Just for Discussion Sake. Do you believe in any old wives tales to get labor started?

leap_frog · January 2016

Last pregnancy I tried *everything*. and I mean every.thing. to get labor started. (per my midwives rec.)
Nothing worked for me. not membrane stripping. not walking. not sex. not even castor oil. (I might have chickened out and only done half a dose though)

I'm just curious if anything actually worked for you? Everyone around me is like "eat spicy food" and I'm all "I don't like spicy food."
or dates.
or pineapple. can you imagine eating an entire pineapple? my tongue might fall off!

although I will say, I'm willing to try eggplant parmesan. except I've never had it, so it might not work because what if I think it's gross?

SummerOH · January 2016

I don't believe any of them. Like I've said before, The Panic Free Pregnancy says it well - it takes powerful drugs to start labor in a woman who isn't ready. All the pineapple and sex in the world won't do it. Can't hurt to try most of them if that's your thing, though. I'm drinking RRL tea and eating dates to maybe help when labor does start, but I like both anyway so it's NBD if they don't help.

mrsgetz4000 · January 2016

I think they are just that, old wives tales. I love spicy food so if that induced labor I would never have made it this far lol. I've also done a lot of walking and standing considering I'm a chef. And you should try eggplant parmesan just for the sake of trying it, and veggies! Make sure you fry those eggplant nice snd crispy! Have you ever had eggplant?

Mommyduclos · January 2016

I think the only thing you listed that really does have potential is membrane stripping- but your body has to be ready- according to my reading it has a 25% success rate. Though I wonder how many of those are "forced" cervix not soft, earlier in pregnancy but considering with both my other pregnancies I did it and started having regular contractions within an hour I'd say it worked. Some of them do have the chance of "ripening" the cervix but seem unlikely to truly start labor.

leap_frog · January 2016

@mrsgetz4000 - I have not! It's on my list of things to try out. I've heard it's really good.

nlwz123 · January 2016

Walking and squats seem to be doing nothing. Spicy guac is just giving me heartburn.

danasphillips · January 2016

I had membrane sweeping done yesterday and I swear it actually slowed down the mild cramping I was already having, so I guess the joke is on me.

I don't believe any of them are magic. Walking a lot seemed to help keep labor going once I started having irregular contractions with my first, but that could have been coincidence.

Leah6120 · January 2016

I'm still waiting but the only things my body seems to react to is LONG walks and pineapple. Long walks get me patterned weak contractions that eventually fade and pineapple gets me a handful of strong ones but nothing progressive. I'm already almost completely effaced so I'm really hoping if I get stripped at my appt today it's actually effective. I think the only one of the things you listed that could be harmful is the castor oil so besides that try whatever you want. Sometimes it's worth the boost in sanity to feel like you're doing something while you wait.

sarahbeara25 · January 2016

My OB said the only one that actually kind of works is Sexy times. But still fun to read all the old wives tales. I wish I could stand spicy food or pineapple because at least I'd feel semi productive. Mostly I'm just holding out on my little having tiny little finger nails and popping my water. COME ON LITTLE LET'S BE A TEAM

Brianna0915 · January 2016

Nope. I literally tried everything yesterday. EVERYTHING.

Achae · January 2016

leap_frog said:

Last pregnancy I tried *everything*. and I mean every.thing. to get labor started. (per my midwives rec.)
Nothing worked for me. not membrane stripping. not walking. not sex. not even castor oil. (I might have chickened out and only done half a dose though)

I'm just curious if anything actually worked for you? Everyone around me is like "eat spicy food" and I'm all "I don't like spicy food."
or dates.
or pineapple. can you imagine eating an entire pineapple? my tongue might fall off!

although I will say, I'm willing to try eggplant parmesan. except I've never had it, so it might not work because what if I think it's gross?

Anecdotally I had a ton of pineapple the night I went into labor as well as sex. Granted I wasn't trying to have baby come or anything, and I'm not sure if both or either of these factored into her delivery.

srima · January 2016

I got my membranes swept yesterday, so far just mild cramping and irregular contractions.... nothing showing labor is near so I have been walking and sitting on my yoga ball all morning. My doctor says sex and stretches on the birthing ball will help, but those are the only two she recommended to me. Induction is Monday, but I hope to go into labor naturally before so I am trying everything including pineapple juice.

srima · January 2016

For the record, I am only about 60% thinned out and 2 cm dilated. Oh, and the whole sweeping your membranes thing wasn't any worse than when they check for dilation.

jeanbug12 · January 2016

My daughter was 2 weeks late and I tried everything to get her out. Nothing worked.

My due date is tomorrow, I have been taking the stairs at work for the past 2 weeks (I am talking a lot of stairs throughout the day, probably averaging up or down 40 flights a day) and I have been dialated 1 cm for the past 2 weeks so stairs aren't working!

jordans_wife · January 2016

Absolutely I do. There's a reason people say they work. My ob recommended nipple stimulation instead of castor oil and it sent me into labor that night. I delivered with my ob the following day and she said "yep it works." A sweep from her sent me into labor with my second on the day of the sweep. I don't think eating spicy foods will do it but definitely a sweep and some other things if your body is ready. I think if you're overdue they often work!

claireloSC · January 2016

Most of these only work if your body is already ready or close to it.

EC2016 · January 2016

Sex supposedly only works if you let the sperm inside so if you pull out it won't work. The sperm apparently has a natural effacing agent. I've only gotten really bad cramps though after sex, no contractions. Ive eaten eggplant with nothing happening at all. I've had my membranes swept twice now. Still waiting. Also trying acupuncture.

jencook25 · January 2016

I hope so! I'm booked in for induction Monday, and I really really really want to NOT be induced! I had a stretch and sweep yesterday, been walking a lot, having sex (till I lost my mucous plug), nipple stimulation with the breast pump, long drives over bumpy roads, dates, raspberry leaf tablets, caffein, a teaspoon of olive oil, bouncing on my exercise ball, squats. I think things like curry would be more likely to work on someone who's digestive tract isn't used to it. I have had plenty of curries (just as its what I Felt like, not to induce labour) and they haven't done anything. If it wasn't a 40 min drive to the shops I'd be trying castor oil and pineapple too. Maybe I should just give in and resign myself to the fact that I'll be having an induction in 48 hours. Perhaps then I will mentally relax and things will actually start happening.

maureenmce · January 2016

I don't really believe in any of the old wives tales, but that didn't stop me from buying a very large amount of pineapple at the grocery store yesterday, on the off chance that that one works.

anightintunisia · January 2016

maureenmce said:
I don't really believe in any of the old wives tales, but that didn't stop me from buying a very large amount of pineapple at the grocery store yesterday, on the off chance that that one works.

I have been eating pineapple like its my job! Funny when I went to the store another pregnant lady was picking out a pineapple and we both gave each other "the look"

hannahmarrie · January 2016

I was due January 13th and am still pregnant! I am only dilated 2cm, 50% effaced, and my cervix is still posterior... I have tried sex (EVERYDAY!), walking, squats, pelvic exercises, spicy food, pineapple, and simply just relaxing..nothing is working. I have not had my membranes scraped because my cervix is not even close to ready to my nurse is wanting me to just wait it out for an easier labor. My induction date is Wednesday the 20! Ill be 41 weeks. My body is just plain not ready so the old wives tales are just that for me!

Wicked4589 · January 2016

I tried them all except castor oil (no way am I doing that) and nothing. Even eating an entire pineapple in one sitting.

Grassieta · January 2016

If nipple stimulation was so effective I'd have given birth months ago since I'm still nursing.

Missyrenee97 · January 2016

I drank a shot of balsamic vinegar and went into labor a few hours later. Coud be a coincidence, but I tried everything else and after doing this I went into labor!

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