Evening Primrose Oil

[Tasha505]

Has anyone been taking or known anyone who has taken Evening Primrose Oil??? I have heard that if you can start taking it @ 36 weeks and continue on till you go into labor. It supposedly will help prepare your cervix for labor, by helping it ripen.

This is normally suggested by midwives, which i don't have, but I have heard of it from gals who did have a midwife.

Any info???

[pameladawn414]

Ya I'm 39 weeks and my midwife recommended me to start taking them, about 1500-2000mg a day, and to take them orally. She didn't mention anything about insertion though but I'm deff gonna google that lol :D

[Tasha505]

Thank you for your response!! I'm 37 weeks now, and I have heard different things about inserting vaginally, I have heard that you should wait till 38 weeks, BUT i have also heard that you should not insert them vaginally unless you go PAST your due date... I am already 1cm dilated, and I have been drinking the raspberry leaf tea... but I'm not effaced yet. So I'm gonna see how things go after I take EPO for a few days, my next appointment is on Tuesday! I think I will not insert the pills, but rather use them as a lubricant during sex, as I have heard that is also another option...

[Brittny27]

I had my first manual exam at 37 weeks and was told I wasn't anywhere near ready.

I went out to buy borage oil being it's the same thing as EPO but only stronger. I grabbed the wrong bottle and ended up with EPO.

I took two pills every night before bed and in one week I was 50% effaced. The next week I was still 50% but also 1 cm dilated. I also got a massage that week and had the pressure points on my ankles worked. I had contractions on and off for about 12 hours. So I don't know if the 1 cm was due to massage or EPO.

You can also insert it vaginally before bed and it's suppose to work a little better if it's right on your cervix.