Nipple stimulation -- manual vs nursing toddler?

[nmm2112]

Hi all, just wondering which is more effective (if anyone even knows?) My DD 21mths old is still nursing a few times a day - I haven't done much manual nipple stimulation but I was just wondering which would be more effective as a "labor stimulator"?

I know nurslings are superior at getting the milk out compared to pumping but perhaps manual stimulation is more effective at 'rubbing" you the "right way"?

Thoughts?

[zoe398]

Your toddler is way more effective!

[paxye]

You need a lot of nipple stimulation to "induce labour" and like any other method your body has to be ready...
For nipple stimulation to work you need to have 15 min of continuous stimulation on both breasts at the same time for intervals of 15 minutes over hours at a time.... (not very pleasant IMO)
This is why nursing through pregnancy can not stimulate labour...

Of course, once labor has started then just a bit of nursing can help kickstart it but it produces very strong contractions.... No amount of nursing ds could have started my labour but once it started just a few minuted of nursing ds to sleep made labour come on very strong...

[missm]

My second babe was a HB. We got the labor going with nipple stimulation. My MW was leaving on vacation (and I was SO attached to her). By dh, a teacher, was starting school in 3 days and was only granted 1 day off for the birth of a child. : So we decided to try using a breast pump to induce labor. I was 40 wks exactly, and I was starting to efface etc..

We pumped one side for 15 min., pumped the other side for 15 min., then walked on my treadmill for 15 min. I did this for about 2 hours. The whole time I had contractions and they were about 6 or 7 minutes apart. We started at 9 pm, but after I quit, the contraction basically went away. They were still there and prevented me from sleeping, but it really felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. So in the morning we started the pump up again for another 3 hours and that put me right into active labor.

Don't know if this is helpful or not, but thought I'd share my experience.

I do think you have to be "ready". And if you are, it can really get things going, but it takes awhile.

[TeaBag]

Well, I was nursing a 14 month old when her sister was born and she was nursing several times per day, and I went full term. But I can say that her nursing session the morning that I *thought* I was in labor, but wasn't 100% sure was the key that turned the lock, so to speak. By the time she was finished nursing, I Could.Not.Talk. through the contractions. That's when I knew I was in labor.