Labor Tincture

[DoulaJulian]

My beautiful midwife and I concocted the Labor Tincture from Susun Weed today...Blue & Black Cohosh, Bethroot and Ginger...been taking my 10 drops per hour since 2pm today! Fingers crossed!

Sir Hubby took the kiddos sledding and to a friends house for the whole afternoon! Since we moved here, I have never once had the place to myself! There has always been at least a sleeping little one, or a sick one, or one who didn't want to go with Daddy...I ate pizza, drank a rootbeer, and watched a movie (and no one asked for a sip of my soda, spilled it, knocked my pizza on the floor, or asked to nurse for the WHOLE movie ) Then I took <gasp!> A NAP! Like 30 whole minutes of sleep ALL BY MYSELF!!

If the labor tincture doesn't do it, then certainly the happy feelings I am having will kick some oxytocin into high gear and get this ol' uterus contractin'

Hoping to have a baby to share with everyone soon...

Justine

[Awaken]

sounds like a GREAT afternoon! One to remember! I hope the tincture works soon!

[evinmom]

Good luck! Hope the tincture does the trick!

[flapjack]

Any updates?

[DoulaJulian]

Still nothing to report, really! I took the tincture yesterday every hour from 2pm-8pm with zero contrx and then my mw said to take a break for the night if it hadn't done anything yet...so I had a crappy night.

Then today, I waited to start taking it until later today since night time is when I tend to have more labor-like sensations anyway. This time though, I started it about 5pm EST...then enjoyed some sex with Sir Hubby, including applying some more EPO to the cervix (which he said was more like 4cms today and much more anterior than it was 2 days ago), and then we did a bit of accupressure. I just took the 3rd dose a little bit ago and I have to admit that I am really crampy in the last 15 minutes or so. I am worried about having a "freight train" of a labor since there is so little between the baby and the world at this point!

I will check back in later tonight with you ladies if anything starts happening...I will probably take it until about midnight tonight and then stop for the night if nothing happens.

[DoulaJulian]

So, i just took the 5th dose...i have to say that I am feeling plenty of tightening sensations, a lot more pressure (like I even thought that was possible!) especially in my rectum (sorry-- TMI) and my uterus is acting much more irritable (getting really tight just for rubbing it or shifting positions) but I am not sure that I would call any of this labor-like though. Certainly nothing that "takes my breath away" or is "painful" yet. (HA! The last days of pregnancy--the only time we "look forward" to feeling something painful, eh?) So, we are going to keep doing this for the next 3-4 hours and see if anything else develops...if i feel that this could be something, then I might continue for a few more hours...but if by midnight we are feeling like it is just some nice warming up stuff, then i will try again tomorrow!

So, if ya'll don't see me back here tonight, then I gave up and went to bed (or actually, just went to couch, to chair, to pacing, to the shower, to standing, to staring out the window, to petting the cat etc.. since sleep is a distant memory )

[DoulaJulian]

Well, another night of restlessness with no baby to show for it after another attempt at the labor tincture I have had some really strong contractions on and off though....and by on and off I mean REALLY on and off and nothing at all labor like timing wise, but at least that is more than what was going on two days ago! I noticed that my overall mood has improved (ie: i feel more positive and lighthearted...laughing more often, seeing the funny bits of things of going on rather than being annoyed by attempts at levity and such) which might mean that my oxytocin level has increased. I actually made a JOKE at my hubby this morning which is something I have not had the capacity to do for weeks now!

So at any rate, it is now about 6:30 pm EST and I am going to make another 6 hour attempt with the labor tincture. At this point, I am not sure if I really believe it will or won't do anything at all labor wise, but it feels empowering to do something. I feel pretty confident that the ingredients are relativity safe and are at a very low strength...I know that one of the side effects of blue/black cohosh can be increased blood pressure, but mine has been below 98/60 this whole pregnancy, so unless I get a bp headache or start to feel funky I am not worried about a little increase in my bp...it actually might make me feel better to have it increase a bit. The ginger is something that I would eat/drink lot's of any any normal day...and the bethroot is the smallest portion of the tincture, so all in all, like I said, I am not too worried about over doing it (i am only taking 10 drops every hour of the whole concoction)

So...my point is, i guess...not sure if labor tincture is a reliable way to initiate labor, even when all of the other factors are favorable (baby position, effacement, station etc...) but at this point, it is as aggressive as I am willing to go...along with lovin' Sir Hubby, doing some accupressure, and relaxation/visualization... maybe a higher dose, more frequently etc... would be beneficial, but until I am like 41+, i think that will stick with this level of intervention!!

Again, I'll let ya know if anything comes of it tonight!

[justmandy]

Oh, you remind me of myself a couple weeks ago! I'm sorry it's taking so long to get things going. I totally relate to wanting the pain (I forgot that in transition, though, lol). My "Labor Tincture" was LOTS of RRL tea, like 2 quarts a day for 3 days, and lots of EPO, 2-4 orally and vaginally also for the 3 days. I felt the same way there, as well, it was safe and not too agressive. Good labor luck to you!!

[DoulaJulian]

Maybe? Maybe things are happening? Surges every 10 minutes for the last 3 hours...but we've been here PLENTY of times before in my other pregnancies and it doesn't always mean a baby... labor tincture? accupressure? just the right time? who knows what works and what doesn't <3 Hopefully I will post an announcement soon enough!

[bethanyclaire]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that this is it!!!!

[DoulaJulian]

Well, we had 12 hours of 10 minutes apart and then things fizzled out. Pretty typical of my birthing times! I usually do this 3-4 times before the big show...and even that will last a day or two, I am sure.

Looks like I might be the last one left?