Black cohosh to induce labor

Black cohosh is an herb, native to America. As the herbal remedy black cohosh is used to treat many different problems and disorders, such as digestion difficulties, menstrual cramps, some menopause-related problems and arthritis. Besides these, black cohosh can also be used to induce labor in women who have gone beyond their term for childbirth.

How to and How Much of Black Cohosh to Use?

Although many people will advise using this herbal remedy for labor induction, make sure to consult your doctor about this issue. Never use anything (any drug or herbal remedy) in pregnancy before you inform your doctor about it. This said, you should know that conventional medicine recommends cesarean section for women who went beyond their gestation term. Your doctors may also recommend some pain drugs for the same purpose. Both of these methods may be associated with risks in certain cases, so many women will much rather try something safer.

Black cohosh is recommended by midwives and it has been in use for many years. This herbal remedy is believed to work by releasing substances similar to estrogen (phytoestrogens), which leads to increased production of oxytocin. Oxytocin is already known to be responsible for labor, due to its effects on ripening of the cervix and stimulation of uterus. Raised level of oxytocin in the body should strengthen the contractions and induce childbirth.

You need to consult both your doctor and your midwife in order to get some advices about proper doses of black cohosh. In general, initial dose of black cohosh tincture (and that is the form of the drug you should use) is 5 drops or less. Mix these drops with some water or tea and take it two times per day. If there are no changes and you are not going into labor after one week of using black cohosh tincture, herbalists usually suggest increasing the dose up to 10 drops of tincture every day.

You may also find some black cohosh capsules on the market. Use less than 500mg of black cohosh in tablets per day, in order to avoid any problems.Caution Measures

You must never use this remedy if you haven’t passed 37th gestational week, because your baby won’t be ready and it will be born prematurely. Be careful about the dose of this remedy, for excess amount of it may harm both you and your unborn child.

Also, you need to know that this remedy hasn’t been scientifically proven to be efficient for labor induction. It can also cause problem such as: prolonged or post-partum bleeding, severe contractions or even miscarriage. Some other difficulties may also appear, especially low blood pressure, headache, nausea, weight gain, vomiting and indigestion. There are also women who experienced some seizures, vision problems, irregular heartbeats and liver damage after using black cohosh.

This remedy should not be used by women who have uterine fibroids, breast cancer or someone who is allergic to Aspirin.