Stress preventing labor from starting?

Mamasaurus

I was having tons of early labor signs up until recently. Lots of contractions, some that would be regular for about an hour and then taper off, lost MP, crampy feelings, some effacement and dilation...and then I got some bad news about a relative, and the contractions stopped happening as often. I am talking about going from having them on and off all day, to only having them if I have to pee. They started to come back, and then I got some bad financial news. Now they are stopped again. Even my MW said she thought the odds were good that I was going to go into labor last week. I know I am only at my due date today, but I feel like I am moving away from going into labor, not towards it. I suspect that it's stress and am not really sure what to do about it. Of course I am trying to relax, take warm baths, not focus on the negative things, etc but that only goes so far, you know?

I have been drinking at least 4 cups of RRL tea every day. I have been taking at least one long walk each day. I did a little bit of sex/nipple stimulation but haven't been up to actually getting semen on my cervix because of my back hurting (not back labor/contractions--the same SI/sciatica problems I have been having since November). I have IBS so am really, really hesitant to try castor oil, and my MW agrees it should be my last resort.

Any ideas for what I could try? I am going to ask my H about donating some man juice for the cause but think that even if it helps, if I am super stressed out still, it's not going to lead to labor because my contractions will just stop again. I'm only at my due date today, but I'd really like to get this show on the road and ensure that I am not induced and to have the best odds for a med-free birth. Anyone else have a very stressful end of pregnancy? How did you get past the stress and just have that baby already?

jessandandy09

I have been wondering this too, I have been really stressed and I think the baby moved back up into my ribs this past week. I think there is a chance stress does interfere with the onset of labor. 

LindseyJW

i work with mamas going through stressful times during pregnancy. here are some tips:

practice deep breathing throughout your day. set an alarm on your phone to ring once an hour, a reminder to do deep breathing exercises. breath in deeply through your nose, send the breath downward and let it drift towards your toes as you exhale. 

carve time for relaxing out of each and every day. it's important to actually set aside time to do it and not just do it when you have time. make it part of your schedule.

envision your baby's birth. assure your baby that you have created a safe and loving home for him/her and that you look forward to his/her birth. decided how long you will labor and what that labor will be like. see it all happening.  

as for being at your guess date wiht an inside baby, here is what i share with my students:

So your ?Guess? date has come and gone! Besides the obvious of hypnosis, chiropractic, spicy foods, acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, yoga, and walking, here are some fun things to do to pass the time:

     Go Underground: Turn off your phone, stay away from email. Seriously, screen your calls. The repetition of ?When do you think you will go into labor?? or my personal favorite, ?Why haven?t they induced you yet?? is enough to make any woman go crazy!

    Rest: Schedule naptime daily. You never know when you might go into labor, or how long your labor will be. Enjoy this peaceful period to rest.

    Pamper Yourself: Get a new haircut, treat your nails to a mani/pedi, have a prenatal massage, enjoy a long warm soak with Epsom salts, get your eyebrows waxed.

    Get Your Freeze On: Freeze soups, muffin mix in tins or round drops of cookie dough so you have perfectly sized pieces to pop in the oven. Don?t forget to repackage them into airtight freezer containers once frozen. Here is a blog I like with lots of great ideas for freezer and make-ahead meals: https://joelens.blogspot.com/2007/01/freezer-friendlymake-ahead.html

    Become an Esty Queen: Learn a new craft. Maybe you?ve always wanted to know how to knit, or you?ve been dying to start scrapbooking. Now is the perfect time!

    Replace Brain Cells: After months of suffering from ?pregnancy brain,? nourish the remaining cells and read a new book (or 2, or 3!). Make a list of books you?d like to read and check them out of your local library.

    Snuggle Up: Spice up the late night romance (or early morning, or midday, or, whatever time of day you like best)! While finding comfortable positions may be challenging, being intimate with your partner is one of the best ways to encourage labor and to enjoy these last few days.

    Become a Movie Critic: If you like going to the movies, you may find that life after baby is not quite as conducive to movie outings. Enjoy a few pre-baby movies in the theater. And butter your popcorn, it doesn?t counts after 40 weeks! J

    Redecorate: Nesting mothers have a great eye for design. Maybe it?s just moving the furniture around, or maybe you?ll completely redo the color scheme in your bedroom!

    Paint the Town: Schedule an outing with friends or family every day. How much fun will it be to call and cancel because you are in labor! 

Mamasaurus

LindseyJW:

i work with mamas going through stressful times during pregnancy. here are some tips:

practice deep breathing throughout your day. set an alarm on your phone to ring once an hour, a reminder to do deep breathing exercises. breath in deeply through your nose, send the breath downward and let it drift towards your toes as you exhale. 

carve time for relaxing out of each and every day. it's important to actually set aside time to do it and not just do it when you have time. make it part of your schedule.

envision your baby's birth. assure your baby that you have created a safe and loving home for him/her and that you look forward to his/her birth. decided how long you will labor and what that labor will be like. see it all happening.  

Rest: Schedule naptime daily. You never know when you might go into labor, or how long your labor will be. Enjoy this peaceful period to rest.

Ah, here's one I could be doing a lot better with for sure. Lately my naps happen because I am just so exhausted that I fall asleep sitting on the couch, and I sleep fitfully (even more than I otherwise would) because it isn't a quiet place to sleep. If I actually scheduled my naptime, I bet I would be a lot more relaxed and rested.

ateal2490

I asked the April board the same question a while back.....and I finally decided that yes, stress can absolutely stall labor. I would have a contraction....and then another, and another, and as soon as my brain left the contraction and went on to think about whatever was stressing me out the contractions immediately stopped and didn't return for a few hours. This happened so many times over the course of a weekend that I prayed that my brain would just stfu and go into ditz mode.

I got through the stress by thinking past labor (which is where my thoughts were concentrated when they weren't riddled with stressful thoughts) and reminding myself that the more I stress, the longer it would take for me to meet our daughter. I reminded myself how much more important she was compared to the issues I was stressed about and it really helped me to clear my mind and re-gear it towards meeting my baby. In other words, I went into temporary denial and spent a few days living in fairy-tale ending la-la land where motherhood was the ultimate reward that would supersede anything stressful that the world could throw in my direction.

Not sure if that makes any sense at all, but hopefully you get my drift....I really hope you feel better and are able to zone your thoughts at getting that baby out without an induction!