Ok spam me...

[amyandelle]

I am really really ready to have this baby!! I would love to hear any old wives tales or suggestions for helping myself go into labor on my own as long as it is safe and natural!!

OK yes, I am getting desperate

Amy

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

I can tell you, if I really need this baby out I'll go out dancing Went out last night with my little sister to a country bar, and tried a little dancing...whoa, baby, whoa Lots of pressure, etc. I'd be bouncing on my birth ball too.
Try some evening primrose oil, maybe? That helped me lose my mucus plug, IMO.

[LizaBear]

Baby #1 came at 38 weeks for me - I think he came a little early because I was using Evening Primrose Oil, both orally and vaginally.

[amyandelle]

Thanks!!

Ok so now I am bouncing on my ball

About the Evening Primrose oil... Are there any negative side effects?

Thanks,
Amy

[Twilight]

My neighbor swears by Raspberry Leaf Tea - she had 3 cups the day before she went into labor at around 38 weeks.

She gave me some. I've heard other women say it doesn't do anything but it couldn't hurt to try.

[LizaBear]

Originally Posted by amyandelle

About the Evening Primrose oil... Are there any negative side effects?

Thanks,
Amy

Uh yeah - but I didn't realize it until after I had my second baby.
38 weeks is "technically" term, but the difference in my 38-week baby and my 40-week baby was so incredibly obvious it was almost scary.

So, for me - the negative side effect was that it seemed to cause my body to have the baby too early.


But you're talking reaction wise, right ? In which case, no. It's messy - wear a pad.

[She2dancer]

I have a couple EPO question...sorry for being so naive...do you just stick the pills up in your vagina??? What kind of pills and how many do you take orally vs. vaginally? When did you start taking them?

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

They're not pills exactly, they're clear capsules of liquid. And yes, just stick them up there There are different dosages (if you want to call it that) of it; I have 1000mg caps and take two orally per day, but haven't started on the other end yet But I will next week, once I'm closer to 38wks, and I'll just do one at night.

The nice thing about EPO etc is that if your body isn't ready, it won't get you going. I guess it does help things along, but it won't force it like Pitocin or something.
Don't take it till you're term or close to it, though...like LizaBear said, you don't want to deliver your baby early, really. It should help ripen your cervix which is nice when you're on time

Red Raspberry is kind of funny...some people swear it works to get labor going - never worked for me as a start up thing. I take caplets and have for this entire pregnancy, but that's about toning my uterus to give me a hopefully faster labor with more productive contractions, because I have tended to labor for a long, long time. I don't care about getting it started early. However, I have heard that it works as a jump start for some people. I think it can bring on braxton hicks, which are enough in some cases to get you started - I have several friends that never feel a single practice contraction - just ones once labor starts - so if they can get it going I guess they'll go into labour. My body practices all the time, so I know a few extra BH aren't going to get me anywhere!

[amyandelle]

Hmmmm.... I m going to go to whole foods and try to find those Red Raspberry capsules I have been drinking the tea but I am so SICK of drinking tea!!

I think I am going to get some of those Evening Primrose capsules as well!! Can I take them together?

Amy

[LizaBear]

In the pregnancy I used the EPO capsules vaginally, I would pierce them a couple of times with a pin prior to insertion. Do that just before bed, and make sure you wear a pad. Your body heat disolves the rest of the capsule I guess.

[amyandelle]

Thanks everyone!!

I didn't make it to Whole Foods tonight but hopefully tomorrow!!

My plan for tonight is Eggplant Parm for dinner (we eat late) and then we are having sex.

I have had so much pressure on my cervix since bouncing on my ball that hopefully the sex will do the trick!! I know the Eggplant Parm is an old wives tale but heck, it's worth a shot!!

Amy

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Eggplant Parm? Now that's news to me

Yes, you can take both. They're for different purposes so it's all good.

Hope things went well for you last night

[She2dancer]

I've also heard of spicy curry as a labor starter...

Also, in my Pilates training, we were taught that we cannot do anything that places pressure on the feet/ankles during the last trimester becuase supposedly there are acupressure points that can induce labor

maybe after the curry tonight, DH could give you a good foot/ankle massage...

[TesalynsMommy04]

Originally Posted by amyandelle

My plan for tonight is Eggplant Parm for dinner (we eat late) and then we are having sex.

I have had so much pressure on my cervix since bouncing on my ball that hopefully the sex will do the trick!! I know the Eggplant Parm is an old wives tale but heck, it's worth a shot!!

Amy

Amy-
I told my dh that I wanted to have sex one last time in case I went into labor... he doesn't know that I'm trying to use him to go IN TO labor, but what he doesn't know doesn't hurt him! So last night we DTD, and NOTHING.... I don't think the sex trick works... I'm going today to Outpost to see if they have any raspberry tea....

[LizaBear]

Originally Posted by TesalynsMommy04

So last night we DTD, and NOTHING.... I don't think the sex trick works... I'm going today to Outpost to see if they have any raspberry tea....

Or maybe your body and baby just aren't READY yet ! It'll happen when they are. Promise !

[KrystalC]

Most sources indicate that natural labor induction methods won't work unless your body is ready for birth anyway. If you're starting to dilate already, you'll probably have better luck.

[amyandelle]

Well, I ate the Eggplant but no sex: My dh got all squirrley on me telling me that he does not feel comfortable having sex when I am so big: He made me pretty mad so when he saw how mad I was he said he would do it but by I just told him to forget it and go to bed.

Amy

[ndakkitten]

Heh, my husband is the opposite. He's been bugging me that since I am getting close to my due date (37 weeks today), the doc will be "prescribing" sex soon and we might as well get going. I told him that is the MOST unromantic thing he could possibly say and forget it. I may be getting tired of my pelvis aching when I stand up, but the sex thing isn't going to work this early I don't think.

[She2dancer]

Originally Posted by KrystalC

Most sources indicate that natural labor induction methods won't work unless your body is ready for birth anyway. If you're starting to dilate already, you'll probably have better luck.

that is what I have heard too...

but I did think of another couple...nipple stimulation is supposed to help release oxytocin into the body and clary sage oil (in bath or oil burner) is supposed to help along contractions once they start....

[LizaBear]

About the sex thing too - I've read somewhere (sorry - sieve for a brain, can't recall where) - that it's most effective for women who are regularly sexually active in the weeks preceding the birth.

As in - it's not a one-shot deal.