Labor without induction????

[Maine Mama Doula]

I've been lurking for the most part, but at 41 weeks I must now come out and play I'm preparing for my third child in three years and my first : DD was two weeks late and induced by AROM by my OB. I had PROM with DS 4 days prior to EDD and they induced after 12 hours with pitocin. I am 100% into doing this at home without a medical induction this time around, but seriously starting to doubt whether or not I can actually go into labor on my own! Does anyone out there have experience with prior labors having been induced and then doing it on their own?? My midwife is suggesting we start trying blue and black cohosh toward the end of next week. I'm still looking into it and I won't do castor oil. I've started playing with my breast pump, DTD, eating spicy foods, etc. I'm not wasting energy running around or anything as I've been told it does nothing to start labor, only helps when you've already started. I've been having lots of pre-labor for the past three weeks, but nothing has come of it...

[jrabbit]

I wrote a diary of the last 6 weeks of DD2 pregnancy: www.pigvig.net/molly.html

I did take cohosh for 24 hours before she was born.

DD1 was born at 37 weeks, DD2 at 42w5d - neither was induced, but maybe my thoughts and feelings from those last weeks will help you? I just don't believe that your body will fail you. It WILL happen!

Now, I'm at 41w2d, and honestly, I've done nothing to encourage labor. I don't think it's necessary. Maybe at 42 weeks, I might consider cohosh again. I wouldn't do castor oil, though!!

--janis

[Maine Mama Doula]

Thank you for your link - I did find it helpful and encouraging. I especially found the work attitude entertaining as I told everyone I was done (exhausted) the Friday before my EDD and now I'm planning on showing up for Monday!

I'm still torn on the cohosh - not sure if I really need it, but if it's not harmful, why not? I'll definitely wait until almost 42 weeks though. MW says when using cohosh, women normally go into labor 2 days after starting the regimen.

[smerkin]

Janis - how did you take the cohosh? and how much? My doc reccommended it and said to do blue, not black and to put 10 drops in the RRL tea twice a day. How did you take it? I'm 41 weeks today and ready to be done! Baby is low and ready but I wasn't dilated on my Tuesday check-up. I would like to have this LO within the next few days, before midnight on the 31st if possible.

[mom2annika]

I had lots of early labor with this LO too and think it was probably a combination of being dehydrated, generally worn out from a pregnancy that was maybe "hyperemesis gravidarum," or at the very least "extreme nausea and vomiting"---that plus bad positioning. DD2 came posterior. She was born at 41 weeks.

I tried EVERYTHING to induce (well, except castor oil and the cohoshes). I don't think anything helped except maybe DTD.

FWIW I wanted to have the baby before the family showed up for the holidays and I went into labor that morning (the day they all came).

GL!

[RoadWorkAhead]

I went into labor the day after deciding I couldn't do it on my own, babe just wasn't coming.

Blue cohosh - didnt do this time but always seen it recommended under tongue between 3 drops and a dropperful every 20 minutes to an hour - just depends on person recommending it. And typically combined w/ equal amount of black

[jrabbit]

It was nearly 5 years ago, but lemme see if I can remember how I did it ....

I feel pretty certain it was blue - I don't drink tea, so I just took the drops directly. Can't remember if it was under or over the tongue. I suppose I could have put it in water or something ... but I tend to be lazy. It's FOUL-tasting, though. It was less than a dropper full - but more than 3 drops.

I didn't take it very many times over the course of that day. I started in the morning, and labor began about 3:30 am next day. Until I read what Kerri said, I would have sworn that I did it every 4 hours, but maybe it was more often than that.

**do** make sure you are under the care of someone knowledgeable while you are taking it. Apparently, it could trigger some fast labor, and you want your providers to know what you're doing. Labor was fast with both of my babies, so I can't say for sure if the cohosh made it faster. I don't think it made it any stronger, though. And, we're not even positive it was the trigger for me!

best wishes!
--janis

[Maine Mama Doula]

My midwife said that I will be alternating between blue and black, taking it every hour for 8 hours I believe. I'm not sure how much she is having me take yet as I haven't actually gotten it yet. She expects me to go into labor around 2 days after starting it.