What have you done/or doing to induce labor???

[dharmagrlpa]

Hey mommas!

I hit my due date tomorrow and am curious about what all of you do to help bring it on!!

I am:

-eating lots of eggplant parm
-taking Evening Primrose Oil
-Drinking RRL Tea
-walking often,though I was told by midwife that this doesn't bring on labor
-just scheduled a labor inducing massage for friday which my friend will work with clary sage and juniper oils and pressure points

I'm also being told by others some pretty silly stuff like leaning against the spin cycle of the washing machine..anyone hear of this one?

Please share any and all stuff you have heard or are trying/tried!

Thanks mommas! Happy Birthing and Congrats to those who have already birthed!

Hugs and love,
Becky

[CherryBomb]

I've been taking EPO since 36 weeks and I've been drinking RRL the whole pregnancy. I've been trying to do 10-20 minutes of nipple stimulation of I can stay awake long enough after the kids go to bed

I'm having my membranes stripped tomorrow.

[FoxintheSnow]

For now nothing, but that can change if I get desperate lol

I asked my ob yesterday about natural induction methods and he just replied "your baby will come when she's ready"

[dharmagrlpa]

Originally Posted by Jokerama

For now nothing, but that can change if I get desperate lol

I asked my ob yesterday about natural induction methods and he just replied "your baby will come when she's ready"

I believe with all my heart that this is true! That baby will come when he's ready,but I am 36 yrs old and I am considered "elderly" in the childbirthing world in my OB practice. They told me that we will start talking about induction when I hit 41 weeks for fear that my placenta will not be providing my child with the nourishment he needs and since I am planning a natural birth, I want to do what I can to avoid induction.

[ilovemygurlz]

A part of me wants to induce my labor but then there's a part of me that says "don't. God has a birthday already planned for her, don't interferre." But then I say "if she's born on a certain date whether I induced it or not, it's bc that's when she was meant to be born." So it's pretty 50/50 with me.

I've been told a lot of sex can bring on labor, bc of the contractions. A male's sperm contains the same thing the doctors give us when they want to induce labor and bring on stronger contractions. When we orgasm during sex our uterus contracts as it is, so imagine what it could do for you when you want to induce your own labor. I mean, when I was pregnant with our first daughter we had a lot of sex towards the end and I was having early labor signs (not premature, just on time) and two nights after we had sex, my uterus was hurting me so bad in the middle of the night it woke me up. I even bled a little (even though they say you could bleed during pregnancy after sex), but I could tell it was from the onset of labor. I called up the hospital and told a nurse and she told me I'll probably be in the hospital giving birth by that night or in the next two nights, well she was right, bc I went into labor 2 days later. I woke up with period-like cramps, used the bathroom and lost my mucous plug with blood. I didn't give birth till 12:58am but that's bc I had an epidural and ofcourse epidurals slow down the labor.

Anyway, sorry that was so long lol. If I'm going to induce my labor I'm going to walk a lot, even though your doctor said it doesn't work. I did it with my first daughter and yea, I didn't give birth till 2 weeks later but I did experience a lot of pain from it and I think it did help me. Honestly, I think it does work bc why else do the doctors tell you to walk for about an hour when they think you're in labor? So, I'm going to walk, and MAYBE sex, not sure.

Good luck!!!!!! And if you do go into labor, I wish you a safe and hopefully somewhat quick labor!!

[Kothi]

um, there's sex, but we tried and it didn't work last time (obviously wasn't late enough to try this time). I think we had more sex the weeks 38-40 than the entire rest of the pregnancy. Sorry for the TMI.

If there's someone agreeable to "helping" you out for a good cause , no strings attached, in the vicinity, it might be worth a try or at least get your mind off it for an afternoon of delight.

Good luck - pitocin is no fun, but I do know a couple people who managed do go through labor on it completely naturally. I had to give up at 7 hours last time & do the epidural thing. I'll be visualizing some happening ctx within the next week for you; hopefully your water's breaking now and you read this after having given birth!

[khanni]

I kinda believe that the baby will just come when he/she is ready, too. This is based on everything I did last time, and I think that ultimately, the threat of induction is what got her to come out (she was born at home about 4 hours before I was to go to the hospital for an NST. They had recommended I stay the previous time, 2 days before, but after consulting with my midwife, I had decided to give it another couple of days).

So, I went to the full 42 weeks, and I had started trying to induce at 39 weeks. I started with labor-inducing massage. Then I added in acupuncture (I think I went like every other day). There were also walks on the beach, sex, and towards the end there, Blue & Black Cohosh and nipple stimulation. I ate eggplant parmesan, spicy food...anything that was mentioned, I tried.

If I hadn't done all that, would she have gone to 45 weeks? I don't know. Probably not. I have to admit that I'm 38.5 weeks now and have just started the acupuncture treatments to induce labor--I figure it will at least clear the pathways for when he's ready to come out.

Oh, I also had bought castor oil to take the day my labor started if my labor hadn't started. That really is a last resort for me, but I think it's better than pitocin. Luckily, I didn't have to take it.

[NJ*Doula]

I'm taking EPO, and that's about it. I had been drinking RRL every day, but I'm so sick of it. I hate the taste of it now (used to like it, don't know what happened) so I quit. Sex is out of the question, too.

The washing machine in my new house is about 100 years old and tries to walk out the door every time I use it, so maybe I'll try taking it for a ride tomorrow. Can't hurt, right?

[mama_in_PA]

We DTD! First time in weeks. It wasn't great but I made myself in hopes that it would help this Volkswagen to come out. It's 4:15am and I can't sleep for the contractions so I'm really hoping this is really it and not just more prodromal teasing. Maybe I'll make myself a nice cup of RRL tea to keep me company.

[ELKMama]

Katie - I'm up at 3:45 am but I think it is work stress and not impending labor. For you, though, I hope this is it.

I'm glad to hear from others that dtd is out of the question...

I haven't done much yet and just re-read my preg journal from last time. I tried a bunch of things and still went to 41.5 weeks and then started labor with my water breaking. So I'm not optimistic about walking (and it is still a bit icy here) or all the things I could ingest in hopes of getting this lo out. Give me a week, though, and I'll probably be ready to try them all again!

[~Robin]

I have tried eveything...but baby is holding on. I will have to be induced on the 17th of March...sorta glad to have a day...but just not happy with the fact that it will be like losing the surprise of it.

[dollysods]

My water broke, so after 1.5 days without starting regular labor, my midwife recommended castor oil. I was in actve labor within hours of the castor oil. I was going to get accupuncture that day too, but didn't end up needing to. If labor hadn't started, it was off to the hospital for pit. Instead, I was able to deliver w/ my midwives at a birth center.

[jayell79]

Originally Posted by ~Robin

I have tried eveything...but baby is holding on. I will have to be induced on the 17th of March...sorta glad to have a day...but just not happy with the fact that it will be like losing the surprise of it.

You'll have a St. Patrick's Day baby if they induce! I might be induced on the 17th as well if I don't go into labor on my own. I really don't want that to happen, but I thought the date they gave me was at least kind of neat.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

Was takeing raspberry leaf capsuals but keep forgetting to take them lol :

[dianna11]

My midwife offered a "stretch and sweep" for next week if I wanted it, but the idea of it kind of makes me gag, so I'm seeing my naturopath Monday for acupuncture and homeopathy.

Aside from that, EPO, bouncing on the exercise ball, RRLT and I have been doing horrifying mileage walking. DTD is a little difficult, but we're going to start trying. It's hard to work up to that since I'm so grouchy though.

[tolovemercy]

Originally Posted by GathererGirl

I'm taking EPO, and that's about it. I had been drinking RRL every day, but I'm so sick of it. I hate the taste of it now (used to like it, don't know what happened) so I quit. Sex is out of the question, too.

The washing machine in my new house is about 100 years old and tries to walk out the door every time I use it, so maybe I'll try taking it for a ride tomorrow. Can't hurt, right?

I hate the taste of RRL, too, and have been really bad about drinking it this pregnancy because of it (I was religious about it w/my last, and was fed lots of promises of fast, easy labor and then wound up with a 26 hour labor, 2.5 of those pushing...lol) ANYWAY, it's not the healthiest thing in the world, but I recently started making a pitcher of tea, icing it, and making lemonade with it (the packet kind where you add sugar). Tastes just like lemonade-iced tea, and is super yummy (a cup of sugar makes just about anything taste yummy). Just thought I'd share.

[Traceyky]

Originally Posted by dharmagrlpa

I believe with all my heart that this is true! That baby will come when he's ready,but I am 36 yrs old and I am considered "elderly" in the childbirthing world in my OB practice. They told me that we will start talking about induction when I hit 41 weeks for fear that my placenta will not be providing my child with the nourishment he needs and since I am planning a natural birth, I want to do what I can to avoid induction.

Let them talk. A simple "no thank you, I am really not comfortable with that" should suffice. If it does not - it is still not too late to change care providers!! You can do kick counts to keep an eye on your baby. You can do non stress tests if you feel it's best - but you do NOT HAVE to be induced!! (Besides, IF the placenta were really "insufficient" would you WANT to induce unnaturally strong contractions with poor oxygen recovery????)

As far as you being an older mom... what matters is your health and diet, not the # of your age. I work with LOTS of older moms - my current oldest mama is 48 and wonderfully healthy! My last 2 babies were born at 36 and 38, I will be 41 when this one comes :-)

[AllisonK]

my water was broken and we did cottonroot bark tincture at 34 hours (I think) two doses of that and the help of a breastpump and I had a baby two hours later. I was already 6 cm though. My MW said she likes it better than castor oil and really it worked great.

[rmzbm]

Nothing. I am drinking RRL tea, but not for bringing labor on, though it would be a cool added plus! (Using it as a uterine toner.)

[Lolafanana]

The night before I went into labor, we DTD. I don't know if that helped but it didn't hurt either