Old wives tales to induce labor

newyearsbaby5 · December 2016

All of the positive vibes yesterday were great, but I can't be the only one ready to get this show on the road. What old wives tales are you trying/do you plan to try to speed up (or make yourself think you're speeding up) impending labor?

newyearsbaby5 · December 2016

I've told myself that whenever I have to use the bathroom at work, I need to use the bathroom on the 1st floor (i'm on the third floor), forcing myself into walking down/up three flights of stairs 12 million times a day it seems. Apparently stair walking can help. At least I can get a good laugh at how out of breath it makes me.

mudderbear · December 2016

Last pregnancy I took castor oil...didn't work.

This time, I don't know if it's suppose to help get her here earlier but I'm trying anyways, I've started drinking raspberry leaf tea, so far just once a day, will up it to two next week. I've also been taking evening primrose oil pills. Haven't attempted to insert them yet as it freaks me out but maybe next week.

Im not desperate enough to have sex yet haha

hayhay2501 · December 2016

My doula told me to drink raspberry leaf tea and to eat dates. Apparently dates reduce the need for induction... we'll see.

I've also heard you should bounce around on a birth ball. And multiple people suggested spicy food. I'm not convinced any of it will work! But I'm sure by 40 weeks I'll be willing to try anything.

canavara · December 2016

How soon are you supposed to start trying these things for them to help? At 36 weeks, I definitely don't want him to come now.

Funny story though: My breast pump came a couple of nights ago and I almost put it on my breast just to see if it worked at all (I'm not even leaking anything at all so I wasn't expecting anything other than a suctioning to happen) but instead put it on my hand... a couple of minutes later was reading the manual and it was like, "DON'T USE THE PUMP WHILE PREGNANT. IT CAN INDUCE LABOR."

hayhay2501 · December 2016

@canavara with the tea and dates you're supposed to start both 4-5 weeks before your due date. I'm not trying anything more extreme till I hit full term! And good spot with the pump!!

newyearsbaby5 · December 2016

@canavara like @hayhay87 said, I wouldn't try anything extreme for a while (is full-term 37 or 39 weeks? different sources say different things), but considering you can walk around dilated and all that for weeks and no baby, I don't think it hurts to try the other ones earlier (especially since most of them have little to no scientific backing).

ThePax89 · December 2016

@canavara I pumped while pregnant last time. I pumped from 37 weeks on, 1-2 times/day. It was hugely ineffective. I was induced at 40+4. I won't be doing it this time because a.it didn't work. B. My daughter ended up being in distress which is purely anecdotal, but enough to scare me.

ThePax89 · December 2016

I'll be sexing like I'm ttc again starting at 37 weeks.

prostaglandins and such....

LoneStar21416 · December 2016

My understanding is that 37-38 weeks is considered "early term" and 39-40 is "term." I think the distinction came about, in part, because in the 80s and 90s, it was much more routine to perform elective c sections or inductions out of convenience (i.e., my mom is in town this week, induce me at 37.5 weeks). Since gestational age and due dates can be off in a lot of cases, a baby that someone thought was 37 weeks may have been 35 weeks, for example. I think they found that babies that came as a result of these elective deliveries prior to 40 weeks didn't do as well - maybe some NICU stays or maybe just in general had initial issues. So I think for all intents and purposes, doctors try to stay with 39 as technically full term to deter couples from thinking they can just induce 2-3 weeks early.

christac1010 · December 2016

I've been bouncing on the exercise ball. I feel like it just helps open my hips though. I've also been making my food more spicy than normal. Plus I picked up some pregnancy tea that I need to drink. Starting Tuesday, I'll be trying my best to seduce DH and survive walks around the block. I just can't imagine this cramping/contracting for 3 more weeks!

SarahS11 · December 2016

With my last pregnancy, I did the walking, spicy food, sex, and pressure point in the hand all in one day... Went into labor at midnight that night... Probably a fluke, but it was all in good fun!

ThePax89 · December 2016

@SarahS11 what pressure point?

SarahS11 · December 2016

@ThePax89 It is the webbing between your thumb and pointer... You squeeze it/rub it for a minute and then take a break. I just did it throughout the day that day. It is a big pain relief pressure point, so once you are actually having contractions it can help then too! There is also a pressure point near your heel of your foot... that's why they say a pedicure can send you into labor, but I feel like it would take more than just a 40 minute pedicure to get things going!

katesmama0706 · December 2016

I'm being induced at 39 weeks anyway, but only if my cervix is "favorable" aka dialated at least a little bit. I walked around at 3 1/2 cm dialated for weeks last time before I had to be induced at 38 weeks so I'm not super worried about it buttttttt I'll definitely be trying to use those prostaglandins in my favor haha. Other than that I feel like it's all just a good way to pass the time, which is great when you're super pregnant and bored. I will say that last time my doctor was adamant not to use castor oil because it can cause baby to poop too or to use a breast pump because it can cause your uterus to contract and then not relax which puts baby into distress.

kaytastic25 · December 2016

I ordered my Primrose Oil and Raspberry leaf tea to begin soon. My OB said start at 36 weeks but I'm going to start at 35 weeks. (Rebel). I'm going to start walking a lot at around 36 weeks. (I'm currently 34 +3). With DS1 they stripped my membranes at 40 weeks and I started labor the next day.

shlecks · December 2016

Our childbirth class teacher told us sex (including oral) can help soften the cervix, but I have no personal evidence. Apparently one of those meds they use in the hospital is made of pig semen, but according to our teacher it's more effective with "familiar" semen. She sent me a link to an article here:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-we-do-it/201602/biological-function-oral-sex
But it's mostly about pre-eclampsia. So there's that.

She did also mention that the spicy foods and castor oil will only clean you out, which in some people can get labor going, but it's not very common. Also my sister in law tried eating something with lots of basil- didn't work though.

I wanna hear more about this tea! No one has mentioned it to me, and I'm curious if it will really work!

hayhay2501 · December 2016

@shlecka https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x545986/can-raspberry-leaf-tea-help-to-ease-labour and
https://www.mamanatural.com/red-raspberry-leaf-tea/
as you'd expect there's not a TON of evidence but it's thought to tone your uterus for an easier labor. Some people swear by it!

MamaandNurse · December 2016

Nothing is going to make you go into labor if you aren't already going to anyway. All of the old wive's tales are just that. The only thing that has any scientific proof is nipple stimulation and sex, with male ejaculation. But again, only if your body is already there anyway.
And 39 weeks is full-term, not 37. That's old information. 37 weekers are considered 'early-term'.

ashanne88 · December 2016

I plan on trying sex, nipple stimulation, acupressure, walking and bouncing starting at the end of next week (around 37 since that's almost full term for twins) if I make it that far. Like PP said, it won't do anything unless your body is actually ready but at least it'll make me feel like I'm helping things along. Spicy food just makes me think I'm going to have terrible heartburn so not worth it to me.

Kurtni · December 2016

Maybe it's because I'm still physically pretty comfortable, but I'm in no rush to get baby out. He can be a little late as far as I'm concerned. I think the only one I'd try would be sex.... but that's more about enjoying our last few weeks as just a married couple than trying to coax baby out.

hjmorgan-2 · December 2016

I really need to look into this raspberry leaf tea thing...

15caitlin · December 2016

Last time I used Primrose oil. I started off taking it at 37 weeks by mouth twice a day for a week and then at 38 weeks two or three by mouth and inserting one at night and the at 39 weeks two by mouth and inserting two. I have no idea if it worked but my whole labor was only about 10 hours and I only pushed three times. I plan on doing the same thing again this time.

cjs260 · December 2016

If having sex induces labor, this baby would have born already, haha!

stumptownmama · December 2016

I'm not going to do anything to try to induce labor until much closer to my due date. At 35 weeks, the best place for baby to be is in utero. Last time I walked a lot, bounced on the birth ball and used my breast pump. Baby came right on time, but I'm a big believer that baby comes when he/she is good and ready.

LeahNicole · December 2016

My lamaze instructor informed us of the benefits of sex and the prostaglandins. From what I understand it doesn't induce labor, but prostaglandins do help to thin and soften the cervix.

hjmorgan-2 · December 2016

cjs260 said:

If having sex induces labor, this baby would have born already, haha!

^^^ @cjs260 My thoughts exactly!

newyearsbaby5 · December 2016

I feel like all of my stair walking yesterday actually made the baby go a lot lower judging by all of the pelvic pressure I felt last night. And then I started freaking out in my head that the baby is going to come soon! Maybe I'll lay off the stairs until next week (even though exercise isn't a bad thing).

myriamc96 · December 2016

I had sex like every night while I was pregnant with DS and I had him at 36 weeks. I'm gunna say sex definitely had something to do with it, because I was 2 cm dilated at only 35 weeks with DS and I'm funneling but not dilated this time around at 35 weeks, I think it's because I have no sex drive this time around.

askerrysmile · December 2016

I started eating dates and taking EPO 1000mg orally and inserted one yesterday and plan to do it again. I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea for weeks now and will continue, perhaps with a stronger brew. bouncing on my ball also. my SO will not have sex with me which is like awful for my self esteem but also I want it to speed up the process! he said "having sex with a pregnant lady is gross"

totally heartbreaking.

kaytastic25 · December 2016

askerrysmile said:

I started eating dates and taking EPO 1000mg orally and inserted one yesterday and plan to do it again. I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea for weeks now and will continue, perhaps with a stronger brew. bouncing on my ball also. my SO will not have sex with me which is like awful for my self esteem but also I want it to speed up the process! he said "having sex with a pregnant lady is gross" totally heartbreaking.

Aww sorry my DH says the same thing. We haven't DTD since I was 5 months along. He says he will when it's close to my due date and "he thinks the baby is done cooking". But I doubt it. He didn't with DS1. He says it's the awkward belly...I almost smacked him. Lol

ceclarlinetlo · December 2016

kaytastic25 said:

askerrysmile said:

I started eating dates and taking EPO 1000mg orally and inserted one yesterday and plan to do it again. I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea for weeks now and will continue, perhaps with a stronger brew. bouncing on my ball also. my SO will not have sex with me which is like awful for my self esteem but also I want it to speed up the process! he said "having sex with a pregnant lady is gross" totally heartbreaking.

Aww sorry my DH says the same thing. We haven't DTD since I was 5 months along. He says he will when it's close to my due date and "he thinks the baby is done cooking". But I doubt it. He didn't with DS1. He says it's the awkward belly...I almost smacked him. Lol

Aww ladies! I'm so sorry

I would be so hurt if DH said something like that to me.

sldp123 · December 2016

@askerrysmile @kaytastic25 um, yeah, we haven't had sex this entire pregnancy. I was spotting daily all through 1st tri, and we were just too nervous. Even once the spotting stopped and we knew things were good, we still didn't feel comfortable with it because we didn't want it to start again. And now I'm huge and disgusting, haha, although luckily DH would never say that. We've talked about it and I understand, and have no desire anyway, but it's still not great for my self esteem because I'm just like, why isn't he bothered by this??

ThePax89 · December 2016

Sex really pisses me off this stage of pregnancy. Orgasms aren't fun when they are followed by a MASSIVE contraction. But I'll take one for the team.

Red rasperry leaf tea is on its way. I didn't try it last time.

Pumping did absolutely nothing for me.

BAJDesigns · December 2016

I started drinking the raspberry leaf tea but as of this week DTD is off the table. Idk if it's because baby has dropped so low, or there's extra blood flow or what but YOUCH! Waaay too much pressure down there now. Am I the only one experiencing this? I have also heard eating pineapple can soften the cervix so I might try that. Although at 50% efface already I don't think that'll really make a difference.

lindsladle15 · December 2016

@ThePax89 I'm impressed/jealous that you can get to orgasm! I've given that up in the past couple months....it takes too long to get there and I'm too uncomfortable and heartburn-y

moosette113 · December 2016

@BAJDesigns I had the same issue, but for some reason this week has been much better in the pain department. I'm almost positive it was because of extra blood flow, and for whatever reason I'm not as sensitive now as I was. I'm not as far along as you, so I don't know if there's hope (if you want hope?) of it getting better before your LO comes.

Sorry to anyone who's been turned down by their partner. That's just an extra level of suck added on to already wonky hormones.

ElleMF728 · December 2016

@BAJDesigns Count me in! Sex wasn't painful at all but almost immediately after I was so sore. Morning and day fun stopped because I was so uncomfortable. If we had sex at night I was fine in the morning.

ThePax89 · December 2016

@lindsladle15 oh it's rare. But when it happens it sucks.

nolemomma14 · December 2016

For those drinking the red raspberry leaf tea do you add anything to it? I rarely drink tea so not sure if you add cream to it, sugar, or if it's best just to drink as is!?