Movement, castor oil, cramps?

I have not posted in a while so I have a few questions built up  please address as many as you can.

1)  I have heard that castor oil is bad to take in order to get labor going but I saw that show "house full of babies" were its all midwives, all natural births etc and they recommended castor oil.  Whats the deal?  Is it bad or good and why?  (BTW  I am only 17 weeks...this is just a curiosity thing)

2)  I have recently started feeling movement (at about 16 weeks) and it is consistant (every day).  Around when I started feeling the movement I started getting cramps, not frequently...like one or two good cramps a day. Is this my uterus stretching because the baby is moveing around?

[jesse-sophia's mommy]

Q1> my aunt took it and said that it just gave her the poops!!
Q2>i would say that, that is why you are having cramps.the movements i hated them. and my baby girl love to sit on a nerve that kept giving me butt cramps. :) thoses were lovely

[AnnieBrooke]

The reason castor oil is a bad idea is that it can cause the unborn baby to poop out meconium in his or her amniotic sac, and then inhale it.  This can cause a severe lung infection.

[anxiousmomtobe?]

Castor oil is bad as Annie stated, I know that certified midwives here do not recommend it.

And just to warn you, you will have all sorts of odd pains and cramps in the next few months.  I am almost 37 weeks, baby is in position and now my poor who=who hurts.  Last week it was cramps in my legs....