What home remedies are you trying to "induce" labor? :-)

kitandcat · May 2016

I really don't have much faith in all the pregnancy and labor myths .... but just for fun anyway, are you trying anything to get labor going?! I will be induced next week if I don't go naturally this week... thus far I'm taking some long walks, yesterday I had the spiciest chicken sandwich of my life (Jalapeno Fresco from Wendy's anyone?) and this morning I'm eating pineapples!! :-) Come onnnn baby!!

emma+karen · May 2016

After being told my cervix was "closed and thick" at Monday's 38-week appointment, I got some evening primrose oil and have been taking in for the past couple days, hoping it will soften things up, at the very least. My whole system down there locked up tight last time and I'd like to avoid another traumatic induction, so I am open to trying just about anything! I'm sticking with just the EPO for now, may pick up a pineapple at the store this weekend, though. I really like pineapple anyway!

hellogoodbye2 · May 2016

I'm convinced that nothing really induces labor, but I'm doing a few things to prepare....

- EPO orally & vaginally (I just started doing it this week though)
- I was drinking RRL tea until I ran out a couple weeks ago
- Walking (doesn't help that it has and will rain every day this week!)
- I started pumping a couple times a day this week
- Sex
- Eating more pineapple than usual
- Spicy foods when I'm in the mood
- Yoga ball bouncing

I'm doing a lot more this time than at the end of my last pregnancy. I just started feel like "I'm done!!" so we'll see how long I continue doing the above things.

yogahh · May 2016

I'll tell you, I did them all and had my lo last night- 3 days early. Pineapple, spicy food, ball bouncing, walking. Who knows if it works but it can't hurt!

TheThornBird · May 2016

Sex! Even though it's pretty lame nowadays

It did give me some contractions came and went all day yesterday.

Tried spicy Thai food. Forgot my body doesn't digest spicy stuff well and it just comes out the other end as spicy as it was going in. I also have hemerroids. That was a horrifying experience.

I've been trying to take advantage of Murphy's Law and scheduling things that would be a pain to deal with if I go into labor. Bought advance tickets to Captain America, scheduled a couple hair appointments (they messed my hair up the first time), a couple business meetings, going to the DMV at their busiest time. Today I'm cooking a giant roast for many, many hours in the crockpot, since going into labor before it's finished would mean I have to throw the whole thing away. But so far none of that seems to be working. I picture LO in my belly saying "I was going to come today mom but didn't want to inconvenience you, it's cool, I'll just wait a few more days".

Jenly17 · May 2016

@thethornbird lol. The last meme is on point.

hellogoodbye2 · May 2016

^ lol!!!

I have been scheduling a fun thing or two on the weekends to have something to look forward to. First it was a pedicure, last weekend was a massage, and this weekend I'll get a manicure if I make it that far....

itsbrookejones · May 2016

Chiro visits with a dr who specializes in getting baby into position and opening pelvis for best and easiest birth possible! I have two friends who did this and both raved about it and how quick it made delivery! Can't wait to see if it works for me:)

jumpy57 · May 2016

So much pineapple (mostly because I love it, and DH cuts it up for me because he is the best), going to work, walking (even in the dang rain), sex, and bouncing. I am also a fan of scheduling activities. We also bought advanced tickets to a movie, I have to coach track practice tonight, yoga tonight, and there is a track meet Saturday. I still need something for this Thursday and Friday so I am thinking a pedicure sounds good

so far.... nothing but at least I'm staying busy

jenashawn · May 2016

Bouncing on the stupid ball. Lots of cat cows on hands and knees. Pineapple. Spicy food. Sex. Walking.
This baby is stubborn!

swflJD · May 2016

I've been eating a ton of pineapple, which I really don't mind because it's my favorite food anyway. I'm also eating a lot of spicy foods, which have been my only craving this whole pregnancy. I bought an exercise ball yesterday, so I'm planning to bounce on it while I'm sitting around watching TV. I've also been taking the stairs at work after having resorted to the elevator for the past few months. I can only do about a flight at a time before stopping to catch my breath (especially since I've been lugging my laptop to and from work every day for the past week or so, just in case), but the exercise seems to bring on BH contractions, so I figure it can't hurt. DH doesn't want LO to come until the EDD in another week and a half (one of his employees is out of town, and DH has no one else to cover the workload other than himself until then), so for the first time in our 10+ year relationship I can't get him to have sex with me (not that I'm really feeling up to it these days, but still!)! I'm going for a mani/pedi tomorrow evening, and I may schedule a chiropractor appointment. I don't know if any of it will actually make a difference, but it makes me feel like I'm somewhat in control if I'm doing something.

Charla1224 · May 2016

Started at wk 38
-EPO orally and vaginally (I stopped at 40 wks because it was messy and my cervix hadn't changed in the two weeks I used it)
-Sex (this stopped Sunday when DH felt her head. Legit he said there's something hard in there. He poked it with his fingerand she wiggled away. He's grossed out by sex now)
-Chiropractor
-RRL tea
-Walking
-More spicy food then normal. I've been eating that all along though.

Started at wk 39
-Bouncing on a ball
-Pumping once/ day
-Increased walking distance
-Membrane sweep

Started at wk 40
-Twice a day pumping
-Reflexology/ pressure point foot massage
-No chiropractor this week because of scheduling
-Pineapple

Today I'm 40+4.... I give the middle finger to OWT.

LadySamLady · May 2016

I was 1cm and my OB was certain I'd deliver late. I ended up giving birth on my due date after eating tons of pineapple (I had actually just finished a pineapple smoothie when I went into labor), spicy foods, walking, sex, and I even tried nipple stimulation with my pump (embarrassed to admit it). Who knows if any of it contributed to when I went into labor but I felt like I was doing something aside from watching the clock and feeling like a ticking time bomb.

s2squared · May 2016

I'm due in four days and had a Dr. appt yesterday where I found out my cervix hasn't made any change for over 3 weeks. My appointment ended with my doctor telling me to have lots of sex and nipple stimulation this weekend. It sounds better than getting induced and my H is thrilled....

Dasha420 · May 2016

Bouncing on that birthing ball for the past four weeks.
We are starting nipple time this evening ^-^

I spoken to the doc regarding some intimate time- she said the baby will get here as soon as you do it but it isn't ladylike to come in delivering a baby and semen flows out of you. Which I agree- I think it's inappropriate so sex will have to wait.

I'll be picking up some pineapple though since some of you ladies mentioned it plus you made me crave it ^-^

mlangblom · May 2016

Just popping in to give all you ladies another tip. My mom is a midwife and she let me know that there is a new study out that says that 3mg of Melatonin can help labor organize or progress. It has to do with melatonin's effect on oxytocin levels. Might be worth a try!! Just one warning, melatonin makes you sleepy, so maybe hold off until bed.

I've had pre-term labor for nearly 14 weeks at this point, but have little to no cervical change. Haven't gotten to try this method yet, but I'm holding out hope! Obviously nothing else has worked.

hellogoodbye2 · May 2016

Dasha420 said:

I spoken to the doc regarding some intimate time- she said the baby will get here as soon as you do it but it isn't ladylike to come in delivering a baby and semen flows out of you. Which I agree- I think it's inappropriate so sex will have to wait.

Wait what??

Pascal86 · May 2016

@Dasha420 I call shenanigans on your doctor for making anyone feel like they need to be "ladylike" while delivering a baby. First off, there is LITERALLY (yes, literally) nothing more ladylike than giving birth. Secondly, does this imply that having amniotic fluid, blood, piss, shit, and a living creature come out of your body is fine, but a little bit of semen will just push things over the edge of tolerable to inappropriate?

My hospital (Kaiser) actually encourages us to shut the door and have sex with our partners if we feel like that will help labor progress (after telling the hospital staff we need alone time). I mean, it totally makes sense if you're personally not comfortable with that or don't think it will help, but it makes me pissed that your doctor is telling you it's inappropriate.

TheThornBird · May 2016

hellogoodbye2 said:

Dasha420 said:

I spoken to the doc regarding some intimate time- she said the baby will get here as soon as you do it but it isn't ladylike to come in delivering a baby and semen flows out of you. Which I agree- I think it's inappropriate so sex will have to wait.

Wait what??

Lol, I am scratching my head at this, too

gingerbride26 · May 2016

- long walks with the man and the puppy every night
- orgasms
- spicy food (had an entire ball of wasabi last night and painful indian food over the weekend)
- tropical fruit
- bouncing on this *#$(&# ball all day
- been doing murphey's law stuff all day too - pulling out chicken for dinner, doing laundry, scheduling work meetings
- even got desperate and started twerking while letting the dog out this morning

Been having contractions on and off for a week that just won't regulate and been feeling wet all day - leaving for the OB in a couple min for regular appointment and asking for a swab in case i'm like my mother and leak instead of obviously break. If it turns out that my discharge is just suddenly very watery, I'm buying EPO, RL tea, and a freaking case of pineapple on the way home!

That1didntcount · May 2016

hellogoodbye2 said:

Dasha420 said:

I spoken to the doc regarding some intimate time- she said the baby will get here as soon as you do it but it isn't ladylike to come in delivering a baby and semen flows out of you. Which I agree- I think it's inappropriate so sex will have to wait.

Wait what??

Wait - if your doctor said "the baby will get her as soon as you do it" I am leaving work NOW TO DO WHATEVER "IT" IS!!!!

Merciel · May 2016

I'm still eating pineapple and spicy food and walking around a ton, but banking on the old wives' tales being totally meaningless. Not finished at work yet (doing edits today, fingers crossed everything is good enough to be wrapped up by the end of the day) and have a cold, so would prefer that the tiny alien stay put for maybe... oh, one or two more days?

LadySamLady · May 2016

hellogoodbye2 said:

Dasha420 said:

I spoken to the doc regarding some intimate time- she said the baby will get here as soon as you do it but it isn't ladylike to come in delivering a baby and semen flows out of you. Which I agree- I think it's inappropriate so sex will have to wait.

Wait what??

So, your doctor told you sex makes the baby come immediately? If that were true we would not need
pitocin and no one would ever go past their due date. Also, your most likely going to poop during delivery - it's really not a time to worry about being a lady.

TXmamatobe · May 2016

LadySamLady said:

hellogoodbye2 said:

Dasha420 said:

I spoken to the doc regarding some intimate time- she said the baby will get here as soon as you do it but it isn't ladylike to come in delivering a baby and semen flows out of you. Which I agree- I think it's inappropriate so sex will have to wait.

Wait what??

So, your doctor told you sex makes the baby come immediately? If that were true we would not need
pitocin and no one would ever go past their due date. Also, your most likely going to poop during delivery - it's really not a time to worry about being a lady.

Hell, I barfed just from getting my epidural last time. That was only the beginning...trust me.

yogahh · May 2016

Also to add... I got a pedicure and leg/foot massage on Monday, the day my water broke. And Sunday I started massaging the pressure points in my feet. While eating pineapple. And bouncing on the ball.

Knottie64278661 · May 2016

These are great ideas! I hadn't thought about using my breast pump for nipple stimulation. Definitely going to start that. Has anyone used caster oil successfully? Another mom told me it worked for her but I am afraid it will just make me throw up and have diarrhea :-(

Merciel · May 2016

Don't use castor oil. It's ineffective and not good for you.

kbrands7 · May 2016

Murphy's Law seemed to work for me. My mom was supposed to watch DS during birth and she picks up one shift per week. My water broke as soon as she left for work, so I had to call a different family member to watch him. Thankfully, everyone lives within 10min of each other.

Otherwise, I had been eating spicy food and pineapple (normal for my diet though), I took DS to the playground solo a few hours earlier, I had been sitting on my exercise ball for a few days rather than using a chair, and I *tried* to take a nap...I only got as far as laying down before the water broke.

Dasha420 · May 2016

My doc was most likely talking about my case when it comes to sex inducing labor.
Regarding the "not ladylike" comment about semen - well I do agree with her.
All the other fluids and solids that will be expelled during childbirth are all mine you know? Then here comes the chlorine smelling semen gushing out.
Like hey we did the do and here's the sample. Of course the baby is a result of the do but still - there's something unappealing to me about everyone in the room seeing the freshly made deposit into my already full reservoir.

The relationship I have with the doc isn't completely medical - we speak on different levels so she is very open with me. I also understand that not every single thing said can be 100% true as every one is different.

Anyway- I ate a whole container of pineapple and went to get checked again. Another cm dilated and contracting like a mother

We may make our way to the hospital tonight.

Jenly17 · May 2016

Dasha420 said:

My doc was most likely talking about my case when it comes to sex inducing labor.
Regarding the "not ladylike" comment about semen - well I do agree with her.
All the other fluids and solids that will be expelled during childbirth are all mine you know? Then here comes the chlorine smelling semen gushing out.
Like hey we did the do and here's the sample. Of course the baby is a result of the do but still - there's something unappealing to me about everyone in the room seeing the freshly made deposit into my already full reservoir.
The relationship I have with the doc isn't completely medical - we speak on different levels so she is very open with me. I also understand that not every single thing said can be 100% true as every one is different.

Anyway- I ate a whole container of pineapple and went to get checked again. Another cm dilated and contracting like a mother
We may make our way to the hospital tonight.

No wait, Are you for real? I hate to say it, but I have to say it....you just wait. Labor is the most miraculous and disgusting life event ever. Semen is not really even a drop in the bucket.

RMLandy · May 2016

Yeah I have a hard time believing with all the mess coming out of there that anyone would even be able to tell it was semen ...

Merciel · May 2016

Semen might literally be a drop in the bucket.

The one we saw at the foot of the birthing bed during our maternity tour was a terrifyingly big bucket, btw. What is that thing, 10-gallon? 20? I just remember seeing it at the foot of the bed with the plastic liner and thinking OH MY GOD NO. Because seriously, I'm pretty sure my entire liquefied body wouldn't fill half that thing.

Dasha420 · May 2016

I know

but I would know- you know?

hellogoodbye2 · May 2016

Dasha420 said:

I know but I would know- you know?

It would LITERALLY be the last thing on your mind at that point. Trust me.

js8812 · May 2016

Semen smells like chlorine?

That1didntcount · May 2016

This unladylike chlorine semen turned thread is basically the highlight of my day. I swam competitively for 15 years, and I am just not making the connection. . . . . .

That1didntcount · May 2016

Merciel said:

Semen might literally be a drop in the bucket.

The one we saw at the foot of the birthing bed during our maternity tour was a terrifyingly big bucket, btw. What is that thing, 10-gallon? 20? I just remember seeing it at the foot of the bed with the plastic liner and thinking OH MY GOD NO. Because seriously, I'm pretty sure my entire liquefied body wouldn't fill half that thing.

I really would enjoy making an inappropriate joke about it technically being more than a drop, but that wouldn't be ladylike.

Also - prepare yourself for some serious liquid expelling over the next few weeks @merciel, you may be tiny, but there is some serious science going on in that body of yours!

JessicaB0627 · May 2016

hellogoodbye2 said:

Dasha420 said:

I know but I would know- you know?

It would LITERALLY be the last thing on your mind at that point. Trust me.

I'm confused. So you think that you and your H would have sex, you would immediately be in active labor so you rush to the hospital, the doctor checks you and semen comes gushing out? How much semen are we talking here? And doesn't most of it come out when you pee after sex? I wasn't aware that there was semen storage up there just waiting to gush out at any moment.

Maybe I've been doing it wrong this whole time....

Pascal86 · May 2016

JessicaB0627 said:

hellogoodbye2 said:

Dasha420 said:

I know but I would know- you know?

It would LITERALLY be the last thing on your mind at that point. Trust me.

I'm confused. So you think that you and your H would have sex, you would immediately be in active labor so you rush to the hospital, the doctor checks you and semen comes gushing out? How much semen are we talking here? And doesn't most of it come out when you pee after sex? I wasn't aware that there was semen storage up there just waiting to gush out at any moment.

Maybe I've been doing it wrong this whole time....

I'm also suddenly concerned that there's something wrong with my husband's supply. When we have sex there's a pretty small amount that drops out soon after... Why am I not getting the buckets of semen gushing out? I guess silver lining is that I don't have to worry about the tidal wave of semen washing over my doctor as she checks me during active labor.

VS2016 · May 2016

LadySamLady · May 2016

Dasha420 said:

My doc was most likely talking about my case when it comes to sex inducing labor.
Regarding the "not ladylike" comment about semen - well I do agree with her.
All the other fluids and solids that will be expelled during childbirth are all mine you know? Then here comes the chlorine smelling semen gushing out.
Like hey we did the do and here's the sample. Of course the baby is a result of the do but still - there's something unappealing to me about everyone in the room seeing the freshly made deposit into my already full reservoir.
The relationship I have with the doc isn't completely medical - we speak on different levels so she is very open with me. I also understand that not every single thing said can be 100% true as every one is different.

Anyway- I ate a whole container of pineapple and went to get checked again. Another cm dilated and contracting like a mother
We may make our way to the hospital tonight.

I'm confused about the special relationship you have with your dr where she tells you that for some reason sex will make you specifically go into labor immediately but you shouldn't do it because it wouldn't be ladylike when the semen comes gushing out at the hospital. Also, there shouldn't be that many people in the room to witness your "the freshly made deposit into your already full reservoir."

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