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Does walking actually help induce labor?

kristakayyyekristakayyye member
edited February 2016 in March 2016 Moms
I've been walking for days and have literally made zero progress (in my opinion)
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Re: Does walking actually help induce labor?

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  • cmerriburycmerribury member
    If you are already in early labor (meaning you've dilated, effaced, and/or contracting) then yes it will help progress things. But if you have no progress at all, it won't do anything. 
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  • FutureMrsCaesarFutureMrsCaesar member
    Walking won't help you progress unless you're already in early labor, as someone else mentioned.  However it's good for building up your endurance for pushing that baby out!  The sex thing however is not a myth and there is scientific reasoning behind it.  For me personally it causes painful contractions for a few hours afterward, and it also kickstarted labor (when my body was ready) in all 3 of my previous pregnancies.  
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  • CecilB93CecilB93 member
    No help on the walking thing, FTM here but I'm gonna agree with everyone else and say only if your body is ready (like pretty much any other OWT).

    Bu man I wish my husband was willing to try inducing with sex. Not to induce necessarily, but because I have been in the mood so much for the past two or three weeks, no idea why my body wants that with how big and uncomfortable I am! He's worried he won't be able to stay aroused enough to actually have sex, so it's been a couple months for us. And my midwife keeps telling us "what put the baby in there can help get the baby out" as far as induction methods go. So if you're looking to help move things along at least, sperm has been proven to help soften the cervix. While it might not necessarily put you into labor if you've had no progress, it could at least give you some progress towards labor! But baby isn't gonna come until s/he is ready either way.
    DS1 born 2/28/16
    DS2 due 12/12/18

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  • meg_2006meg_2006 member
    I meant "yeah right" as in that's the last thing I want to do right now :wink: 
    Agree with PP, it does speed things along in some cases. Although it didn't work with DS. But right now, I'd rather be sleeping!

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  • kyraaDkyraaD member
    kristakayyye said:
    I've been walking for days and have literally made zero progress (in my opinion)
    yeah, if your body isn't ready to go into labour or already in early labour then walking isn't gunna go anything for you. 
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  • ceds07ceds07 member
    What everyone else said. I was 10 days late with DD and I wish I had tracked the miles I walked those last couple of weeks because it was a LOT. Tried everything else too and that girl was just not ready to come out. 
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  • ClaireBear90ClaireBear90 member
    flowerpower5838 said:
    From what I have read on here, no natural methods will induce labor until your body is ready.  
    This.

    If natural labor-inducing methods worked, we'd all be having our babies way too early because we're walking/having sex/eating pineapple or spicy foods/etc. I will say this though: when my water broke before I went into labor and I had 24 hours to go into labor on my own or face an induction, walking helped keep contractions going. Things that didn't make me go into labor before that point (and definitely didn't work with my second born) helped keep contractions coming until eventually they picked up and I was in true active labor. My body was ready to go into labor, everything just happened a bit out of sequence with my water breaking first. :)
    It's a boy! Born 42 weeks, 2 days.
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  • diablessediablesse member
    Actually, studies have proven that rubbing your nipples is the only scientifically proven way to help bring on labor. It's just so damn time consuming.

    "A 2005 meta-analysis of six randomized control trials (the gold standard for medical studies) found that nipple stimulation increases the likelihood of labor. A total of 719 pregnant women at term were randomly assigned to stimulate their nipples for several hours or not. 37.8% went into labor within the 3 days following nipple stimulation, compared to 6.4% of the controls."
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  • parenthood4parenthood4 member
    Several hours?!?! Haha who has time for that??

    Like others have said, I don't think anything really puts you into labor unless your body is ready. The stuff that I do (walking, sex, pelvic tilts, etc) is not because I expect or want to go into labor right now, but I figure that if it helps my cervix soften or dilate, or gets baby in a better position, or whatever, then it will possibly make labor shorter or easier when it does happen. If not, no harm done. 

    Also like others said, walking definitely helped keep contractions going once I was in labor. 
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  • Knottie59802221Knottie59802221 member
    My cousin swears by stair climbing. Both her babies were overdue and showed no signs of coming on their own. She climbed 14 stories with her first and 8 stories with her second and they both came immediately after. 
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  • kitteh81kitteh81 member
    kh1824 said:
    Several hours?!?! Haha who has time for that??

    Like others have said, I don't think anything really puts you into labor unless your body is ready. The stuff that I do (walking, sex, pelvic tilts, etc) is not because I expect or want to go into labor right now, but I figure that if it helps my cervix soften or dilate, or gets baby in a better position, or whatever, then it will possibly make labor shorter or easier when it does happen. If not, no harm done. 

    Also like others said, walking definitely helped keep contractions going once I was in labor. 
    Nursing a toddler pretty much covers that "several hours" bit. However,  I've nursed through 2 pregnancies and went over my due date last time. We'll see what happens this time around. 

    Just wanted to point out that nipple stimulation only has the ability to encourage labor AT Term in normal a pregnancy.
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  • katelin318katelin318 member
    Just got back from my 39wk appt and I'm still 70% effaced, but gone from 1cm to fingertip dilated.  As I was leaving the doctor said "Have lots of sex!" and I laughed and said "Ok!" then she looked at me and was like "I'm serious."  So I don't know how much evidence there is to back it up but she seems to think it's at least worth trying.  Too bad DH and I haven't DTD in months.  I just feel too big and uncomfortable and at this point he's too freaked out by my giant alien belly.  Not sure if we'll be able to rally this late in the game.
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  • maelicmaelic member
    Walking will definitely help while you're in labor and it might help kickstart things if you're ready to go, but no: it won't induce labor if it's not time. 
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  • elledriver88elledriver88 member
    I don't think it will push you into labour but I credit walking to helping me during labour! I worked up until I delivered and walked on a concrete floor in steel toe boots lol. Not always comfortable but it was also my exercise when I didn't want to go out walking on the icy sidewalks. It really can't hurt to try it, but I have never heard of someone having luck going into labour from walking.
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  • schweitzschweitz member
    At the end of the day the baby won't come unless he/she is ready. That being said, a friend of mine was a couple days passed her due date and went on a long walk and then took a hot shower and her contractions started the next day. So it doesn't hurt to try lol.
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  • schweitzschweitz member
    katelin318 said:
    Just got back from my 39wk appt and I'm still 70% effaced, but gone from 1cm to fingertip dilated.  As I was leaving the doctor said "Have lots of sex!" and I laughed and said "Ok!" then she looked at me and was like "I'm serious."  So I don't know how much evidence there is to back it up but she seems to think it's at least worth trying.  Too bad DH and I haven't DTD in months.  I just feel too big and uncomfortable and at this point he's too freaked out by my giant alien belly.  Not sure if we'll be able to rally this late in the game.
    Apparently it does help. Sperm is supposed to be good for it and orgasms as well. I'm sorry you haven't been able to in a while though. :( Maybe you can make it fun and try out different things until you find something that works for you? We've managed quite well throughout my pregnancy. ;)
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  • mprimmprim member
    I definitely have contractions when walking up long hills! Not in labor yet, but still helpful for toning the uterus! I know that in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, many many mamas went for hikes during the first stage of labor to help it progress and to have some distraction! 
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  • mprimmprim member
    edited February 2016
    katelin318 said:
    Just got back from my 39wk appt and I'm still 70% effaced, but gone from 1cm to fingertip dilated.  As I was leaving the doctor said "Have lots of sex!" and I laughed and said "Ok!" then she looked at me and was like "I'm serious."  So I don't know how much evidence there is to back it up but she seems to think it's at least worth trying.  Too bad DH and I haven't DTD in months.  I just feel too big and uncomfortable and at this point he's too freaked out by my giant alien belly.  Not sure if we'll be able to rally this late in the game.
    Yeah, hubby and I just started up again last week or so, because I realized those muscles should probably not be unused to stretching/movement and I needed to remember how to relax! Was hard the first couple times, but remember that you can't have sex for 6 weeks after, so get some loving in! :)
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  • SuperTrooper2SuperTrooper2 member
    39 weeks here. Walking has brought on more consistent Braxton hicks (or at least pretty uncomfortable contractions) every time for me. Yesterday I went 1.5 miles and was home for a bit when I had terrible back contractions and BH every 8 minutes for nearly 2hrs. They fizzled out eventually. Going to try again today after work and  chiropractor appt. 
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