Sex

[OceansEve]

Does it really work to encourage labor?? I want to hear from someone with personal experience if there is anyone. Does it really work?

What about all the other wives' tales? Is there anything that anyone can personally say, "this worked for me"? Not like castor oil or anything that tells her "escape now!" just something that might help her make up her mind if she's going to come out or not!! I'm getting tired of these ctx every night!! If she needs some encouragement I want to be supportive .

[LoveChild421]

worked for me! A nice romp followed by a brisk walk through the woods followed by another go-round and I was in labor that night (I was only 38.5 weeks too but was having a lot of contractions every night that never got really productive).

[heidirk]

If you're anywhere near time it should help. Here's why.

Semen contains prostaglandins which encourage cervical dilation. At the same time, endorphins generated by orgasm can stimulate contractions.

Good Luck!

[Goatriffic]

With #3 my water broke about 5 hours after having sex on my due date. With #4 my labor started almost immediately after sex. I was 40w6d. Who knows though, maybe I would have gone into labor anyway but I figure it can't hurt and it's good to get all the lovin' while you can before the baby comes.

[berrymama]

Worked for me just the other night, on my due date for baby #1.
I had been having BH forever, but DTD stimulated one contraction strong enough that my water broke, contractions started, and he was here 3 hours later.

[wifeandmom]

Didn't work for my twin pg. At all. Made me absolutely freaking miserable, but did nothing to change my cervix.

I'd been contracting for weeks, regularly off and on, but my cervix hadn't budged. No softening, no shortening, no dilation. Nothing, nada, zip.

So we had sex. That was about 11pm. I was 38w exactly (remember this was a twin pg). From the time we finished til 8am the next morning, I just KNEW it was going to work. I was freaking miserable. Contracting every 3 minutes, loose poop (sorry TMI), sweaty feeling, just miserable all around. I think I got in and out of the bath tub no less than a dozen times over the next 8 hours.

Promptly at 8am, everything stopped. I'd been up all.night.long. I was exhausted. I took a nap, then went to my appointment.

My peri checked me at my request. She'd just checked me the day before, so we knew exactly where I had been the day before.

And guess what.

Nothing.

I laid on the couch and refused to do any more non-sense stuff that was only going to make me miserable.

They were born 3 days later by scheduled section (needed to be born sooner rather than later, my health was declining at that point, and my Bishop score was a big fat zero).

I'm not saying *don't* have sex, but don't expect it to do anything if your body isn't already very ready to go into labor. I figure if full blown pit doesn't do the trick to dilate some women who clearly aren't ready to deliver, sex certainly isn't going to do it either.

[OceansEve]

Last time they tried to induce me with no progress before hand and it was quite obvious she was not ready to come out anytime soon, but that is a whole other story. This time I'm thinning but not dilating, so I'm think she is getting ready, since this will be a vbac I really want to do everything I can to avoid a pitocin arguement with whoever ends up replacing my OB (leaving the state to never return on my EDD), if my backup MW I am also seeing decides to hand me off.

A visit to the chiro got me reved up a couple weeks ago, I really thought I was going to go early because of it. I will hit 37 weeks tuesday and DH is so excited since sex has been few and far between this go around. Come wednesday morning I plan on seeing my chiro again and making DH very happy every day till this is over, then I told him he's not allowed to touch me for another three years . Honestly, one should not be having children this close together its miserable.

So, walking, sex and... anyone else have any wierd tales to tell of what set them off?

[Quindin]

What I am wondering is HOW MUCH sex?

With the other pregnancies I must admit that I was not really up for it so we never DTD much

This time we have been DTD everyday, and the one thing I noticed is that my prodormal labour started already at 36 weeks unlike the other times when it started at 38 and 39. I wonder if there is anything to do with sex?

Regardless, the thing about sex for me is that it gets me VERY relaxed and I don't even feel preggo at all afterwards. I mean, I keep hoping sex will kick strong contractions or something, but it just makes me feel wonderful and keeps any contractions I was having before away! I want to feel like I am in labour - not great!!

[hubris]

Sex "works" for the reasons given - prostaglandins that help to ripen the cervix, endorphins/oxytocin that stimulate contractions. Even if you're not ready for labor, they can still help to set the stage.

Most of the old wives' tales do have some validity, for the same reasons.

Originally Posted by LoveChild421

worked for me! A nice romp followed by a brisk walk through the woods followed by another go-round and I was in labor that night (I was only 38.5 weeks too but was having a lot of contractions every night that never got really productive).

Just wanted to put another spin on the idea of ctx that aren't active labor being "non-productive". Prodromal labor IS productive. It might not result in a birth by the next day, but all of those cramps and ctx and such in the days and weeks leading up to birth are doing important work, setting you up for a more efficient labor and birth. I had a lot of prodromal labor before my birth last week and the actual active labor part ended up being only 2 hours long!

[NewMoonMommy]

Yep, totally worked for us.

Water broke immediately after.

Good luck!

[baby-makes-3]

Did not work for us...

[njbeachgirl]

I had a vaginal exam and szcechuan chicken (extra spicy) on my due date. I think I was also having some sex around that time too. Started having ctx that night, lol.

I don't recommend the VE though.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Semen contains prostaglandins. The longer you can keep it up by your cervix, the better. Think about Cervidil-if they put it in, then pulled it right out, it wouldn't work. But if they put it in and you keep it in, it might. Semen's the same way.

[kltroy]

I actually read a peer-reviewed journal article on this topic (can't find the reference right now, unfortunately). Basically, they found that there was no statistically significant effect of having sex and jumpstarting labor, despite the theoretical help that the prostaglandins in semen give.

That said, it may work for some people and not for others. Or, it may just be coincidental that it works. Who knows? It certainly can't hurt, if you can manage to get yourself in the mood that late in the game

[SarahEiley]

Totally worked for us!!! We had sex when I was 10 days over my due date and I Finally had an orgasm after 3 months of waiting for it to happen again, and I think that's what did the trick to starting my labor. My contractions were almost immediate. I sort of nursed them along by taking black and blue cohosh tinctures and taking a walk.

Famous Midwife Ina May Gaskin always says.... "What gets the baby in there is sometimes the best way to get it out!!"

[Storm Bride]

I have no idea if it was a coincidence or not, but I got a reflexology massage after almost 10 days of prodromal labour. I also let ds2 nurse briefly (he broke off) after I'd been weaning him for while, on the same night. At about 4:00 the next morning, I went into active, hard labour. I don't know which of them worked, or if it was pure coincidence, but...that's all I've got.

[AlpineMama]

Something I've been wondering about... if sex is supposed to jumpstart labor then why is it OK to do it in your third trimester? I assume it's safe most of the way through because the baby's obviously nowhere near coming out. But right when it's starting to think about being born, could sex factor into going into labor prematurely? Like say around 35 weeks or around there. When it's borderline mature?

[ripcurlgirl26]

It worked for me too! I was 37 weeks and 2 days. I jumped DH and we weren't even done when I started bleeding lightly. They told me to come in and upon checking me when I got to the hospital, I was 6 cms.. I had him about 3 hours later! Having sex the days leading up before this really gave me good contractions too. And like a PP said, you need to orgasm and not have your DH pull out to get the most benefit!

[OceansEve]

truemist - my understanding of it is that it isn't going to jumpstart anything that isn't ready to happen, it just helps push the bus once its already moving. Even a medical induction won't work unless the body is already preparing.

Well, I'm on board with the women who said "no, way". DTD monday night, I had absolutely atrocious ctxs and no cervical change. I ctx for 40 hours, tues-wed went into LD tues night, no change, they eased up some, but ctx all night, went to dr wed morning, no change, they eventually stopped wed night. Had lots of breaking backpain yesterday. DTD this morning and have been ctx on and off all day, nothing significant, but I told DH if they turn bad tonight again he isn't allowed to touch me or even suggest sex, I wouldn't have done it this morning expect I had a dream last night and thought maybe it was a sign, oh well. It was probably just a guilty consience (sp?), seeing as I told DH starting monday night he would be getting some everyday. Poor boy No nookie and a wife that has been miserable for weeks and likely will be for many more. I need to find something nice to do for him.

[angelpie545]

Um...I'd say it's worth a shot. It works for some women, and for others it does nothing. For me, it worked just fine! My daughter was almost two weeks late, and I was getting scared. My ex and I got it on, and two days later, out she popped!