Successful VBACers-Question

ShawnaNKyle

Did you do anything to "jump start" labor?  If so, what did you do?  Did it work?  How far along were you?

I have to go into labor on my own before the 22nd to get my VBAC (which I am set on), and DH is starting a new job on Wednesday the 16th, so I would really like LO to come before then so he doesn't have to miss any days at the new job.  At my apt on Wednesday, I was 2, almost 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced.  I have been having inconsistent contractions and lots of pelvic pressure since then.  TIA!

babyike

1. Prenatal chiro for Webster's starting at 33 weeks until 40 weeks
2. RRL tea and EPO orally 3x day starting at 36 weeks
3. Sex 2x week starting at 36 weeks
4. Acupuncture with electrodes starting at 39w5d (had 4 sessions total)
5. Pumping/nipple stim starting at 39w5d (1x day for 15 mins or until ctx's started)

I know dilation/effacement before labor is meaningless in terms of predicting when labor will start, but here are my stats for looking at "progress" in terms of cervical readiness...  I only had internals done when I requested them, so they're not on a "schedule".

• 39w0d ~ 1cm, 50% eff
• 40w2d ~ 1cm, 75% eff
• 41w0d ~ 1-2cm, 85% eff (membranes swept)
• Labor started 14 hours afterwards

All in all, I think my body was on the edge of labor for about 10 days with stop/go contractions (aka prodromal labor).  Honestly I think the membrane sweep was the "kick start" and the acupuncture helped with super fast progress once I hit 4cm (went from 4 to complete in about 2 hours, pushed for 13 mins).  HTH!

lorryfach

I walked a lot. Every chance I had after about 39w, I was walking. I ate spicy food the last couple of days too. Who knows if it helped, but I went into labor the day after my due date. I had prodomal labor for a month. I never had an internal before labor so I can't comment on cervical "progress."

mrs4

sex and walking/being active worked for me!

userdeleted

I did EPO internally starting at like 38 weeks. I didn't have any checks until 39 weeks, but at that point I think I was like 1cm dilated and not effaced at all. A few days later I started having irregular contractions, the next day the contractions got a little more regular and I lost my mucous plug, and then the next morning I went into active labor and had a baby that night. I'm pretty sure I was still either 1 or 2 cm dilated when I got to the hospital in labor.

Best of luck to you! It's great that you're already dilating and effacing!

Tygerli11y

Had zero progress before hand. Went on a long walk followed by Mexican food with really spicy salsa and went into labor that night

Ceefome

i had an internal the day before - was ~2cm, 50% effaced.   the ob did what membrane stripping she could.   had sex that night, was also doing some nipple stimulation.   my water broke at 4:30 the next morning and i was at 5 cm when i got to the hospital at 8am.

i also spent a lot of time bouncing on the balance ball in the weeks before i had my baby.   

becky17joe

1. Sex

2. Chiropractor

3. Yoga

4. I was not effaced or dilated 2 days before going into labor. I went from starting contractions at 1am at home, to getting to the hospital at 6am...being 6 cm dilated and having her in within 1 hr and 20 minutes.

SaraLynn21

I went to a reflexologist who did a 45 minute foot rub, hitting all the labor-inducing pressure points. Contractions started about 9 hours later. I also walked, drank RRL tea, and took EPO 2x per day starting at 36 weeks.Good luck!

fall-love

Nothing at all... at my 39 week visit I was fingertip dilated and 60-70% effaced,  never really had any prodromal labor or excess BH contrax.  (Never really went into labor with #1 either... water broke, went to hospital several hours later and he'd flipped to breech, hence the c/s).  The evening before my due date, I started with regular mild contrax and DS2 was born 12 hours later, med free!

I did yoga and Hypnobabies the last couple months of my pregnancy, did a normal amount of walking (nothing excess) and no sex since conception (unfortunately).  No "induction" methods... just totally natural from start to finish and it was AWESOME! 

dakota01

I walked. Ate spicy food. Tried the pressure points. Nipple stim. Still was not dilated at 40.5weeks. Finally I did the castor oil and went into labor 6hrs later.