anyone trying homeopathy/herbals?

[AGierald]

Im 38w, no dilation and no effacement or anything, so the midwife told me to take caulophyllum and cimicifuga, which are homeopathic versions of black and blue cohosh (sorry, dont remember which is which, lol)

is anyone else trying these? What else are you doing to get these little ones the heck out of us?

(and please dont tell me to be patient, ive never been in so much pain in my entire life, and nope, im NOT patient, but i want to avoid a medical induction just as much as i want this baby out)

my plan:
-EPO 2x day starting tomorrow (i was doing this before, but then i found out the EPO i had bought was RANCID! ugh!)
- caulophyllum 1x day
-cimicifuga 2x day
-sex every day (even though this part sucks, lol)
- 2 cups of RRL tea/day (well, at least)

i wish i would have known that the labor i went into at 34w and had stopped with terb (no, im not proud of myself that i let them use terb, but thats another story ) would be the last time i went into labor, ugh!

[DBZ]

I didn't know about the homeopathics but with #2 I used black and blue cohosh. I think the EPO and RRL tea was helpful, but the cohosh didn't do anyhting for me.

How did you know your EPO was rancid?

[Smokering]

I don't 'do' homeopathy, but I've been drinking RRL tea for awhile--upped from one cup a day to 2 or 3 since 37 weeks. I'm 38 weeks tomorrow, and I'm about to run out; guess I'd better get some more! I've just started taking 2 EPO capsules a day, too.

Incidentally, I love your kids' names! Are you a fan of what I think you're a fan of?

[Bellejar]

I am just curious why it is a problem that you aren't effaced or dialated? With my first I didn't until I went into labor and my water broke. Is there some concern that makes you want to make things go faster? Why fix what isn't broken?

[watermama05]

I'm 38 weeks, and have been taking EPO orally 3 times a day, and just today I inserted one vaginally- 2 hours later I lost the first bit of mucus plug (could certainly be coincidental). I've been drinking RRL tea twice a day for the last few weeks, and my 2.75 year old is still nursing twice a day, sometimes three. Built in nipple stimulation

Aside from physical stuff like walking more and squatting/sitting on the exercise ball, I won't do anything else till 40ish weeks.

[AGierald]

i figured out the EPO was rancid because dh and i were using it as lube when we DTD... and we opened one, and it smelled HORRIBLE... i mean it was SICKENING how bad it smelled, and i looked it up, and found out that its not supposed to smell bad! Thats what i get for buying EPO from target, lol.

Im worried about a medical induction because the CNMs are very clinical, and i MIGHT have too much fluid in there, which is why im measuring so big (wasnt measuring this big until 2 weeks ago)... not being dilated or effaced isnt a PROBLEM, but i do want the cervix at least ripe, because heaven forbid i do have to be induced for too much fluid, then at least i have a bit of a head start and less chance of a c-section, ya know?

we did try walking around target and kmart, but all it did was make my back hurt the entire night, and apparently, with no dilation, lol.

smokering-- i think you can safely guess what im a fan of, lol! but seriously, the name riley is kind of a coincidence, haha! We decided when we heard it on the show that we liked it as a name for a boy, and it stuck... so yeah, my two cats and my child will be named after the show, lmao.

[Smokering]

ROFL! I just twigged that Buffy and William were cats--I thought they were your children! Remind me to read sigs more carefully. I did consider using a Buffy name for our baby, but I didn't really like the names of my favourite characters. Rupert, for instance? So it was not to be.

[~ani~]

I am so sorry you are in so much pain mama
Sorry no advice about homeopathy/natural induction.

I just wanted to say I am 38w too and also had preterm labor weeks 31-34 - bedrest, terb, procardia... and then at 36w (last time my cervix was checked) it was still firm, posterior, closed and only slightly effaced! Midwife said to walk a lot, have sex, "live normally"... next week at 39w if nothing has changed we'll see what she says, but I am sure you and I will both go into labor on our own! 38w is still on the early end of the normal range.

Hang in there

[AGierald]

isnt it so frustrating to have PTL and then NOTHING when its okay for them to come? ugh!

I had an NST today (well, sort of) and in 10 minutes, not ONE ctx... every NST before that, i would have had like 5 in that time... now, NONE!

[~ani~]

I totally know how you feel! Oh well for me anyway I say better safe than sorry for a preemie.

If I were in pain like you I'd be really impatient too. Fortunately (knock on wood) I'm not too uncomfortable for now and can still envision waiting a few weeks...

Hang in there - I am 100% sure our bodies will go into labor on their own - the homeopathy/walking/sex helps ripen the cervix in advance more than sending us into labor.

One more thing to consider in a few weeks - my midwife uses acupuncture after 40w to clear channels that might be blocking your body from going into labor.

[~ani~]

PS I had NO ctx between weeks ~34 and 37... then they picked up again - could happen to you too!

[XanaduMama]

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but remember that gestation for first-time moms AVERAGES 41w2d...so you've potentially got a long way to go still. Personally, I wouldn't do the cohoshes (or equivalents) unless you really really need them--EPO is good (at this point you can take 2000mg/day, and stick some in internally too), sex, walking, pineapple, spicy foods, acupuncture...all that can be helpful in getting your body ready, but these drugs sound like they're pretty strong stuff. Maybe wait until you're actually facing a medical induction--and maybe get a second opinion on that, too, if you can.

What kind of pain are you in? Have you seen a chiropractor? Mine has saved my life this time, after the agony of pelvic pain with my last pregnancy.

[avasmomleigh]

What is EPO? I am intrigued, what can you take orally and use as a lube? Is it safe to start RRL tea, I am rolling to 37 weeks, and want to start a gently encouraging someone to get ready to move on out!

[XanaduMama]

RRL tea won't put you into labor--it just helps tone the uterus. You can drink it throughout pregnancy...several cups a day would be good at this stage.

EPO is evening primrose oil and helps ripen the cervix. I started taking (orally) 1000mg a day at 36w, after 38w increased to 2,000mg. You can poke a hole in a capsule and insert it vaginally, too (or apply the oil directly to your cervix if you can reach it!!). Makes a HUGE mess, though. Using it as a lube sounds like a great idea.

[AGierald]

oh i totally know i can still go a while longer... but im more comfortable with the homeopathic stuff than actually USING blue and black cohosh, which are harsher than the diluted, homeopathic versions which will help ripen the cervix, does that make sense?

if i AM faced with a medical induction, i will try the black and blue cohosh tinctures first, but i wont be willing to try those until then, lol!