5-W tablets

i took them from 36 weeks. i was still induced at 9 days late but i had a really good and fast labour which they said was cos of really good stomach muscles which i do have but i think the 5w really helped. ill take it next time too just in case that what did it

I took them with my second and my labour was under an hour. I walked a lot when I was pregnant and that seems to make a difference too.

Never took them - only used raspberry leaf tea & EPO.. and had a very quick labour & awesome birth. I was 8 days overdue & took Castor oil as I was already 3cm dilated two days earlier.
My sister took them with both her children & had 12hour labours both times.
Personally I think your body dictates how everything goes. If they're costly I wouldn't bother

I took them as well. Went into labour 6 days earlier and had a quick and easy drug free labour. I also started drinking raspberry leaf tea at about 38 weeks. With the 5W I started out only taking a half dose for the first 2 weeks and then upped it to the full dose.

Berg19 wrote: Hmmm i think your right anna-banna! Everybodys body is different. Im just looking around cause am planning a drug free natural birth so looking for anything that might make it a little bit easier! Guess you wont know what worked untill you go into labour huh, i think i might go for them though thanks for your help ladies!

Yep, think you're right! Just so you know, I had a drug-free birth (well I succumbed to gas, but in my mind thats not the drugs I was wanting to avoid ). It lasted 3and half hours from first contraction to holding DD. My main piece of advice would be just RELAX! I did that and was 100% confident in my bodys ability to birth my baby naturally.
The only things my MW advised me to take was EPO & Raspberry leaf tea & accupressure (which I didn't do).
Anyway, good luck, you'll be fine, just think positive

hehe, yeah its evening primrose oil.. I took it orally and internally (as in 'popping it up your you know what' )
Realistically nothing will 'work' if your baby isn't ready to come.

Oh yeah, I used the shower in early labour, then headed to the birthing unit.. and finished labouring in the pool where she was born. It was heavenly!! I highly recommend a water birth.. it was such an awesome experience, really calm. And the best part was DD was so relaxed and calm once she was born, I'm sure partly because she was born into such a relaxed and positive environment.
Oh dear, I could waffle on all day long about it, but I'll spare you the agony of hearing about it

If however you do wanna ask me anything, feel free to PM me.
Good luck with everything, you'll be totally sweet!!!




Edited by anna_bana

I took 5w (same as above started on half dose then moved up) then stopped and drank the tea (which DOES NOT taste like raspberries. I thought it would. What a shock that first mouthful was!). Had just under 4 hour labour, gas only... don't know if it was that, or luck or a combo. Only thing I noticed was that the 5w seemed to make me a bit constipated, but once again can't really say it was them for sure as my boy turned posterior for a week and I had heaps of false labour so everything was a bit wierd!

Good luck!
(PS sometimes its nice just to feel like you are doing something in those final weeks to help things along, even if it doesnt work it can be a good distraction)