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Anyone find success with sex as labor-inducer?  

post #1 of 28
5/14/07 at 1:44pm
Thread Starter 
I was just wondering, one of the natural ways I've read to help bring on labor is sex and I was wondering if anyone had success with it?

My gf is 39 weeks pregnant and I'm not too worried about it yet, but our OB recommended trying sex.
post #2 of 28
5/14/07 at 1:48pm
I don't know if you're only looking for success stories, so forgive me if you are. We tried it with my first, he was 6 days "overdue". I was desperate, and I made DH have sex with my 2x per day for about 2 weeks. Poor guy was exhausted! We quit when I hit 40 weeks because I was so sick of sex by then. Henry came at 40w6d and I've since learned that they're going to either come or not, and it is entirely up to the baby. I was 3-4 cms dilated for weeks, and it still didn't work.

Doesn't hurt to try, but maybe you could just do it for the enjoyment and feeling close without expecting it to jumpstart labor?
post #3 of 28
5/14/07 at 2:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by daniedb View Post
I don't know if you're only looking for success stories, so forgive me if you are. We tried it with my first, he was 6 days "overdue". I was desperate, and I made DH have sex with my 2x per day for about 2 weeks. Poor guy was exhausted! We quit when I hit 40 weeks because I was so sick of sex by then. Henry came at 40w6d and I've since learned that they're going to either come or not, and it is entirely up to the baby. I was 3-4 cms dilated for weeks, and it still didn't work.

Doesn't hurt to try, but maybe you could just do it for the enjoyment and feeling close without expecting it to jumpstart labor?


I value all stories.

And trust me, I enjoy the sex for what it gives us, but we're just both so anxious and eager to have our baby already. It feels like we've been waiting for him to arrive forever! The wait is killing us, plus my gf is REALLY tired of being pregnant.
post #4 of 28
5/14/07 at 2:16pm
Can't hurt to try, but it didn't work for us. It did, however, make my cerevix soften and dialate to 1-2 cm. I was also taking evening primrose oil, though, so I don't know if that had something to do with it. My husband enjoyed it... especially since there was a sex "drought" for so long after the baby came....
post #5 of 28
5/14/07 at 3:17pm
i honestly don't know if it worked for me or not. We didn't exactly keep track of when we did what and what came next. I know we did have sex the day before my son came, and he was also exactly 2 weeks overdue. I don't know that that is the reason he came though, because it wasn't like we were holding out for that whole last month that he didn't come. with my daughter, i really don't remember. I know that both times I have gone into labor (both late babies too) it was after a day of walking. first time we went to the beach, and second time we took my friend sightseeing all over vegas and too the mall. But like I said, they were still late even though I am sure there were other days where I walked a lot and had sex. Babies come when they are ready.
I have read that semen an help soften the cervix and perinium and reduce tearing and make labor easier though, so go ahead and have fun, it is nothing but good!
post #6 of 28
5/14/07 at 3:42pm
Hasn't worked yet..... I'm nine days over my EDD and we've had sex everyday. I hope that it does something to speed things along, but if not... it's not a bad routine to have so what's the harm? I recommend it regardless of any efficiency in starting labour!
post #7 of 28
5/14/07 at 3:45pm
It worked for us. FWIW, we weren't trying to induce, we just did it for the heck of it. We had sex about 3 in the afternoon on Monday. I started having mild, regular ctx at about 9:00 pm. I woke up in labor at 1:00 in the morning with very strong ctx. My dd was born at 11:56am on Tuesday.
post #8 of 28
5/14/07 at 3:51pm
Sex was the thing that sent ds on his way out, but he was born at 40weeks, 4 days and must have been ready to come. I think it does help labor get started, but it won't really do much if the babe isn't ready yet.
post #9 of 28
5/14/07 at 4:15pm
Thread Starter 


Well, from what you ladies have posted it sounds like at the very least, we'll enjoy ourselves.

God, I really hope this little guy gets here SOON! :
post #10 of 28
5/14/07 at 4:15pm
Didn't work for me -- I was another one who was jumping my dh twice a day for the last 2w! Finally he said, "I am not a machine!" Anyway, I have a friend who went into labor about 2h after dtd, she swears by it.

I tried castor oil, nipple stim, stripping membranes, sex sex sex sex sex, walking, everything. Finally when I had just about given up hope of ever meeting my baby girl, my water broke. I remember thinking, "Well, it still could be a while, but at least it will probably be in the next day or two!" She was born about 12h later.

This time, I'm really going to try and be patient.
post #11 of 28
5/14/07 at 8:28pm
My experience is that it can help - but it didn't exactly "induce" for me. I was in very early labor (20-30min apart, mild ctxs) all day, then came home to my hubby (and all the work he'd done getting our bedroom ready for the baby to come!). Knowing it might be our last chance, AND that it might help, we had our bit of time together. Then ctxs got closer together for the rest of the evening - spaced out a bit for me to sleep that night (7-10min), labored for two more days and had a baby!

I definitely feel like it made a difference, but as others said, it can't really hurt!

I also heard of a study that said that women who have "frequent and vigorous intercourse" throughout the 3rd trimester deliver closer to the their due dates. So my DH knows he's on duty from about 28 weeks on!
post #12 of 28
5/15/07 at 1:21am
DD was born at 42 weeks, DS at 42 weeks 2 days. With both, I ended up trying a variety of "natural" inducers once I passed 41.5 weeks (EPO, RRL, homepathy, accupressure, accupuncture, black cohash tea, membrane stripping, walking). None worked alone at bringing on labor. In both cases, DH was commuting so we weren't together on a regular basis before I went into labor. Both labors started within a few hours of DH coming home and us having sex x2. So for us, worked like a charm!! (of course, I'm sure it was a combination of those things plus my body being ready)

I don't know that it will really induce your GF if her body isn't ready, but it will certainly ripen her cervix, and orgasms are also beneficial approaching labor. Good luck and have fun!
post #13 of 28
5/15/07 at 9:09am
Well it worked for us. Labor started about 5 hours after "doing it". It was probably a total coincidence though.
post #14 of 28
5/15/07 at 10:58am
It worked with DD2. Although, I think my body was ready. It just helped move things over the edge between not in labor and beginning labor.
post #15 of 28
5/15/07 at 11:57am
Oh yeah, 39 weeks is nothing to be worried about. Is she a first-time mom? The natural average for FTMs is 41 weeks. I wouldn't think a bit about it to go to 42 weeks, and for some women normally gestate even longer than that. Anyway, I really think it can't be "just" sex, because although the sperm has cervix-softening properties, it's not going to matter if her body isn't ready. I recommend orgasm, as intense as can be managed, and for some women that isn't necessarily with PIV sex. That'll get the oxytocin flowing and the uterus contracting. Again, though, the body has to be ready for it to really have an effect. With my third pregnancy, I had a couple of instances of sex/masturbation bringing on heavy contractions and in one instance (I was squatting at the time) my forewaters broke. But the baby decided to wait another week.
post #16 of 28
5/15/07 at 12:35pm
Could have been a coincidence, but...it worked for us! DD was born on her due date...we did the deed the night before and I woke at 7:00 am with contractions and she was born at 2:30 pm.
post #17 of 28
5/15/07 at 12:44pm
Did not help for us one bit!

DD was born at 42 weeks. And believe me, we tried everything (except castor oil, that sounds too painful for me) starting at our due date, and this theory we also tested for those 2 weeks. No luck whatsoever.
post #18 of 28
5/15/07 at 12:47pm
worked for us! my body was not showing any signs of being ready for birth. one night we had sex and a few hours later my water broke. he came 2 weeks early!
post #19 of 28
5/15/07 at 12:56pm
I am 'late" as we type right now my last 2 where also late.

Sex didnt do a darn thing. Trust me we had all the fun we could have
post #20 of 28
5/15/07 at 5:33pm
Well, I swore by it for the first two -
With dd1, we had sex Sunday night, and I started cramping within hours. She wasn't born until Tuesday, but I swear the sex is what got everything going. She was born at 39w4d.
With dd2, we had sex at night, and she was born by 3:30 the next afternoon.

HOWEVER! Now I've lost all faith in sex's ability to actually induce, unless baby is already ready...we tried at about 39.5 weeks, and indeed, I got crampy and excited that night...nothing. We tried again a few days later, and nothing happened. Now I'm at 40w5d, and my water broke last night, so we won't be trying again

Either way, it's not going to hurt - if baby is on the brink, maybe it'll send your gf "over" that edge and get labor going...?
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Mothering › Forums › Pregnancy and Birth › Birth and Beyond › Anyone find success with sex as labor-inducer?