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What we're doing to encourage the baby to be born sooner rather than later  

post #1 of 50
4/30/08 at 10:49am
Thread Starter 
I thought it would be interesting to see what everyone is trying to ripen their cervices or bring on labor.

I'm only 37 weeks, so I'm not being very aggressive. I drink 3 cups of RRL tea a day and take 1 capsule EPO.

My female chiro started working on my lower back yesterday to stimulate my uterine nerves. I'm going to see her once a week for this. I don't know if it will work, but it did seem to wake the baby up.

We topped it off by having sex last night, which was an ordeal. I can't really support my own legs b/c it pulls too much on my ligaments and it hurts, but we did finish successfully. Dh was such a trooper.

I do have crampy feelings in the evenings and while sleeping, but they go away during the day. It is sort of annoying b/c they get my hopes up for nothing.

What's everyone else doing?
post #2 of 50
4/30/08 at 10:52am
I'm crampy, crampy, crampy! Not doing much - averaging 1 cup of RRL tea a day, maybe 2. Otherwise, just hanging out here. Today is exactly a month from my due date, so I have time.

Oh, but tonight I'm cleaning. Big time. Maybe that'll stimulate something.
post #3 of 50
4/30/08 at 10:58am
I'm 40 weeks tomorrow, so I've been taking 2 EPO capsules a day (supposed to do 1 vaginally too but I keep forgetting) and drinking 3-4 cups of RRL. On Monday night, I ate half a pineapple and baby was SUPER active all night long. So I'm going to eat the other half tomorrow night. I'm walking a lot but also resting.
post #4 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:10am
mommy2naomi - I'm in a 'burb of Chicago!

I'm not doing anything yet, but I'm reading so I know what to do at 38 weeks!!
post #5 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:10am
I am 35 weeks and drinking 1-2 cups RRL tea a day. having sex more often... but that is it. I cleaned alot yesterday and worked in my parents yard. but thats cause things really needed done more than to stimulate labor.
post #6 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:10am
I don't do anything, and I never have. :It's odd to me that so many women DO do something to try and encourage labor. I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm just genuinely confused. I trust my body to do what it needs to do and to spit my baby out when the baby sends the signal. I suppose if I normally went way over dates and had complications because of it I would start thinking about helping out, but otherwise even though it's hard to wait I think it's worth the finished product.

I was always under the impression that RRL tea was more for nutritional support of the uterus as a muscle and not a "labor inducer"?
post #7 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Intertwined View Post
I don't do anything, and I never have. :It's odd to me that so many women DO do something to try and encourage labor. I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm just genuinely confused. I trust my body to do what it needs to do and to spit my baby out when the baby sends the signal. I suppose if I normally went way over dates and had complications because of it I would start thinking about helping out, but otherwise even though it's hard to wait I think it's worth the finished product.

I was always under the impression that RRL tea was more for nutritional support of the uterus as a muscle and not a "labor inducer"?
: The only reason I am this time is I want to avoid my c-section if I can. Even at that I want to give him as long as I can.

I'm doing RRL tea but for uterus toning...
post #8 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:17am
Nothing, I am not 36 weeks yet and I don't want to go to the hospital!!

My babies always tend to come early anyway so I have never had to do anything. I'll just have him when I have him. I am keeping in mind that I could 1) have a longggg labor/completely different labor than with the others 2) have him at 40 weeks or even later. But I still think it'll be the 8th or 9th LOL
post #9 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Intertwined View Post
I don't do anything, and I never have. :It's odd to me that so many women DO do something to try and encourage labor. I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm just genuinely confused. I trust my body to do what it needs to do and to spit my baby out when the baby sends the signal.
:

I really do like my babies well done. I would never do anything to encourage labor before 40 weeks without a medical reason.

My body and my baby know when they're ready. I trust them.

-Angela
post #10 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:20am
This pregnancy I have decided not to do anything but kegels. I assume baby will be born at the right time, and I am going to be patient. Last pregnancy, after an induction and large baby with my first, I was doing EPO (vaginally and orally), perineal massage, and RRL tea. I did have an awesome labor that started two days before my due date and delivered a less-than-8 pound baby, but I'm just don't have the energy to do all that stuff this time. I'm just going to let nature take it's course.

I am going to get rebozoed next week to get baby in a better position, but I definitely don't that that is going to put me into labor, just line things up to make labor -- whenever it happens -- easier.

Amy
post #11 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:26am
Regular sex, long walks, pineapple (which I love and eat often anyway) & 1 capsule by mouth of EPO.

I don't personally believe anything like this really works to get the baby out because I tried it ALL with DS2 and he only came out once I had given up on trying. But to me it's something that keeps my mind occupied in these last weeks.
post #12 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:29am
Right now (not quite 36 weeks) I'm still being cautious. I'm doing a 5-week formula that my midwife's backup partner (herbalist/midwife) makes. It's not the standard one, but I'm comfy with the herbs in it.

Come 36 weeks I'll be doing vaginal EPO, labor ease on the skin, lots of lovin as often as possible and castor oil belly wraps as we get toward 37 weeks.

I'd love a well-done 11lb baby for sure, but my health is getting worse and before long it will affect baby too.

I didn't do much of anything with my youngest (some EPO, but mainly to help soften the cervix, not induce).
post #13 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Intertwined View Post
I was always under the impression that RRL tea was more for nutritional support of the uterus as a muscle and not a "labor inducer"?
It is. My MW said I should drink it whenever I can because it's good for the whole system. That's why I'm doing it. I figure keeping active and kegels is the best way to just keep the blood pumping, and that's the best way to ensure that I'm not doing anything to block baby from coming when (s)he's ready. So I guess I'm like you in that I'm not doing anything to speed things up, just to make sure I'm in top shape when it happens.
post #14 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:48am
Nothing to bring on labour early, though some of the things i do could bring it on, i am not doing it for that reason. i have been cleaning and walking around a bit, having sex, and i do drink RRl tea. But RRL is not to induce, it is just to tone your uterus for when you do go into labour. Basically i am just living my life.
post #15 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:56am
Here's what I did. I told everyone my baby was not coming out until May. I slowly worked on getting the last things on my list done. After all, I had at least two more weeks left. I drank RRL tea daily, but only a few cups. I'd been drinking since 8 wks into my pregnancy. I stayed as active as I could so my two and a half year old wouldn't get bored. I enjoyed our last days as "just us" to the fullest. I napped excessively when I could and ate healthy, though the chocolate did beckon me at the end. Well, something worked to bring her here two weeks early, even though I was convinced I'd have a plump little 40 weeker. Ready or NOT, SHE WAS READY!!!
post #16 of 50
4/30/08 at 11:56am
I'm 38w2d. I'm taking EPO by mouth and vaginally to help with cervical softening. I drink 1-2 cups of RRL tea a night. That's it.
I'm still seeing my Chiro 2x a week for my lower back and I get a relaxation massage 1x a week.
Once I hit 40 weeks I'm going in for acupuncture to help relax and get things going. I really don't want to go as overdue this time around(mec in fluid and pretty old placenta when we checked it out-baby had lost some weight/baggy skin)but at the same time I'm not going overboard with the induction techniques.
To be honest I don't think I can physically handle another 3-4 weeks. My sciatica is so bad I can barely stand for more than 5 mins before the pain is overwhelming and I have to get on all fours for the next hour. It wasn't this bad with G. I just can't imagine another month of this.....sigh
post #17 of 50
4/30/08 at 12:19pm
not much really. I'm about 37 1/2 weeks along though. Talk to me if I'm at 40+!

right now, I'm drinking 2 cups of RRL tea and have made a lot of plans for the next few weeks: dinner plans this Saturday, spa appointment next week, etc. Those things seem to be what motivate baby to arrive early!

As the due date gets closer, I'll do a lot more around the house: cleaning, nesting, etc. And will take a lot of walks.
post #18 of 50
4/30/08 at 12:21pm
Thread Starter 
I am also wildly uncomfortable and hope for sooner rather than later. My goal is more to have everything be totally ripe so that when labor does start, it will go quickly. I don't think there is anything in this thread that would actually make a baby come out early, you know? Just trying to have everything totally warmed up.
post #19 of 50
4/30/08 at 12:23pm
I am 40 weeks right now and my midwife says my cervix is not dilated and barely effaced. I am doing nothing to encourage labour.
post #20 of 50
4/30/08 at 12:36pm
I'm not doing anything differently, but I've been in what I assume is predormal labor, contraxs aren't regular, but they suck and are making it hard to clean - which I have reached my comfortable limit of slacking on.

I'm only 36 wks though, and I think this kid's definitely getting ready.
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