Methods of natural induction

[threeforme2005]

Hey ladies

I thought it would be nice to start a thread all on it's own about this. I am going to try anything this time around to avoid a Pitocin induction if at ALL possible.

Could you please let me know of any and all natural ways of encouraging labor to start?

I know about RRL tea, EPO, sex, blue and black cohosh, etc. but what I am not sure on is how much...starting at what week...when to try things, etc.

Details...that's what I'm looking for! Thank you so much

[wtchyhlr]

Castor oil - will push you over the edge if you're on it... (direct quote from my midwife). Course, it gives you diarrhea.....

[Lisashepp]

Well first of all let me say that NO ONE should induce labor on thier own. You should only induce under medical or midwife supervision and ONLY if you are risking a hospital induction. I have NO RESPECT for women who induce at home because they are uncomfortable, or want baby to have a certain birthday, or they just want baby out or whatever if you put your conveinience before your babys health then shame on you! DON"T PUT YOUR BABY AT RISK.

If I get to the point of needing to induce there are only 2 things I WILL NOT TRY. I WILL NOT do the cohoshes & I will NOT do caster oil. There are risks with both of these that I am not willing to take with my baby.

[3for3hb]

I agree with Lisashepp. I was pregnant for 10 MONTHS and ready to try anything just about this time last year. I did the cohoshes, the castor oil, homeopathics, pressure points, herbs... all made me sick and all didn't start labor. I am very grateful that nothing happened to my son. I don't mean to scare anyone but a very close friend of mine was sick of being pregnant (last July)and tried to time the birth of the baby so her husband who was out of town a lot would be at the birth. She did the cohoshes, the castor oil, the homeopathics, accupuncture and the herbs (separately). Nothing worked. The accupuncturist said she had never had a woman not go into labor shortly after the session and my friend had three sessions. She is very natural minded and was planning a home birth. Her baby was stillborn , and the doctors at the hospital said that the castor oil had crossed the placental barrier and caused the baby to aspirate his meconium. I don't know how much of that medical advice is accurate but I would err on the side of caution. As my mother always said, "better be late than sorry."

[ekblad9]

I'm just doing the RR tea to tone my uterus and the EPO to slowly soften the cervix. I can totally understand about the fear of induction, though. I would definately speak to your doc or midwife about your very real concerns. The stress from the fear could actually hold off your labor. I have often been so anxious to give birth and esp without induction but I agree we must let the babies come as they will. While pregnancy days can seem like weeks and months it's really so fast! Not that you're doing it for those reasons. I really think your reasons are valid and would be helped by talking frankly with your OB.

Good luck!

[threeforme2005]

:

[Lisashepp]

Wow, the comments I made were to *anyone* reading & looking to induce labor, not just you. Sure you started the thread, but you didn't say you wanted to induce for any of the reasons I talked about in your OP so why would you take it so personally? if it doesn't apply to you then don't take it personally.

I am not passing judgement on you or anyone else and I stand fully by what I said.

ETA: Oh and I am not calling you any names (moron? come on!) & I am certainly not mad at you. When you read a post read it in context, don't put words in my mouth & don't take it so personally!

[Lisashepp]

So what is safe?

Safe things you can do to prepare your body for labor are:

EPO, you can take up to 2 pills 3x a day -- can be taken entire pregnancy, but is often recommended starting at 36 weeks

RRLT, you can drink as much as you want, some moms drink only RRLT the last month of thier pregnancy-- you can also drink this through your whole pregnancy, but no more then 1-2 cups a day the first 8 months.

Sex, semen will help ripen your cervix & orgasm will tone your uterus and may help you dialate.

Nipple stimulation, should only be done when risking a hospital induction and only under the care of a midwife or Dr.

You can try homeopathics, acupressure, acupuncture and other alternative means but I don't know how effective they are.

[threeforme2005]

Lisa, I didn't say you called me a moron. I'm just an overly sensitive pregnant lady lately and I'm sorry I took your post personally. I started the thread so therefore I assumed you were saying those things to me Sorry Lisa. Forgive me?

[Quindin]

I would not take anything to induce the baby besides Raspberry Leaf Tea - which I have always taken anyways and it is good for toning the uterus. I don't think side effects - even if rare - are worth the risk

My midwife said that sexual intercourse is a safe way to get things going, but I never really tried it until I was already overdue (always 1 - 2 weeks overdue with each baby). This time we will begin working on it as soon as I reach term though

[Quindin]

Originally Posted by willemsmamma

Her baby was stillborn , and the doctors at the hospital said that the castor oil had crossed the placental barrier and caused the baby to aspirate his meconium.

That's so sad!!! I had heard CO was dangerous, but never had heard an actual story...

[Lisashepp]

Originally Posted by threeforme2005

Lisa, I didn't say you called me a moron. I'm just an overly sensitive pregnant lady lately and I'm sorry I took your post personally. I started the thread so therefore I assumed you were saying those things to me Sorry Lisa. Forgive me?

Not a problem. My last pregnancy I would have probably felt much like you did from what I wrote, I was very sensitive-- this time not so much

You will do yourself a huge favor to just blow off anything anyone says especially if you aren't sure how to take it

I feel obligated anytime anyone mentions induction to point out the risks and make it known that just because one is uncomfortable does not mean baby is ready yet. Too many women (I am sure you have seen it) start talking about induction at 36 weeks for no good reason.

I just want everyone to have safe deliveries and happy babies

Too many babies have died because mom induced labor and took risks she should not have


Never hard feelings Just safe babies right?

[ekblad9]

I'm sorry you had your feelings hurt. I understand where you're coming from, I do. I was induced last time, four days early, because they threatened me with a c section (baby was breech) if I didn't let them induce me. 19 hrs later my baby was born. He was sickly, I contracted some kind of infection, and suffered from PPD for the first year of his life. I refuse to even birth in a hospital again so I was excited to see this thread. I hope all is well for you!

[Goddess3_2005]

Stay Away From Castor Oil!

My personal experience. Ok, first this crap tastes horrid, like your drinking motor oil. EEEEWW. I took castor oil to try to avoid and induction later that week, bad idea. I ended up with severe direah, stommoch cramps and not feeling well for days. I went in and my baby was born with meconium and ended up in the NICU for 2 days. Although I think that the pitocin had something to do with this too, I would avoid this at all costs.

[kavamamakava]

Here's what worked for me...
First baby: I drank my RRL tea and took EPO orally from week 35. One night I scrubbed my bathtubs and then slowly went up and down the stairs to my 3rd floor walk up apartment. That set me into full labor.
Second baby: I drank RRL but forgot about EPO. I cooked a bunch of food for the freezer and then I woke up in the night with contractions. I went back to bed and told people I wasn't in labor. LOL. In the morning I went to my mom's and followed my toddler around the garden and up and down the stairs on the outside of her house. That got labor in gear and there was no turning back.

So I recommend stairs and major cleaning/cooking projects
I think that castor oil is supposed to work on a ripe body in a dose as small as 2 tablespoons. Some people take way too much and end up with diarrhea and cramps which irritate the uterus and can trigger labor. But who wants to be in labor with the squirts? And there is also the risk of meconium.
I wouldn't take the cohoshes unless I was faced with an induction for medical reasons. I believe that homeopathic versions of them are safe as that is how homeopathy works. But I would still hold off. I wouldn't use the tinctures or capsules of powder though.

[Quindin]

I will try the EPO (I have been drinking a little RLT for a while already 'cause I enjoy it), but I am wondering if all the extra chores and exercises you did were a symptom of you being in labor rather than what helped it start
With DS#1 I went crazy the evening before he was born and did 3 loads of laundry, scrubbed the bathroom and cleaned the floors :LOL Contrax started at 12:00 am. It was serious nesting going on!!

[littlest birds]

I don't know about risk but I intuitively felt okay with clitoral masturbation which did work and I think more effectively than sex. I did this with my fourth child who was born at home. The midwife was late, but even my first labor had been quite short. The birth was perfect and the baby was perfect.

I am not at all expert but that's just my story. And I would never have taken oil or cohosh FWIW but it felt natural to stimulate my own body in this way.

[kavamamakava]

Yeah. That serious nesting scares me a bit. I keep getting the urge to shampoo the carpets but I don't want it to send me into labor. So I'm going to put it off for at least another week. My son's bday is next Friday and I bet the kids will end up dropping cake all over the carpet anyway. So I'll wait and use it as a way to kick start labor

[kater07]

Isn't Natural Induction an oxymoron?

Have sex
Walk
Take EPO orally or vaginally daily
Use your breastpump for 20 mins per hour
LOTS of nipple stim

Those things, I have heard, might help you along if your body is really ready to go into labor and the baby is ready to be born.

I don't understand why you have to "avoid" induction. All you have to do is say NO. It's your body and they can't force you to do anything. It's your right to refuse any procedure you don't wish to have.

[threeforme2005]

For me personally I'm trying to avoid having to be induced in the hospital. So far all my babies have been overdue (1st was 3 weeks late) and huge (10 and 11 pounds). I'm more afraid of having a C-section than being induced. Last time when I was induced after my due date I had a horrible fear something was going to go wrong and I would end up with a CS. Thankfully that didn't happen, but it doesn't mean it couldn't happen this time. I can't shake the fear that if I wait until the baby is ready to come out (which could easily go 2-3 weeks overdue) that the baby will be around 12 or more pounds and that I may not be able to birth the baby.

To sum it up: I'm scared to death this time and I am not able to rationalize with myself. I'm trying really hard, but I'm feeling something will go wrong. I am hoping for a miracle this time. I am praying that I will go into labor around 39 or 40 weeks on my own thus avoiding any interventions.