I'm not trying to make myself go into labor. Anyone else?

seansgirl2006

Is it just me?! I think most of these "natural induction" ideas sound completely bogus to me. I don't ever believe that they have really worked even with all of the supposed success stories you hear. How do you know it's not just coincidence?  I don't think you can or should make your body go into labor before it and baby are ready.  At the very least, I can't believe how many women are trying these things do much and want their babies out before 40 weeks. I can understand if you're at least overdue it can't hurt (well, the harmless/natural ones) but I definitely won't be doing any of that any time soon. Due dates are just guesses and I firmly believe if my baby was ready to come out he would! 

KrissyMiss

Well, I still enjoy sex and I've always liked pineapple, so I'm going for it

rmwest87

I agree with you. If something actually worked then anytime someone tried it that person would go into labor. There is no way to prove that when you try one of those things that you wouldn't have gone on into labor without doing whatever it is you tried.

seansgirl2006

KrissyMiss:

Well, I still enjoy sex and I've always liked pineapple, so I'm going for it

 Haha! Love it. I am all for those methods as well so I can agree with you there.  

E3A7AGGIE

The thing I am most adamant about is my daily walk. I started at 36 weeks and have been doing 1-3 miles a day. However, my mind set is even if it doesn't work, it's healthy and beneficial anyways. Otherwise, I'm not doing much else to try to evict him. 

stacieclark

Well I am only doing the fun/good for you stuff like walking, sex and pineapple.... the other stuff is a little too much for me too, however, I would rather do anything than have a medical induction so I don't blame ppl for doing crazy stuff to avoid pitocin.... I sure hope I go soon; I'll be 39 weeks tomorrow... 50% of inductions end in c-sections and that sounds horrible to me since I've had 2 vaginal births and they are super easy to recover from if all goes well

 

Lulu0802

I'm not!  I have a scheduled c/s on the 25th and I want my 2 weeks off work at home before baby comes.  I need to relax and rest because I know that's not going to happen after this baby makes his debut.  And I still have a lot to do to get ready for him.

Daisy22

I'm not and won't but I have an end date of 6/22 for my c/s. I refuse to let him come this week since bailey turns 3 on Thursday. Except sex, I did nothing with bailey's pregnancy even when I was overdue and just wanted him out. 

Sawyerplus1

rmwest87:

If something actually worked then anytime someone tried it that person would go into labor.

I agree with you OP, for the most part, and think we (as a culture) place WAY too much value on our EDD. But I also think the above quote is what drives me nuts about the posts on here. We're such a 'quick fix' society and we expect or assume some of these methods (or OWTs) will work automatically. Obviously that's not the case! If pineapple induced labor, then yes, pregnant women wouldn't be allowed to eat it until the end, at which point they'd eat it in buckets full. But there is some evidence to show that these 'methods' (the prostaglandins in semen or pineapple, walking and staying active, EPO, RRL tea, etc), over the course of time, do have positive benefits for a pregnant woman in terms of helping her body prepare.  

So, IMO, to try something once or even twice at 38 weeks and have it not 'work' doesn't by any means prove the 'method' ineffective, ya know? 

I'm just blabbing now, and I definitely agree that our bodies will be ready when they're ready (not many women know, for example, that if you have longer menstrual cycles you're likely to have longer gestations as well, and not many Drs acknowledge this fact either), but I do also think there's something to some of these methods encouraging our bodies along when the time is right.

mattnrachel

I'm not trying to induce. I'm actually hoping to avoid a medical induction next week (as long as baby and I continue to be healthy).  I have been taking EPO and drinking RRL tea in case they do actually help your body prepare for labor.

kaceandpoint

i just happen to truly enjoy pineapple and usually eat a good helping a week since i was 7 months, i heard it would help the cervix soften and what not, so why not two birds, right? yea i'm late and my cervix is nice and thick. so boooooo home remedies. I do love bouncing on my yoga ball though.

decaturbride

Me! My CS is scheduled for the 20th an I am hoping to make it until then. I want my same OB to do this CS that did my first. My sister doesn't arrive until the 19th to take care of Owen for us and we don't have other family in town, so it will be a lot more inconvient to try and make arrangements for four days of care with friends. I also just want this little one to cook as long as possible. It makes me nervous to have him before 39 weeks via planned CS and with GD. Seems like his chances of needing assistance with breathing after birth go up with all that, so I feel better the closer we are to his due date. Of course, I've been having lots of contractions off and on for 2 weeks, so he may have other plans for us. If I go into labor at this point, so be it but I am certainly not doing anything to help it along. 

 Oh, and we have  great seats to the Braves game tomorrow night so I'd really like to wait till after that too.

PhantomPower

I'm being induced 6/25 (high BP) so I'll be having a lot of sex a couple weeks beforehand just to try and make some progress on my own. I don't think it will throw me into labor. I just want a better chance at a successful induction.

MaggieF516

I agree.  I wouldn't consider trying any of these things until at least 40 weeks and even then, I probably wouldn't do it because it sounds like they could be a huge waste of time.  I figure he will come out when he is ready and even if we go past 41 weeks I am fine with that.

cchill01

I'm a VBAC with a 41 week hospital cut off.  DD was medically induced 15 days late.  So, I have no faith that my body can do this on it's own.  I would much rather try as many natural induction methods as I can, than go for another c/s or another failed induction.  I definitely share the philosophy that babies will come when they come, unfortunately our medical system does not support that belief.

And accupuncture was really cool, so I might do that again just for the heck of it.

SummerMama12

I've only tried sex, pineapple, and some spicy food.  The prostaglandins in semen are proven to help ripen the cervix, I love pineapple anyway, and spicy food was a random "oh, let's try it" kind of thing.  I'm certainly not heading to the herbalist and mixing up potions or anything.  It's more tongue in cheek.  With the sex, though, it's already helped my cervix thin out to 50%, which I am pretty confident in.  2 weeks ago, I was not effaced at all, we had sex a few times in those 2 weeks, and now I'm at 50%.  We're going to keep trying that to see if it helps fully ripen my cervix and/or go into labor.  Why not?  It's totally natural.

chicagocubsfan23

I'm doing pineapple, primrose oil, and walking but not so much to induce labor as to get my cervix softened. I am being induced on the 18th due to medical reasons and last week my cervix was completely closed. I'd really like to try to avoid a c-section, so if it isn't dangerous to try I figure why not. I'm not saying this stuff is going to cause me to go into labor, but if it can at least help open my cervix, then I'm game.

GeekFantasy

I don't see the harm in trying things that, logically, seem like they might help things along (sex, walking, etc).  As for the more drastic measures, like castor oil... I'd have to be desperate.  I will say I am so scared of a medical induction, but the risks and results of castor oil scares me even more.  Letting babies go TOO long also has its own set of risks too.  

 What DOES irk me is when moms are desperate for ways to induce labor at 37 weeks or earlier.  Of course you're uncomfortable; you're 9 months pregnant.  Suck it up and wait until you're term or overdue before complaining about those methods not working.  I think they fall somewhere in the middle.  I don't think they'll start a labor that's not ready, but I think it's possible they might nudge along a labor that's ready to go otherwise. 

charlie6112

Welllll... My son was born exactly one week late. Pretty much from 39 weeks I was taking a walk every day, and having sex. After I passed my due date I started using the breast pump for nipple stimulation 15 mins each side twice a day.. still nothing. My friend who is an L&D nurse asked the midwives what they thought worked. I was told to try castor oil. At first I was like "no way!" I am not purposefully giving myself diarrhea. But at 40 weeks 5 days I gave in, I was sick of carrying my LO around and I wanted him out!!

 I took 2 oz mixed in a strawberry smoothie around noon and needless to say I had diarrhea for 7(!!) hours, but at around 9pm I started having contractions. It took over 24 hours but my LO was born healthy!

 It really was a last ditch effort and if you really even think about doing it buy lots of gatorade to keep you hydrated. The castor oil made me feel a little nauseous at first and then of course my bottom was sore afterwards. One positive though I didn't have to worry about "going" on the table while pushing because I was completely emptied out!

angelrue522

Yes. I am trying to hold off until my scheduled C section on the 18th. I would rather everything go smoothly then worry about going into labor and rushing to the hospital.