Induce labor

[redelicious]

I am a week overdue and under some pressure to undergo a hospital induction. Problem is that my first birth was a csection (a failed induction). I am not eager to go through that experience with the pitocin again (and they can't use cytotek on me because of the risk of uterine rupture). So I'm trying to get things moving on my own.

Things I've tried:

Sex
Nipple stimulation
Evening primrose oil
walking

It's been suggested that I cut way back on protien (like 20gs/day). I've tried but can't seem to get it that low.

I'm a little afraid to try castor oil or laxatives. I figure who needs the additional discomfort? I've also heard of using herbs like black/blue cohosh, but I worry about the intensity of labor they might cause. I may consider accupressure.

Any thoughts, ideas, things that worked or didn't work?

Ty

 

[firefighter02]

My Dad said that I was late so he loaded up Mom in the back of a wagon and drove crossways over the bean field.

 

[cyberski]

Jumping jacks?


BTW....I AM NOT a real doctor, I only play one on the intraweb

Good luck

 

[southpaw77]

I was on my hands and knees scrubbing spots out of my carpet.

 

[cyberski]

I was on my hands and knees scrubbing spots out of my carpet.

With my ex, that was considered sex.

 

[v.tiger]

don't know if it is true but i read years ago never to give a blow-job and swallow it cos if contains something can cause labour
at any time during a pregnancy.
so as you are definatly full term wouldn't hurt to try and the man in your life would like it too

 

[SweetBlindness]

Years ago, I read about an Italian restaurant in California where women boasted about going into labor after eating their pizza, which contained large amounts of fresh garlic. In fact, word of mouth led many overdue mothers-to-be to that particular restaurant. Whether their experiences were garlic-based or simply coincidence, I couldn't tell you.

If you like garlic, go for it. Garlic is good anyway.

 

[warrior queen]

there's a number of herbal emmenagogue (labour-inducing) preparations you can try that are natural, but - and i stress this - go to a naturopath and do it under supervision.

some of the herbs used include:
celery seed, sage, pot marigold, black cohosh, squaw vine and raspberry.
they're used in various mixes to bring on labour.

but don't try to do it yourself, definately go to a qualified practitioner.

i know exactly how you feel about not wanting to go the 'conventional' route, and i had success using an alternate therapy under the supervision of my naturopath.

good luck!

 

[shelleb4]

3 kids, and overdue on 2 of them, (isnt it the pits?)

Vaginal Sweep: ask your dr or partner to do this for you, put fingers up into the vagina till you reach the cervix, squatting is good position. Wipe the fingers across and around the cervix. Like you'd wipe a wine glass with a t-towel.

Sperm has prostaglandin in it, the same drug put into the pessaries that your midwife will place high up your vagina so that it gets absorbed. Prostaglandins can trigger labour. Once your so has given you the sex, and the more vigorous your orgasm the better, lay with your feet up and try to keep the sperm at the top where the cervix is.

Alternatively, there are the nasty wivestale remedies like:
Have anything like hot curry, codliver oil etc to give you diahorreah.

If when your having your sweep, the cervix has not efaced, then your not ripe enough to trigger anything love, sorry.

ps, Bergamont can induce labour.

 

[krustyalice]

There are plenty of old wifes tales and a pregnate woman on the last strech ould do anything to get it out of her.

Problem is alot of the old wifes tales are bad for you!!!

for example someones advice on jumping jacks that can actully detach the placenta early causing excessive bleeding.

As for natural remidies to induce well definatly use thouse under supervision.

Ive heard that some aromatherepy oils can be bad for you child and destress it during the actul birth.

Doctors know whats best most of the time let it run its course and before you try anything cheek its ok with the midwife.

 

[Daolas]

How about this one. It's surefire and I've heard tons of success stories about it.

http://philips.wtks.com/philips_birthrecipe.html

 

[sheath]

My Dad said that I was late so he loaded up Mom in the back of a wagon and drove crossways over the bean field.

Well, that explains a lot.



S.

 

[CutieMouse]

*****

 

[bobsgirl]

My Dad said that I was late so he loaded up Mom in the back of a wagon and drove crossways over the bean field.

You know, my mom told me pretty much the same thing when I was complaining about being 3 weeks overdue with my son. Told hub to take me for a fast ride on a bumpy road.

I remember reading in the paper a few years ago that a very pregnant woman went to Cedar Point and rode one of the roller coasters to induce labor. She ended up delivering her baby--her sixth!-- right there in the amusement park. I was surprised they even let her on the ride.

 

[TJmarine]

rollercoaster baby.... that kinda disturbes me.. hehe

 

[firefighter02]

Well, that explains a lot.



S.

LOL! That's the best you got?? Sissy!!


I know!!!

Tie a string around your belly button and the other end to the door and then wait for someone to open the door and the baby should just pop right out.!

 

[redelicious]

Ok, ty everyone for your responses!

Unfortunately I don't own a wagon and there aren't any bean fields for miles around, but it has occured to us to go on a bumpy ride. Think I may skip the jumping jacks though.

I have heard that many pregnant women get a sudden burst of energy before they go into labor, and that might explain it happening when Southpaw was scrubbing her spots. I admit to trying to trick my body into thinking I was feeling energetic by cleaning my house, but so far all it's gotten me is a clean house (the horrors!).

V.tiger, you are right about the oral sex. Semen contains a prostaglandan which causes the cervix to dialate and can work orally or vaginally. Hubby and I have tried vaginal sex but not oral (because frankly I'm tiring him out). I think it's time to add that to the list.

I think the spicy foods work for the same reason castor oil works, but definitely sounds less risky to me. I think I may go for lots of mexican food this week.

Warrior Queen - I have read specifically about the black and blue cohosh and have some concerns about the intensity of the labor they are reported to cause. I am interested in knowing your experiences. Incidentally I wouldn't try anything without supervision.

ShelleB4 - I was to have had my membranes swept last week but had some complications which would have made it useless (those have been resolved now, btw). I will try again on Wednesday. Again, hubby and I have tried sex and I have used evening primrose oil for the the prostaglandans. What is bergamont?

I disagree that doctors always know what's best for healthy pregnant women. Pregnancy is a natural process, not a medical condition. In any case, I have discussed most of these methods with midwives and wouldn't do anything that would harm myself or my baby.

Cutiemouse- I've had those false labor contractions for nearly a month now. I keep telling myself that my uterus is getting plenty toned and the actual labor will go easier as a result. You hit on a catch 22 for me. Yes, I know I won't automatically go into labor if I am not ready by trying any of these methods - the best I can hope for is that they will help get my body ready. At the same time I feel I need to avoid a hospital induction (pitocin, breaking waters) at all costs. I figure if I try *safe* natural inductions at home that don't work there's no harm done. Being induced in a hospital at exactly 42 weeks, ready or not, will certainly result in a repeat section. And you are right about cytotek. Did you know it's an off-label drug that has NOT been approved by the FDA for induction? It's an ulcer medication that was found to cause premature labor in pregnant women. The company that manufactures it has even sent a letter to OB practices requesting that it NOT be used as a prostiglandan.
[/rant]
Anyway, my son was induced at 40+ weeks, so it's entirely possible that my body takes longer to go into labor naturally. To be honest I thought I conceived at a later date (but by only a few days) then the midwives arrived at when they came up with my due date. However, their date was confirmed by ultrasound so who knows.

Thank you again everyone for your comments.

 

[Luv70sfords]

Believe it or not, my buddies hopped up Mustang put my wife into premature labor. His car is one of those illegally loud muscle cars Im sure you've heard goin down the road. He fired it up to go for a spin and about 2 min later we were high tailing it to the hospital with contractions coming on hard and fast. She was only 32 weeks pregnant, so they kept her on drugs to stop the labor, managed to hold him in an extra week.

I dont know if it was the noise, the vibrations, or if my boy really is gonna be a gearhead like his old man, but the tale of the Mustang went round the entire floor of the hospital. We had 2 requests to get my buddy down there with the car for some overdue women.

 

[Mskey]

My thoughts and good wishes go out to you hun. I was only late with my first and she was almost 3 weeks overdue. I had my membranes swept. I walked for miles every day. I had so much sex that I should have been a porn queen. I ate spicy foods every night. I fell asleep with my legs in the air trying to hold in semen. I did every damned wives tale there was and then finally 6 hours before I was scheduled to be in the hospital for an induction I went into natural spontaneous labor. That experience alone was enough for me to jump at the chance for induction when it was offered the 2nd time.
My first induction was fairly easy. Pitocin started at 7 am, I was fully dilated by 12:30 and my daughter was born at 1:14 with only the most minimal of pushing on my part.
Given that experience I thought the answer to baby #3 was an induction as well especially considering I went into preterm labor at 32 weeks and it didn't want to stop. ( of course it didn't want to regulate either so I stayed in labor until I was 36 weeks and 2 days. Yuck!) With #3 I was given pitocin to jump start the labor at around 7:45 on Dec 9th. It didn't do a damn thing except make my contractions 10x worse. They upped the pit again at around 1 am on the 10th and although I dilated another 2 centimeters nothing else was really going on to help move the baby down any further. Finally at 4:00 am a very sweet old nurse came in and offered to give me a cervical massage. I agreed thinking a massage would be nice....YOUCH!!!! Not the kind of massage I was thinking of, but it did open the cervix up to 10 centimeters and within an hour I'd had my daughter.

My rambling point is that every labor, like every baby, is very different and simply because things worked, or didn't for you with one doesn't mean it'll be the same for another. Also what works beautifully for one woman may fail miserably for you.
I remember how desperate I was to be finished with my pregnancies those last few weeks, but nothing except a c-section can take that baby before it's ready. Best of luck hun and keep us posted.

 

[CutieMouse]

*****

 

[catalina_francisco]

Believe it or not redelicious, one thing that worked for me was ballet exercises. Not the jumping kind, but those lovely slow, muscle holding ones you do on the bar. I remember doubling over as the labour pains started, jumping on the bed with a grin, only to have them stop shortly after. I got back off the bed and started again and when the pain resumed, I was not about to stop again until I was sure nothing was going to stop it. Good luck.

Catalina

 

[Queen Bee]

Are the midwives and/or doc antsy to induce just because you're overdue? Is there any concern about amniotic fluid levels or calcification of the placenta? Are you at all dilated or effaced?

 

[CutieMouse]

*****

 

[shelleb4]

desparate measures!

Ive found a spell that i will cast today to induce your labour.
Heck, at this stage, you'll try anything! I feel so sorry for you.

You might want to try doing this, book appnt to see your care giver, Dr or midwife, depending what country you live in, and cry stating your gonna take codliver oil TONIGHT if they dont do something.

Begamot- is a essential oil used in aromatherapy. It is contra-indicated for use of pregnant people because it can bring on labour.

Spell will be done at sunset, about 1830hrs here.

Never tried it before, but it cant hurt.
Got any Brackton Hicks yet? Back ache? period pains?

Dont forget to get the last photo of a bondaged mum to be, coz the avatar you have is fab if its you, if it isnt, make it you.

How long will they let you go overdue? In the UK its 3 bloody weeks, set by some male no doubt - bastard!

 

[redelicious]

Oh thanks again for all the new responses!

Mskey - you hit on a big reason I'm trying to avoid pitocin. It can bring on extremely intense contractions and in my case I'm afraid that would lead to another section. Frankly I am not uncomfortable and don't mind being pregnant as long as the baby and placenta are healthy. It's the ob/midwives that have the concern.

Cutiemouse - I've heard that stress can inhibit the natural production of oxytocen, (please excuse my spelling) so your massage idea may have merit.

Catalina - Ballet, hmm? I've been taking yoga, though I've missed the last few classes. I wonder if going through a few poses would have the same effect?

Queen Bee - those are good points. It's common practice here to start looking at induction at 42 weeks. I had an ultrasound done last week and at that time the placenta looked fine and there was plenty of amniotic fluid. Another concern for me is baby weight. My son was 9 lbs 10 oz. Now, my daughter doesn't appear to be that large, but a problem with ultrasound is that the weight can be off by a pound in either direction. They will do another scan on Wednesday. Hopefully it will show that everything is still fine and I will be able to put induction off a little while longer.

Shellbe, ty about the AV. It's definetely not me, but I did take a few pics at 8 months. I guess I will have to search for a new one soon.