February 2014 Moms

Nipple Stimulation to Induce... Crazy wives tale??

Hey everyone, I was just wondering if any of you had heard or know someone who used nipple stimulation to get labor rolling? I was induced w my last pregnancy and I want to avoid that at all costs this go around... Any input wld be amazing!!
Please no snark, just real answers as I'm too tired to deal w it. Lol ;)

Re: Nipple Stimulation to Induce... Crazy wives tale??

  • Are you planning to try and induce now, or at a later date? How far along are you?


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  • Sorry, I don't think you really get a choice if you get snark!

    How far along are you? Unless you're over 39 weeks, you're probably going to get snark for asking how to have a preterm baby.

    My LC at my BFing class said nipple stimulation can definitely cause uterine contractions, but it won't really induce labor if your baby and your body aren't ready for it yet.


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  • Yeah, ditto on the PPs.  I don't think it works if you try it on any random Tuesday, but my childbirth educator said that it CAN have that effect but only under certain circumstances.  If you are not ready for labor, then it's not going to get you there from ground zero.

    My SIL's L&D nurse had her and my BIL do it once they were in the hospital to get things moving a bit faster--and it did, but only b/c she was already in labor.  
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  • I personally don't know much about this topic but you might try the Natural Birth board here on the bump. The women are usually super helpful and I've ran across a few "Induction" type of threads so they might have the information you are looking for.

  • True story: I have a co worker who told me her doctor stripped her membranes at 37 weeks and she went home and put on her breast pump. She says she went into labor 2 hours later.

    Even better she's a nurse...
  • I personally don't know much about this topic but you might try the Natural Birth board here on the bump. The women are usually super helpful and I've ran across a few "Induction" type of threads so they might have the information you are looking for.

    If she's not term, they'll likely react to her the same way.

    Trying to evict baby early is not super popular in any part of the bump, as far as I'm aware.


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  • It can cause contractions.  My MFM wanted to see how the baby would handle contractions so he had me stimulate my nipples while putting a warm wash cloth on them.  I did have some small contractions from it - barely noticeable, but I was hooked up to a machine, so they could see them.  But this is something they did in the hospital and monitored.  I wouldn't try it just to try it.
  • It only works if you drink castor oil at the same time.

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  • megash113 said:
    It can cause contractions.  My MFM wanted to see how the baby would handle contractions so he had me stimulate my nipples while putting a warm wash cloth on them.  I did have some small contractions from it - barely noticeable, but I was hooked up to a machine, so they could see them.  But this is something they did in the hospital and monitored.  I wouldn't try it just to try it.
    Is this... normal? I'm sketched out by a doctor asking you to do this.
    samesies.

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  • It's def a real method....it releases oxytocin which is the body's natural pitocin.
    I've heard of a lot of MDs/midwives telling women to use their breastpumps to try and get things moving. They also use it on L&D units. Like most natural induction methods, it won't work if your body isn't ready.

    There is a method to doing it safetly though. I can't remember it exactly (I could go dig out an old textbook if someone is really interested) but I want to say it's one breast at a time for a max of 3-5 min with a rest in between. Any more than that, and just like synthetic pitocin, it can cause too-strong contractions that stress the baby out.
  • djtippietoesdjtippietoes member
    edited January 2014
    It can cause contractions.  My MFM wanted to see how the baby would handle contractions so he had me stimulate my nipples while putting a warm wash cloth on them.  I did have some small contractions from it - barely noticeable, but I was hooked up to a machine, so they could see them.  But this is something they did in the hospital and monitored.  I wouldn't try it just to try it.

    megash113 said:
    It can cause contractions.  My MFM wanted to see how the baby would handle contractions so he had me stimulate my nipples while putting a warm wash cloth on them.  I did have some small contractions from it - barely noticeable, but I was hooked up to a machine, so they could see them.  But this is something they did in the hospital and monitored.  I wouldn't try it just to try it.
    Is this... normal? I'm sketched out by a doctor asking you to do this.
    samesies.
    It's something called a contraction stress test.  I guess I should have gone into more detail about what it was.  I was already in the hospital for monitoring and they wanted to see how the baby would react to contractions (if he didn't react well, they'd do the c-section then instead of waiting a week and a half).  I was hooked up to a monitor the entire time.  They did not give me any sort of drug to make me contract, but did tell me to massage my nipples.
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  • potbellypigpotbellypig member
    edited January 2014

    I used this as directed by my midwife when my water had been broken for 12 hours and contractions hadn't started yet.

    Here's what I did:

    • Use a breastpump at a comfortable level of suction (not painful).
    • Do both breasts for 5 minutes every 15 minutes.

    I want to say I did it 4 or 5 times, took a break for 30 minutes and then BAM! labour started. Keep in mind that my water had broken though, I don't know if it would work as effectively if you weren't about to go into labour, though.

    EDIT: I asked DH how long I pumped for and wanted to correct it here.

    EDIT: Just want to add that once my labour started, it was super intense. Not sure if that's just how I labour, but it may have been more intense because of the nipple stimulation.

  • As a FTM I don't have much experience with any of this BUT I do know that when I was put on pelvic rest, I was told that any kind of sexual stimulation was off limits and that included nipple stimulation. My midwife said that it can and often does cause contractions- I agree with PPs though that it will probably only work as an induction method if your body and the baby is ready. 

    Also:
    Rach521 said:@djtippietoes I pictured the doctor standing over you and watching, for some reason. "a little faster... yeah... just like that." 
    Hahaha!  The doctor actually left the room (they could see the monitors from the nurse's station). But my husband was in the room and happy about this new type of test.   

    HAHA! This made my day. I can see how my husband would also be quite happy about that kind of test too. 
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