Not inducing, Natural or otherwise?

[aslyn]

Is anyone else just letting nature take its course by not doing anything to stimulate labor? Unless There is a medical need to induce I am just waiting it out, and then I am going to try natural FIRST..LO is going to come out eventualy I cant be pregnant forever right?

[sunflower.mama]

I'd love to say I will do the same, but my due date is 3 weeks off...I can't predict how I will feel then...it's such an emotional time. I so dearly want a natural labor but who knows? Good for you though!

[bananabee]

That's what I figure. If I get to birth naturally, I don't plan to try anything to induce. As much as I'd love to quit being pregnant NOW, I figure babies usually come when they're ready.

[azdaisy]

I am waiting around. Each day I am more uncomfortable, but our due date is still about 1-1/2 wks away. Interference with the birth process caused problems with our first birth, which ended in a c-section. So, I am waiting. Our MW said if I go two wks past the due date, we will try some natural methods of induction. Drug induction is absolutely a last resort, after we've tried everything else. So, I am waiting. ;-)

[aslyn]

sunflower.mama I'm in the same boat, Due on the 15th..and quite honestly I am ready for this to be OVER..But I've resolved myself to finding zen in the fact that I have been pregnant for an eternity already whats a few more weeks? Really I was a "late" baby..4 weeks late, 2 of 3 were "late"( my first was induced for medical reasons)..My body just likes to bake em a bit longer I s'pose..so might as well get confy, chill out with my ice water and read all the birth stories while I wait

[Burnindinner]

Not planning on it. But I can't promise if I got to 42 weeks and it looked like baby wasn't doing well ... I don't know. Or if I developed pre-e or something. Unexpected, but this whole pregnancy has been not what I was planning for!

[crbyard]

I am with you on waiting until the baby is ready.With my first, I allowed my OB to do a membrane sweep because she was threatening a chemical-induction the next day. It was SO painful and resulted in labor before the baby had turned in the proper position. Back labor really, really sucks! My second birth was so much more peaceful and positive because no one felt rushed. I was honestly very surprised when one of the partners in my midwife's practice (not my first choice of midwife, to say the least), was suggesting some herbal product and EPO to soften the cervix. I just don't see the difference between using pharmaceuticals or "natural" herbal tinctures. The intended result is to rush the baby before its ready. Like Burnindinner says, though, when you are at 42 weeks and there are complications, then you intervene. But, my midwife was saying to start these tinctures at 36 weeks! Come on, now, there's lots of time left for the baby to bake. . .

[aslyn]

crbyard I don't really get the whole 36 week thing either. At 37 weeks the baby is SUPPOSED to be ready to survive out of the womb..but its still not Full Term,DD was induced at 39 weeks and a whole world of complications came along with it...The longer you wait..at least til full term the more the baby has a chance to fatten up and be ready for the world.

It just seems like as time progresses, parents and the medical community are pushing for things to happen faster..and more "scheduling" out of convience. I am with you ladies about neccesary medical interventions..if something goes wrong, and baby needs to come out then by all means I wont put either of us at risk..BUT I am not gonna push it if there is no reason to.

[broodymama]

I've never considered doing anything to help labor along. DS, my first, was induced via AROM because we were evacuating for a hurricane but my other babes just came whenever they were ready.

[Tiffanoodle]

I keep having this very strong feeling that we will not make it anywhere near our edd. Right now I'm just trying to get to 37 weeks (which is June 9). Once we get near that point, I'm going to start allowing myself to do the things that I've been avoiding because of contractions. I still have a lot of anxiety about repeating my first labor, though, so if we do go past 38 weeks, I might start some natural things so I don't end up with a repeat c.

[sunflower.mama]

Whenever I find myself wishing baby would show up early, I remember that the longer she bakes, the bigger her stomach will grow, and the longer she will be capable of going between feedings (read: sleep for me). That helps me! I also wanted to clarify I'd never consider inducing before 41 weeks as both my older kids were 3 days late...but after that...who knows???

[neldabean]

I am letting nature take it's course. Baby will come when baby is ready. If there was a medical reason to induce then yeah of course I would do what's best for both of us. With ds2 I went 3 1/2 weeks over my EDD I can hold out again. That is why it is called an estimated due date. Not everyone ovulates on day 14. I wish people would chill and not get all induce happy when there is no need too.

[Aka mommy]

I have a longer cycle and figure it's why i dont go 'early'. At times i fight it and then i draw up a hot bath, light some candles and pull out spiritual midwifery or baby catcher read through some awesome births and have a good cry at how physically miserable i am. Then i get out and say to myself 'My body and baby will work together and come when the moment is right for a peaceful, gentle and ecstatic birth'. I know if i rush it, it's on my terms and my body and baby will not be able to work together as it is meant to do.

I don't feel like i have zen, but im trying to create it. I refuse to take anything or do anything. Though yesterday i got a pedicure and had sex with dh. My friends said for sure the baby would come soon since those would push me into labor. I laughed. I didnt do it to induce labor. I did it because who knows the next time i'll get an hour to myself to relax or when dh and i will be able to be intimate without the interuptions of children or the fears of conceiving. I am trying to look at this time in my life as the last ofs. . . This is the last time we can enjoy intimacy without the fear of pregnancy (as we aren't sure when dh will get in for his vasectomy), the last time as a family of 4, the last time at such a slow pace. It's the only thing that is keeping me sane, being able to savor these moments.

So yeah, i'm not doing anything. And if i go to 42 weeks, i'll think about it then. Even then i don't think i will do anything to induce. I've had pit with my first, i've had membranes swept with my 2nd and there are just a whole host of complications imo that don't seem to balance out the risks of going over.

[Mamja]

I would love to wait to go into labor naturally. I am so sad that I will be more than likely induced because of pre-e. I am doing almost all I can to get ready and maybe even go into labor on my own beforehand.

[at_the_hip]

I've always gone late (between 6 days and 12 days after my DD) and waited for baby to choose the birthday! From my family history, those who didn't wait didn't respond well to induction methods and ended up with csec. So short of a serious medical reason, no I am not inducing.

I DO do EPO to soften my cervix/tissues...and I take a Mother's Cordial herbal tincture from 36 weeks to prevent PPH due to my personal history. Neither of those things do anything to induce labor, at least for me!

[jdg]

It was my plan to wait for my labor, whenever it may have come. HB MW said there was no need for us to even discuss natural induction methods until I was at/nearing 42 weeks, because the pregnancy had gone so well, and my family history is to go late.

I made it 38w 2d, and had no urges to hurry things along. But then pre-e changed all the plans, and I consented to a hospital induction as both the OB and MW made it clear that the baby needed OUT fairly quickly. Though I'm happy she's out and healthy, I do wish I could have given her those last few weeks to finish cooking!

[BetsyS]

This is baby #3 for me. With the first two, if I had heard of it, I tried it to induce labor. Nothing worked. And I do mean NOTHING.

Finally, they came at 7 and 12 days over.

This time, I'm trying to be more go with the flow. But, that's easy to say right now at 37 weeks. The crazies haven't really hit me yet. I do know that I won't do castor oil again. I've finally learned after 4 unsuccessful tries (yes, I learn slowly---LOL).

[Venia]

I too do not get the "natural" induction methods versus chemical in normal low-risk pregnancies. Technically they are all still chemicals meant to start something before its biologically triggered. Having worked for the "natural" supplement industry, I can tell you from experience that being "natural" does not make it any safer (sometimes it far worse since there is little regulation for dose, impurities, and most lack controlled studies to evaluate risks)

Anyway, Im with you all in the "not doing anything in particular to stimulate labor". My first was 12 days over my EDD. My EDD this go round in June 16th, so I have a while to wait for nature to take its course.

[monarch27]

Tiffnoodle- we're in the same boat. I'm 36 weeks on Saturday and I really don't plan to make it to 38 with the contractions and everything else. After Saturday hits I will be less hesitant to walk and have sex and other things I've avoided because of the constant contractions. My first little guy came at 37 weeks on the dot after my water broke 48 hours before. From everything I've heard the things I plan to do won't really get labor going unless I'm ready anyway.

[teenyxdoodlez]

With both of my pregnancies letting nature take it's course was pretty much the only option for me. Things seemed to go pretty much uneventful and I didn't really have a chance to even consider induction or anything else for that matter. I'm hoping with this one things will go the same way. The most I do is drink my herbal tea and walk..Of course there's the lovin' between DH and I but that's just because we want to. I know the end is a very anxious time for me but i'm thinking things are going to happen on their own again. If not..well..we'll of course try natural remedies first but NOT 'till we're well past our EDD.

Edited by teenyxdoodlez - 12/7/11 at 1:11am