Anyone else NOT trying any "tricks" to encourage labor?

[annakiss]

Reading here lately, I feel like I'm the only one intentionally not doing anything to encourage labor to start early. I did EVERYTHING with my first baby and feel that he came when he wanted anyhow so I've decided to be patient and let everything start on it's own without me prodding it this time around. I'm really attempting to embrace the idea that the baby will come when she's ready and feel that any "encouragement" from me is wasted energy. Anyone else? Maybe once I get a bit closer I will need the support of a fellow mama with patience as I begin to lose mine. :LOL

[Eaglevoice]

I'm leaning toward letting baby come when baby is ready to come. But, I also, like yourself, have a month before my EDD. So I haven't quite reached that place where I feel like I can't wait anymore. I can't speak from experience, since this is my first, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to hold on till the end with patience and trust. I had my home visit yesterday which got me really excited. My MW dropped off the birthing tub and told me I can safely go into labor at anytime and she would be able to deliver my baby at home. I'm just not ready yet, I still haven't mopped the floors . So I'll be your partner in patience, Anna!!

[Aaudreysmom]

I'm not planning on doing anything to encourage labor. I still have to move this weekend and then on the 15th we are having a b-day party for dd so the baby can't come before then. I can't wait to meet him/her but I am happy waiting for him/her to come when they are ready.

[Velvet005]

I have been anxiously waiting but I have not done anything to encourage labor. I have not tried EPO, castor oil, RRL, Blue cohash, or anything else.
It may seem as if I am very impatient but I have opted not to try any of these things. I admit I have thought about it - but that is where it stops. I just think things will happen as they will. I do go on walks each evening but that is not uncommon for me anyway. I feel like it is good for the body to be active. I am hoping the walks will help my body handle labor better.
I also don't feel like I need to do anything to soften my cervix as it has softened and began effacing on it's own (I was 70% a week ago). So far, my body is doing what it needs to do in order to prepare for birth.
I have less than a week before I am officially *due* but I know he could come tonight or next weekend.

[Debstmomy]

It is not that I am "trying" to start things happening, but I DO NOT WANT TO GO SIGNIFICANTLY OVERDUE! I know babes come when they want, but I do have a "fear" of being 42+ weeks again. That labor with my son was hellacious, to say the least. (Whole reason to HB with MW this time! I need to heal!)
So I am taking the EPO to help ripen my cervix. I doubt will start anything significantly on its own, kwim? If I get to 40 weeks and LLL conference is over, I may then try more aggresive things, but not until then.

[valeria_vi]

me! me! me!
do I have to scream louder?
me! me! me!

we are still so far from being ready. i feel like I need all the time I can get. besides, my edd is determined by a lat(er) US (presumably at 13 weeks). I seem to be hitting milestones at about the right times, but i still understand that it could be at least somewhat off. it really helps that my MW is definitely not an induction-happy kind, so unless there will be a health issue, we will definitely let the baby choose his or her own birthday date. hoping the baby will listen to us, though, and choose a date some time in June.

[captain crunchy]

The only thing I am really *doing* for now is walking more...but I don't consider that *intervention* at all...

Talk to me at 40 weeks...

for now I am fine though

[udonandbroth]

Not doing anything here. Like Valeria, we still need all the time we can get to get ready for the baby. BTDT with the castor oil, black/blue cohosh, moxa/acupressure, etc. and I only did those things because I was overdue and people were threatening induction (castor oil *did* work, though). With the last baby sweeping the membranes seemed to do the trick but I sure wasn't expecting anything from it at all. This time I have an appt. set up for May 10th, due the 11th and I am *maybe* considering asking the midwife to sweep again but only (don't laugh, this may sound kind of stupid to some of you but here goes) it would be kind of cool if the baby were born on the 11th bc/ my other two were born on Feb. 12th and Nov. 13th. It's a little weird knowing that I (might) have that kind of control. But I guess we'll see how I am feeling in two weeks. Who knows... I am sure that baby has it's own agenda.

Not taking any herbs, teas, oils or tinctures, though

[mlis]

ME ME! I really don't want a baby before 40 weeks. I want a nice fat, alert, ready to eat baby. I'm starting to get uncomfortable (38 weeks) but want to wait atleast another 1.5 weeks before I even want think about birthing this one. I keep having a feeling that I"m going to go sooner than later though. Maybe its just the intense bh's when ds nurses, or the fact that I'm really tired chasing a 2 year old..

I'm just drinking RLL and taking alfalfa.

[aslmere]

40 weeks tomorrow

.. and still just hoping he will come on his own.

He probably needs more time to grow and as grumpy and cranky as I am getting by the evenings... his health is more important than my comfort.

My Ob *GASP* even told me he would be fine waiting as long as I wanted, as long as I know the risks of going past 42 weeks.

Unfortunately DH is NOT comfortable with it at all and so if I go that far I will let them induce me sometime after 42 weeks.....but that is still two weeks away!

[Rainbowbird]

No, no, NO NO NOOOOOO!

I am trying to get over gastroenteritus and we lost time getting ready for the new baby when our son was hospitalized last week with the same virus. I need to get over this and we need to finish getting organized. I am a little less anal now---realizing all I cared about was DS getting better and the heck with the rest-- but really I am not ready!

I can't imagine wanting to start labor before 40 weeks anyway. And I am super-uncomfortable! But the baby will come when she will come. Let nature take its course!

[tiffanyblitz]

Add me to the list...

I'm "due" on Monday (3 days), and not doing - or planning to do - anything more aggressive than walking and making love to dh (both of which I'm doing anyway)...

My first was born exactly on his due date, so I'm hoping not to go too late with this one... I'm measuring 46+, and I'm HUGE and totally uncomfortable. but I do believe that the baby will come when the time is right, and anything I COULD do (assuming it would work) would cheat him/her out of development time that was still needed/wanted.

- Tiffany
Still need a cute tag. <sigh> Probably not gonna get around to that until post-baby! LOL

[robugmum]

Not so far, I'm not quite 37 weeks. I've been toying with the idea of starting to use EPO but haven't yet. I guess I'd be happy to have baby come a little early, maybe a week or so. I'm not, however, planning to try anything to make it happen. The evenings are terrible though! I am so uncomfortable and itchy, I want to crawl out of my skin!

[LinzluvsGJ]

I'm not yet... and I'm 38 weeks. But DH has a class through Friday that I don't want him to have to retake so I'm content until Friday... then I may want to try things... not that it did any good last time anyway-- I was 41 1/2 weeks with my first.

[annakiss]

I went to 42 weeks and a day with DS and I am NOT trying anything this time. I did EVERYTHING. If someone said they went into labor after swimming, I went swimming. If they ate Pizza at Flying Pizza, I ate pizza at Flying Pizza. I did teas, cohashes (blue and black, both herbal and homeopathic), EPO internally, EPO applied to the cervix, 3 or 4 sweeping of the membranes, a home "induction" method with foot massage & nipple stim topped off with a raspberry tea leaf enema, I bounced, I walked, I mowed the lawn, I had sex (not that I'm not doing that now, but not in order to get things started), finally I went to chiropractor and still, no baby. I finally went into labor after SROM two days after the chiro (though I don't believe it's related) on my own with a posterior baby who has continued to be a pain in my back ever since.

[Nora'sMama]

I had planned to do the EPO starting at 37 or 38 weeks, but now I've changed my mind. For one thing DH has to go out of town later this week and although I don't feel like anything will probably happen that fast, I'm taking no chances!

If I pass 40 weeks I'm sure I will start trying things, though, to avoid going past 41 weeks - at that point my HCP will want to start talking about induction and I *DO NOT* want to be induced. I know I can refuse the induction but it will be stressful at that point, and even if I refuse they will be watching me like a hawk when I finally go into labor, so I figure starting up the EPO and maybe other "natural" stuff at 40 weeks might not be a bad idea - it won't work unless she's ready, right?

[rockergirrl]

My supposed due date is this friday 5/6 and as uncomforable as I am I will not be doing anything to try and start labor. I believe it happens when it is meant to happen. I don't even believe you are ever "late" if you go past the "due" date you were told. Those dates are all a guess anyway and it just makes women nervous. I even opted out of having my midwife check me this week. I don't even want to know. She could have told me I was centimeters and that could mean I could go this week or next week. The baby is coming- I know that for sure so I will be patient and wait. Even though I can't sleep well and I am getting cranky and sore