When you reach the final weeks of pregnancy, you are likely feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Your back aches, your feet are swollen, and you want to meet your new baby finally. Every single day past your due date can feel like an entire year. Because the waiting game is so physically and emotionally difficult, many pregnant women turn to the internet to find natural ways to jumpstart the birth process. One of the most famous and widely discussed methods is a special recipe called the Midwives Brew.

This drink is an old wives’ tale that has gained massive popularity on social media platforms and parenting blogs. The traditional recipe usually includes a thick, heavy mixture of castor oil, almond butter, lemon verbena tea and apricot juice. Women blend these ingredients and drink the strange concoction, hoping it will trigger contractions. However, before you head to the grocery store to buy everything you need, you absolutely must understand precisely how this powerful drink works inside your body and the serious medical dangers it can pose to both you and your unborn baby.

What the science says

To understand what the science actually says about this famous drink, you have to look closely at its main active ingredient. The almond butter, the herbal tea and the sweet fruit juice are mostly included in the recipe to mask the terrible taste and the thick, greasy texture.

According to Healthline, the true driving force behind the Midwives Brew is the castor oil – a thick, yellow liquid made by pressing the seeds of the castor oil plant. For hundreds of years, doctors and traditional healers have used this oil as a powerful laxative to treat severe stomach constipation.

When you swallow castor oil, it travels down into your intestines and causes powerful, rapid muscle spasms in your bowels. Because your intestines rest directly next to your pregnant uterus, the medical theory is that the violent cramping in your digestive system will physically irritate the uterus and trick it into starting real labor contractions.

According to the National Institutes of Health, taking castor oil increases the likelihood that a woman will go into labor within 24 hours if she is already at full term. However, the science clearly shows that this happens by creating severe intestinal distress, which is not a gentle or natural hormonal process.

People are drawn to this specific drink because they are desperately looking for a way to avoid medical interventions at the hospital. They want a natural birth, and they believe that drinking a smoothie at home is much safer than getting synthetic medications from a doctor.

The primary benefit mothers seek when they drink Midwives Brew is a fast, effective start to their labor. When a woman is facing a scheduled medical induction because she is too many days past her due date, she might view this homemade drink as her last chance to start labor on her own terms. The almond butter in the recipe is thought to help the castor oil stick to the stomach lining, prolonging intestinal cramping, the National Institutes of Health explains.

The lemon verbena tea is traditionally believed to help calm the nerves, while the apricot juice covers up the harsh, oily taste. For some women, the severe stomach cramping does successfully trigger uterine contractions, allowing them to go to the hospital and deliver their baby without needing intravenous drugs.

Risks and safety considerations

While the idea of a natural drink sounds harmless, the medical reality is that the Midwives Brew carries significant and sometimes life-threatening risks. The biggest immediate danger to the mother is severe dehydration. Medical News Today notes that, because castor oil is a harsh laxative, drinking it will almost certainly cause hours of explosive diarrhea, terrible nausea and vomiting. Losing that much water and energy right before you have to push a baby out is incredibly dangerous and leaves you completely exhausted.

There is also a terrifying risk to the unborn baby. When the mother’s body experiences violent intestinal spasms, the baby feels severe stress. This stress can cause the baby to have a bowel movement while still in the womb. The baby’s first poop is called meconium. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that if the baby passes meconium into the amniotic fluid and then accidentally breathes it into their tiny lungs, it can cause a deadly condition called meconium aspiration syndrome. Because of this severe risk of fetal distress, most modern doctors strongly advise against drinking castor oil under any circumstances.

Alternatives to Midwives Brew

If you are past your due date and feeling desperate, there are much safer ways to encourage your body to go into labor. You should always talk to your doctor about the safest options for your specific pregnancy. The safest alternatives are those performed by trained medical professionals in their offices. During a cervical exam, the healthcare professional uses their gloved finger to gently separate the amniotic sac from the wall of the uterus.

As the Cleveland Clinic explains, this physical separation releases natural hormones called prostaglandins, which can safely and gently signal your body to start contracting within a few days. If a natural sweep does not work, the hospital can use a medication called Pitocin. The Mayo Clinic points out that Pitocin is a synthetic version of oxytocin, which is the exact hormone your brain naturally produces to cause contractions.

While getting medicine through an IV might not be the natural birth you originally planned, it allows the health experts to carefully monitor your baby’s heart rate the entire time, ensuring that the baby is never in distress during the process.

What is the fastest way to open the cervix?

The absolute fastest and most reliable way to open the cervix is through a monitored medical induction at the hospital. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, when doctors need to deliver a baby quickly for health reasons, they do not rely on natural remedies. Instead, they use scientifically proven methods to force the cervix to open.

They might insert a small, balloon-like device called a Foley catheter into the cervix and inflate it with water, which physically widens the cervix. They may also apply special hormonal medicines directly to the cervix to soften it rapidly. These medical interventions work much faster and are significantly more predictable than any homemade brew or herbal tea.

How do you know if you’re dilating at home?

It is impossible to know exactly how many centimeters you are dilated without a trained doctor or midwife physically checking you. Still, your body will give you several clear clues at home. You might notice an increase in thick, clear, or slightly bloody vaginal discharge, often called the loss of your mucus plug.

As Healthline states, you will also feel a heavy, intense pressure deep in your pelvis as the baby’s head drops lower into the birth canal. Some women experience sharp, lightning-like pains in their lower back or deep in their groin as the cervix begins to stretch and thin out. You should absolutely never attempt to reach inside yourself to check your own cervix, as doing so can easily introduce dangerous bacteria and cause a severe infection for your baby.

Instead of drinking harsh oils to start labor, try moving your body safely. Taking a long, gentle walk or bouncing lightly on a soft exercise ball can help naturally rotate the baby into the perfect position for birth. By staying upright and opening your pelvis, you can use gravity to naturally put pressure on your cervix, which is a much safer way to encourage your body to begin contractions without causing stomach sickness.

“Some people believe natural ways to induce labor may result in less pain than medical inducers. However, labor and birth are often associated with some level of pain and discomfort, regardless of the induction method. Also, natural induction is not better or worse than any other way of having a baby. The end goal, regardless of labor induction or delivery method, is for a happy, healthy baby and family,” says Tani Berzins, MD, family medicine physician at Essentia Health

Bottom line

Dr. Justus Rabach, MD, explains, “Midwives Brew is a popular home remedy that relies on the harsh laxative effects of castor oil to create severe stomach cramping, which some people hope will trigger uterine contractions. While it can sometimes force labor to begin, it carries incredibly high risks of severe dehydration for the mother and life-threatening meconium aspiration for the baby. Because of these serious medical dangers, you should never consume this drink or attempt to induce labor at home without the explicit permission and supervision of your healthcare provider.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the success rate of castor oil to induce labor?

Studies suggest that roughly half of women who take castor oil at full term will go into labor within 24 hours, but this comes with a very high rate of severe stomach sickness.

What week do cervical checks start?

Most doctors and midwives will begin offering optional cervical checks around week 36 or 37 of your pregnancy during your normal weekly office visits.

How dilated do I need to be to push?

You must be completely dilated to ten centimeters, and your cervix must be thinned entirely out before the doctor will allow you to begin pushing the baby out safely.

Citations

Crider C. Midwives Brew to Induce Labor: Recipe, Safety, and More. Healthline. Published January 24, 2024. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/midwives-brew

Amerizadeh A, Farajzadegan Z, Asgary S. Effect and Safety of Castor Oil on Labor Induction and Prevalence of Vaginal Delivery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. 2022;27(4):251-259. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnmr.ijnmr_7_21

Ziegler SM, Heimann Y, Schleussner E, Weschenfelder F, Groten T. Induction of Labor Using Castor Oil Cocktail – an Analysis of Real-world Data. Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde. 2024;84(11):1050-1056. doi:https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2397-1490

Fletcher J. Castor oil to induce labor: Risks and dangers. www.medicalnewstoday.com. Published January 18, 2020. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327523

John Hopkins Medicine. Meconium aspiration syndrome. John Hopkins Medicine. Published 2020. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/meconium-aspiration-syndrome

Cleveland Clinic. Membrane Sweep: Benefits, Risks & How It Works. Cleveland Clinic. Published October 19, 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21900-membrane-sweep

Mayo Clinic. Labor induction – Mayo Clinic. Mayoclinic.org. Published 2017. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/labor-induction/about/pac-20385141

Cleveland Clinic. Cervical Ripening. Cleveland Clinic. Published September 5, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/22165-cervical-ripening

Brusie C. Cervix Dilation Chart: Stages of Labor. Healthline. Published 2016. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/cervix-dilation-chart