Best do-it-yourself labor bring-er on-ers - LOL!

[Cloth4Colin]

No, not for me :lol ...we're having enough trouble keeping this one IN...but I have a friend who is 41 weeks and wanting to avoid a medicated induction. They have said they will do a Pit induction in one week...is there anything you've found to be successful in bringing on labor in a more natural way? Nipple stimulation, intercourse, etc.? How long did you have to do it to get results?

TIA! :)

[1babysmom]

I tried pineapple, sex, nipple stim, walking, spicy food, exercise ball, squatting, accupressure, castor oil, blue cohosh, membrane stripping, stretching, blah blah blah...:lol

Nothing worked. DD came on her own time. Sorry...trust me, I wish I could be more help. LOL

[Emma's_Mommy]

does your friend have a breastpump??

tell her to start pumping.,....30mins at a time as much as she can stand!

[Shenandoah]

Accupuncture. It worked in 3 hours.

[kerikadi]

Sex & Swallowing :wink
Massage
Chiropractic Adjustments
Accupuncture

These are the only ones I would be comfortable with other than sitting in certain positions, getting plenty of exercise and spicey food but that is part of my normal activity anyway :) Actually, everything but accupuncture is routine for me :)

Keri

[inkedmamajama]

sex, or masturbation.

but sex was more effective.

[BusyMommy]

Yup, breastpump. :thumb I was at 42 weeks and had a midnight deadline w/my mw. I pumped at 10pm and labor started at 10:30.

[tomothermine]

my m/w was to be on vacation the week i was due so believe me i did everything in my power to go a few days early to avoid her OB back up (bad previous experience with him) i started wtih raspberry tea and evening primrose 1-2 wks before due date. then we tried sex, spicey foods, walking, castor oil and various combinations of all the suggestions - I had ctx but not progressive i was about 2 cm dialated for 2 wks or so. dd came when she was ready apparently. in fact i took castor oil a second time when things picked up and didn't even 'clean ou't until time to push if you kwim. by then i was 2 days past my due date and the OB delivered her but he was at least civilized this time.

[Bex80]

I don't want to butt in, as I don't have a suggestion on what to do, but I would like for you to encourage your friend not to use castor oil.

I used it, it worked, but my labor was so much more intense (I believe) than if I hadn't of taken it. Plus, the fact that I had to keep going to the toilet which SUCKED as I was very comfortable in the birth tub. :irked:

I think that the discomfort from the bowel cramps aggrivated the dicomfort from the uterine cramps, coupled with having the trots, and knowing that I had made my labor harder on myself in the end, all gave me a terrible frame of mind for my birth. Keep in mind that this was my second child, with a mw at a birthcenter, ended up being about a 3.5 hour event total and I was 41 weeks 2 days.

Not trying to hijack, but I just feel very strongly now about not using castor oil ever. No one told me that those things could happen. Everyone just made it sound like it would bring on labor and one big poop or something.

Best of luck to your friend!! And I have heard that nipple stimulation works wonders. I will try it next time if I go "over". :wink

[ktmelody]

The only thing that ever worked for me was a bottle of tonic water with quinine in it.
You can find it in grocery stores.
It tastes yucky, but I did go into labor when I took it.
You cant drink too much though, it can cause leg cramps if you take to much. Just one small bottle did it for me.

I tried the others, except for castor oil and they did nothing!

[kathymuggle]

Sex, 3 times in 24 hours - fun trying!
Lots of walking (did not work for me, though!)
I took castor oil 3 times with DD, the last time "worked" -or it may have been her time, anyway. It was so gross to get down....
Several hours after she was born (fast delivery, not especially painfull) I had to go to the bathroom bad - it was in a hospital, and I think I messed it up in a very gross/yucky way.
I am not sure I would take castor again - It would really depend on the circumstances!

The sex idea is way more fun.

[SheSpeeds]

Probably along the same lines as a massage or chiro appt, I've heard that reflexology sessions that don't avoid the "pregnant spots" should help. I'm not completely familiar with it all, but I know the back of the heal is a place that can trigger labor if the baby is ready. I bet you could call a place on the phone and tell them what you're trying to do and do they think they can help.

[FireflyFan]

I just read the other day that eating eggplant can help start labor.

[barefootamy]

Probably along the same lines as a massage or chiro appt, I've heard that reflexology sessions that don't avoid the "pregnant spots" should help. I'm not completely familiar with it all, but I know the back of the heal is a place that can trigger labor if the baby is ready. I bet you could call a place on the phone and tell them what you're trying to do and do they think they can help.
Reflexology has been known to give labor a gentle nudge, and yes, only if both baby and mom are ready. Sometimes its helpful to get Reflexology during prelabor too. Be sure when/if you call a Reflexologist that you're not coming across as asking for an induction. A general relaxation session with Reflexology may be all you need and you don't want the Reflexologist to feel he/she is going outside of the scope of practice.

You can find board certified reflexologists near you here: http://www.arcb.net, and professional reflexologists here: http://www.reflexology-usa.org.

[True Blue]

I walked, had sex, went to Sam's Club (for some reason I went into labor with my kids after going to Sam's to shop that day LOL), and with DD nipple stimulation...I did it till I started to feel crampy (just tweaked my nips while watching tv LOL) and I thought nothing much came of it, but my water broke that night!

[mamablueberry]

I don't know how safe this is, but I rearranged my living room furniture and did some major house cleaning. I was one day before my estimated due date.

[flapjack]

What ultimately kicked me out of prodromal labour was sitting there reading three (very funny) induction stories out loud to my bump and laughing so hard I literally wet myself. Baby 1 was a castor oil induction, baby 2 was born the day after I put baby 1's bottle of castor oil in the dustbin. C.o. did nothing with baby three.
If the baby isn't lined up right you can get contractions going but they won't take off. You need some good strong cervical pressure to help get babe out.

[Jster]

I used castor oil at 41 w 6d in order to preserve my homebirth, and it worked really well!!! I think it was good for me to get all cleaned out, too, that made post partum a little easier to not have to worry about it. But I'd had 12 hours of pitocin during my first labor, and it was MUCH easier than that (1st labor lasted 28 hours, second was 12 hours). I'd wait as long as she could, though...give that baby time to cook!

[lizabird]

I posted this same question when I was about 38 wks pg with baby#2. Responses I got included eating eggplant, eating pineapple, sex/orgasm, nipple stim, lots of walking, thinking lots of positive "i'm ready" thoughts, castor oil, evening primrose oil, and then there are some homeopathic things one could try too. FWIW, I did a few of the abovementioned things and baby born at 39 wks.