Labor prep

emeraldcity603

What’s everyone planning to do? 

I have been doing at least 20 minutes of daily relaxation and breathing in preparation for my labor. I’m hoping to go natural again but there is a chance I could decide on the epidural since I will be at the hospital. I also started drinking red raspberry tea. I have noticed in the past it lessons irritable uterus and settles Braxton hicks contractions. I’m so tired lately that walking on my treadmill seems impossible. 

fifilala516

I've been doing the red raspberry tea (cooling it and mixing it other iced teas or lemonades because I really don't love hot tea) and dates. I did the snickers date recipe, which was really good, but I think I'll do my peanut butter, banana, and date smoothies that I did with my older daughter. It's an easier way of getting the dates down, in my opinion.

I'm also bouncing on a yoga ball intermittently and I'll start curb walking soon.

emeraldcity603

@fifilala516 what is the date, peanut butter, and banana smoothie recipe? I cannot get dates down to save my life! 

thescarletmom

@fifilala516 would also love the recipe!! I made chocolate pb sea salt date bark and that's the only way I can eat them so far, I havent tried a smoothie! Even my daughter loves the bark though. Also love the RRL in lemonade idea!! Never thought of that, I'm not much of a tea girl but I think this could work for me.

I keep meaning to spend some time on my yoga ball, but haven't done it much. Going to start going on daily walks since its been warming up here. But right now all my last nesting tasks and cleaning are taking up a lot of my time (plus cleaning never fails to start up a bout of prodromal labor, which is labor prep of its own it suppose), but I've been meaning to do some meditation, massage, and baths to relax and help loosen up for birth. 

fifilala516

@emeraldcity603 @thescarletmom honestly I just throw like 6 pitted dates in a blender with a generous helping of peanut butter, a banana,
a splash of milk and ice lol 

blossomingmama

I've been thinking about this more in the last few days. I pulled out all the PP necessities, got almost everything ready and saw my ball...so that's getting blown up tonight and I'll start with that. The last few weeks have been tough to get my mind wrapped around getting on my treadmill but I've been looking at it everyday thinking I need to get on it. So, ball and treadmill. 

I'll probably give the raspberry tea a try and the date shake you ladies mentioned. Never really done the raspberry tea before. My last midwife told me about a midwife brew, I'll have to research it a bit more but I do remember that. I also saw somewhere that walking up and down from curbs (curb walking) is helpful. 

Anyone thinking of pumping in the coming weeks? I did do it with my first but it didn't do much, wondering since I've already had a baby if it'll do anything this go around. I agree too that daily tasks, cleaning, organizing, and nesting alone definitely start on my BH and is enough exercise for the day. 

thescarletmom

@blossomingmama ah yes the midwife cocktail. You should be able to find it pretty easily online! I've never tried it, the only thing I remember about it is pineapple juice I believe?
But I tend to agree with you - after 3 babies, and having tried a lot of things with my 2nd especially, I don't think anything truly "makes" you go into labor unless your body was already ready/in the early stages. But if it helps someone to feel a little more in control, more power to them. I remember pumping once or twice with my first, it would definitely bring on contractions but they didn't start my labor, just wore me out. I've always delivered in week 39, and have a good bit of prodromal labor before actually delivering, so I feel like my body does its best to handle the labor prep for me 😂 if I make it to week 39, I'll probably try a few things like miles circuits just to feel like I'm helping.

emeraldcity603

I have pumped in the past but I was taking a tincture from my midwife to bring on labor and I was told to pump off and on while I was taking it. I went into labor at 2 am and had my baby 3.5 hours later. Not my shortest labor but at this point my last few have been 4 hours or less. I don’t think the things I did shortened my labor though. My body just pops out babies at this point. 😜