VBAC UC herbs for "helping things along"

[TzippityDoulah]

ok so I'm not much into interventions... well I thought I wasn't, until I have had more than 3 weeks of on and off labour. prodromal labour. and I am SORE. I ache on every part of my body. no amount of sleep, resting, meditating, talking to the baby, walking, sitting still or any other thing is helping. I am only worse. it's so bad I can hardly stand up now! (seriously, the baby is that low and I have PSD) i'm been stuck in a chair, sofa or bed for days and it's only getting worse.

I'm in pain frankly. so I'm thinking of trying a few milder things. But I have a little concern b/c I'm a VBACer. granted this will be my second vaginal after a c/s nearly 9 years ago, but I still want to use precaution. the last thing I want is to be hasty and then end up rupturing!!

any thoughts on these herbs for "helping things along" for VBACers?

• Pennyroyal
• Blue cohash
• black cohash
• False unicorn root
• Blesssed thistle
• squawvine herb
• lebelia

(I have a little mixture a friend gave me with all of these herbs)

I've never used anything like this b/c I never thought I'd want to induce labour. but I'm already labouring, and baby is all but sitting inside my vagina, so I'm not sure what else I'm waiting on.

I'm actually a little ashamed... I always thought I would stick it through. and be tougher. and see it through the end. I'm kinda mad at myself for considering this. but I'm also hurting so badly!! I'm scared my physical tension might be making it hard for baby to come... no matter how much my mind relaxes my body is too tired to relax anymore. bleh

[mellowyellowmama]

I don't have any advice on herbs. I just wanted to post and say I'm so sorry you are uncomfortable. You are amazing!!!! Hang in there mama, it's almost over and it won't seem so bad in hindsight.

[holyhelianthus]

Ditto on having no advice! I am just here to offer cyber and let you know I have been lurking the UC forum just to see how you are doing

I know it's going to be great! :

[TzippityDoulah]

you all are way too sweet thanks for the encouragement!

[freestylemama]

If you're in pain and need assistance, please get it. There's no award or badge for "sticking it out" or "being tough". Do what you need to do mama. Follow your instincts. If that means finding a midwife or OB and getting some relief/support/assurance then by all means do it! (Wo)men are not islands. : Good luck!

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by freestylemama

If you're in pain and need assistance, please get it. There's no award or badge for "sticking it out" or "being tough". Do what you need to do mama. Follow your instincts. If that means finding a midwife or OB and getting some relief/support/assurance then by all means do it! (Wo)men are not islands. : Good luck!

while I so appreciate your thoughtful words... I'm not in so much pain I need to run to an OB or what have you. they would have nothing to offer me but induction. Not only does it go against my spiritual beliefs on birth, I am a VBACer and there isn;t much induction wise they can do that is safe for my uterus.I want more children, and I'm not willing to risk it unless it was proven worth the risk.

If I had anemegency I'd seek out treatment. for now? I'm just really uncomfortable. But my desire for a natural birth far out weights my discomfort.

I don't need any badges here! I also got those! (a c/s scar, a torso full of more stretch marks than any person I've ever known, and 2.5 kids hehehe)

[gossamerwindweb]

I can probably rival your stretch marks

I just want to give you s and say I haven't heard too much about inducing with those things... especially for a vbac. I have mainly heard of mineral oil and castor oil... and with those there seem to be a lot of meconium births. I don't know if it is from the oil or from the babies being post dates in the first place... but it does make me leary.

Anyhow, good luck!.... sending you labor vibes... no, change that to BIRTH vibes

[Devaskyla]

Have you tried seeing a chiro or physiotherapist for the SPD? Might help you go into labour, too. I went into labour shortly after starting to do an exercise a physio came up with. I got it from http://www.amazon.com/Relieving-Pelv...9346315&sr=8-4

Personally, I wouldn't take black cohosh, but I know VBAC mamas who have. Not sure about the other's though. Hopefully someone with Susan Weed's book will chime in.

[TzippityDoulah]

Yeah I've been seeing a chirco. it helps for not longer than a day if that... and I can't go every day. and frankly it doesn't help all that much at this point. it was helpful earlier on.

[Dewberry]

Being only 1 day over due I wouldn't try anything yet.

Good luck.

[mellowyellowmama]

Originally Posted by Dewberry

Being only 1 day over due I wouldn't try anything yet.

Good luck.

I agree. This is how I felt, especially b/c I was a VBAC mom too!

[TzippityDoulah]

yeah really I wouldn't normally try anything b/c I don't believe much in due dates. but the only reason I was considering is b/c of the prodromal labour for the last 3 weeks... also I'm not trying hard core induce... just perhaps something to move things along if they will. I don't think anythign will work if it's not ready.

The only concern I have was taking somethign strong and not realizing it. my uterus doens't need that kinda stress!

[mellowyellowmama]

Originally Posted by HennyPenny

yeah really I wouldn't normally try anything b/c I don't believe much in due dates. but the only reason I was considering is b/c of the prodromal labour for the last 3 weeks... also I'm not trying hard core induce... just perhaps something to move things along if they will. I don't think anythign will work if it's not ready.

The only concern I have was taking somethign strong and not realizing it. my uterus doens't need that kinda stress!

I am coming from a place of sympathy and empathy. I was so done and went to almost 44 wks. I had prodromal labor off an on for a week, then hard core for a week, then 2 days of active labor. I am so sorry you are experiencing this!

I felt too at the time though that I wasn't going to take a darn thing, even if I felt like it. I didn't want to compromise, b/c I felt that doing so in the past got me 2 c-sections. It sounds like this is where you are at. You've said that you still feel like you and baby are doing well, right?

If it were me, I'd obviously try to rest, watch a funny movie (distraction), go swimming, drink a Kombucha and re-read something that has to do with fears (right now it's the beginning of the Hypnobirthing book) to remind me of everything I knew before I was actually having to go thru it!!!!

[gossamerwindweb]

are you having sex at all? The prostaglandins in semen help the cervix soften you know LOL!

[accountclosed3]

yeah, i think stimulation would probably be nice and pleasurable. LOL

and then, also, yoga squat. it was just nice when i was round then. i would mostly sit on the floor in yoga squat or baddho konasana.

so,m yoga squat is like a frog. and baddha konasana is on your seat (or on a blanket) with your feet together and knees open toward the floor. lean back against a wall. feels nice.

[Avani]

If you are having this much prodromal labor then your cervix should be softening and dilating. Any herbs/interventions will only truly work well if your body is ready and if the baby is ready. Many women will take the herbs/supplements only to find they don't go into labor, that is because they are not primed for labor yet.

Any of these are for helpful for starting a labor for a body/baby that are ready.

Alternating black/blue cohosh for three days. One dose every hour (15 drops) of the tincture and alternate each throughout the day. Important to alternate.

ALternate using homeopathic black/blue cohosh for three days. Cimicifuga/Calophyllum are the homeopathic names. If these don't work within three days rest and try again in a few days.

Evening Primrose oil daily internally and putting capsules in externally also.

Drink lots of water, rest and release any emotions that may be hindering labor.

In your list of herbs i am very weary of saying it is ok to internally use any amount of Pennyroyal. It is a risky herb to take internally. False unicorn is great, lady's mantle is great, lobelia is great as well as the cohoshes. If your blood pressure rises stop all use of herbs. Squawvine is now called Partridge Berry and is great and Blessed thistle is fine.

Drink red raspberry tea also.

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by gossamerwindweb

are you having sex at all? The prostaglandins in semen help the cervix soften you know LOL!

well of course!! hehe that's the very first thing on my list. b/c even if it doesn't work it's still time well spent

mellowyellowmama-

yeah, I don't want to look back and think "why didn't i just wait it out a little longer?" hmmm maybe I will just come upw ith a list of labour "promoters", and not anything that would exactly qualify as labour inducers. (I know it's a fine line.... so I will just go on my own comfort zone.) and take it from there.

I'm okay with sex, EPO, RRL, and a few other things, but i will hold off on the other stuff for now... unless I feel I need them. I'm trying to listen to my body but anxiety gets in the way. sometimes it's hard to know what would be best so I will try to take it a moment at a time.

someone asked if i had concern about going over? actually yeah I do. not b/c I dont want to go over - sure i am uncomfortable!!! but that isn't my real concern. I have a history of Pre-E, and cholestasis. I'm monitoring myself very well. taking all the right herbs and eating right... but the farther along i get in the pregnancy the higher the risk of liver problems and HELLP syndrome. so yeah, that is weighing on my mind. I'd rather induce than end up sick in the hospital and risking seizing and what not. so that's why I'm feeling pretty anxious about it. so I admit, that is stressing me out. (I'm sure stress doesn't help the liver much either heh...) I just do not want me or baby to end up sick like we did last time. we were under OB/hospital care and they were so unhelpful. they made my problems worse, didn't monitor me well and I ended up gaining TONS of weight, swelling like balloon and having chronic liver problems. it wa sos scary how little they worried about it! looking back it scares me more being in the hospital than it does at home. I felt my problems were so undermananged b/c I trusted them to help me and they didn't. I do not want to end up where I am have to trust strangers with my well being when I've already had two scares with the last kids. this time I am doign SO much better! I have really kept things under control. I want them to stay this way. so in a lot of ways I feel like I am holding my breath until this baby is born.

add that to the fact that my parents are coming to spend Easter weekend. ugh! stressing me out! I do NOT want to have a UC with my parents in my house. If it's during the day I can tell them to leave. but what if it's during the night and they are asleep? I so thought I would have had this baby by now so it dind't even occur to me until this week (I know, stupid , but i was preoccupied with the prodromal labouring )

I need a big dose of "calm down!" seriously... it's liek I was calm this whole pregnancy and now? now I'm working very hard not to freak out all of the time. my emotions are so every where. ugh. luckily I have one heck of a wonderful husband so he is right along side with me helping me through it all. I could never do this without him. he's so helpful.

anyhow... sorry that kinda turned into a therapy session. oops!! haha

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by zoebird

yeah, i think stimulation would probably be nice and pleasurable. LOL

and then, also, yoga squat. it was just nice when i was round then. i would mostly sit on the floor in yoga squat or baddho konasana.

so,m yoga squat is like a frog. and baddha konasana is on your seat (or on a blanket) with your feet together and knees open toward the floor. lean back against a wall. feels nice.

I can't do squatting b/c of my sciatica my legs wont let me bend own enough. bummer! but really... this baby couldn't get any lower without coming through my cervix, so I'm really ok in that part. it's just the contractions don't wanna be regular!

[wbg]

Originally Posted by magstphil

Ditto on having no advice! I am just here to offer cyber and let you know I have been lurking the UC forum just to see how you are doing

I know it's going to be great! :

me too!! have not had much time to do my usual MDC thing, but the first place I head for is straight to this forum to check up on you!!! So there are many people around the world sending you warm energy and positive birthing vibes. You are amazingly strong and patient!

[Talula Fairie]

I know Lobelia and False Unicorn Root are both good herbs for pregnancy, I think they would actually support the pregnancy, not cause labor. My midwife recommended them to me once to expell a blighted ovum, and I remember her saying the herbs are amazing becuase they would actually help the pregnancy if it was viable (which it wasn't in that case, I was sure).

I'd be a little wary of the Cohoshes because I heard they can cause harder contractions, probably not the same level as pit, but definitely something to think about if you're doing a VBAC. However, I'm not an herbalist so I don't have a lot of info there.

If I were you and I absolutely felt I had to do something, I'd go with Castor Oil. It's supposed to be pretty safe. Gentlebirth.org has some good info on it.