up fast. This is directly from a very trusted and highly praised midwife (of the homebirth variety) where I used to live:

Here is the abstract on EPO

Oral evening primrose oil:: Its effect on length of pregnancy and selected intrapartum outcomes in low-risk nulliparous women

Dorinda Dove MS Corresponding Author Contact Information, CNM, Peter Johnson, CNM, PhDc
[Author vitae]

Abstract

Evening primrose oil is widely used by many midwives to hasten cervical ripening in an effort to shorten labor and decrease the incidence of postdates pregnancies. Although its efficacy has been studied in the relief of symptoms of a number of medical conditions, its use has not been well studied, if at all, for the purpose of cervical ripening. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oral evening primrose oil on the length of pregnancy and selected intrapartum outcomes in low-risk nulliparous women. A two group retrospective quasi-experimental design conducted on a sample of women who received care in a birth center, compared selected outcomes of 54 women taking evening primrose oil in their pregnancy with a control group of 54 women who did not. Findings suggest that the oral administration of evening primrose oil from the 37th gestational week until birth does not shorten gestation or decrease the overall length of labor. Further, the use of orally administered evening primrose oil may be associated with an increase in the incidence of prolonged rupture of membranes, oxytocin augmentation, arrest of descent, and vacuum extraction.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Household 6:</b>" Okay I went back and did a quick search. Luckily it came up fast. This is directly from a very trusted ... [snip!] ... increase in the incidence of prolonged rupture of membranes, oxytocin augmentation, arrest of descent, and vacuum extraction."</blockquote>




Thank you for this info! I wonder if my nurse even knows this that crazy woman

Quoting Household 6:" Okay I went back and did a quick search. Luckily it came up fast. This is directly from a very trusted ... [snip!] ... increase in the incidence of prolonged rupture of membranes, oxytocin augmentation, arrest of descent, and vacuum extraction."

I don't see the point in taking it orally. That's like taking Cervadil orally.

She also provided this link that I am far, far too lazy to read, but surely there's something important in there lol.

http://www.instituteofmidwifery.org/MSFinalProj.nsf/a9ee58d7a82396768525684f0056be8d/f44c26c0836acbb585256dd1006b2a22?OpenDocument

I'm already thinned and dilated to a 2 and 1/2 but she suggested I insert them vaginally every night starting this weekend. I'm still confused on the benefit don't think I'll do it unless I fee certain it'll help with something

Quoting stfubeeouch:" I'm already thinned and dilated to a 2 and 1/2 but she suggested I insert them vaginally every night ... [snip!] ... starting this weekend. I'm still confused on the benefit don't think I'll do it unless I fee certain it'll help with something"

I used them with my last pregnancy and I think I was a 3 maybe? At 38 weeks. But I was still in labor for almost 60 hours, so I can't really say that it helped much haha!