Originally posted August 9, 2017
Some of you may know that with my last baby, I was induced. I actually chose to be induced because my midwife was going out of town, and if I went into labor, I would have been transferred to the hospital to deliver with a doctor I had never met.
Since I had a midwife, I was not induced with pitocin or any other medication. She simply prescribed this little known German induction cocktail. The recipe is as follows:
2 tbs almond butter
2 tbs castor oil
1/2 cup water
5 drops lemon verbena
1 cup apricot juice
Most research I’ve done about this drink says it tastes horrible, but for me, it wasn’t that bad! I held my nose and chugged the whole thing. It burned going down a little, but that’s to be expected since the essential oil is lemon verbena. It’s pretty strong.
I was instructed to drink this within 30 minutes, and repeat the dosage 4 times, every 4 hours. Results suggest that most women go into labor within 24 hours of taking this cocktail.
I’ve heard of the old fashioned castor oil and orange juice, which apparently isn’t very good for you because it gives you diarrhea. This drink won’t give you the runs, but it will clear your bowels.
I had the first drink at 8am, and was using the bathroom around 830. My contractions started around 11am. I took another dose around 1pm just to make sure things were moving along, and the contractions became consistent around 6pm. My baby was born at 844pm the same day. If you want to see how my labor went down, check out this video.
All in all, I was glad to have chosen to be induced. I didn’t know what to expect since all of my other kids came naturally. The only thing I would have changed was the time I took the first dosage. I would have rather had it the night before, that way I could sleep through the early labor portion and given birth in the morning.
If you’re thinking about getting your baby out ASAP or want a natural way to kick start your labor, check with your doctor or midwife to see if they recommend this option! It’s technically best for women who are 40+ weeks, but you never know! (If the baby isn’t ready to come, this drink WILL NOT work.) At the end of the day, know that you won’t be pregnant forever, so relax and enjoy the journey!
Until next time!
Shayla