Give me all your old wives' tales - determined to beat induction!

[Mrs G]

Hi
So consultant really wants me to agree to section but I'm pushing for vbac. However cos I'm high risk, they've scheduled induction for 39w6d, but will only give me low doses and minimal time to respond before the seemingly inevitable section.

Am determined to beat them to it and will try (pretty much) anything after 37w. So give me all your old wives tales please!!

Xx

 

[littlelily]

Hot curry, walks and sex. Good luck!

 

[Dill]

Spicy food, walking, bowling, sex, extended nipple stimulation, pineapple cores... I'm sure there are more I'm not thinking of.

Whatever you do, NO castor oil. I've heard of instances in which is also stimulates baby's bowels while in the womb with tragic results.

 

[jstarr]

Evening primrose capsules, eating a few dates every day and prostaglandins from sex are meant to help the cervix become more favourable, so even if you are induced you may respond quicker if you're already thinned out

 

[Mrs G]

Thanks. Yeah castor oil is a step too far, however desparate I am for vbac I'm not gonna risk that.

Already taking rlt and gonna start epo too. I know they won't start labour but one of the doc's criteria of not insisting on a section was a favourable cervix. Any thought?

Xx

 

[Mrs G]

Thanks.
Jstar, dates?
Dill, bowling?
Both new to me, but will give it a go!
Xx

 

[Dill]

A guy I know says that going bowling has done it for his wife with every single one of their kids! Don't ask me why it works, but he swears by it.

 

[Mrs G]

A guy I know says that going bowling has done it for his wife with every single one of their kids! Don't ask me why it works, but he swears by it.

Fab. Gotta beat castor oil!!
Xx

 

[lillme]

I'm watching with interest, 39 weeks tosay, been taking 300mg of epo for three weeks and 1500mg of raspberry leaf capsules......to no avail, no sign at all of baby coming. Oh been having sex every day too & walking!!

 

[Misscalais]

Sex. Make sure your partner finishes inside you though lay there for a bit after before cleaning yourself up and try aim for a big O. Sex put me into labour with all 3 of my boys.
Also try keep active, gravity helps.

 

[aley28]

My mom swears if you get on your hands and knees and wash every floor in your house by hand, you'll either go into labor or you'll at least have fantastically clean floors.

EPO, RLT, nipple stimulation (try 2 minutes of stimulating, 3 minutes of resting), sex, BJs (yes... swallow. Supposedly that is "more effective" than "applying" semen to the cervix ), bounce on an exercise ball, do squats, walk, eat spicy foods...

And, of course, see if your doctor will do a sweep for you.

Oh, and I've heard there is such a thing as a "labor dance"??? Seems like one of my friends on Facebook posted it a while back Might be fun, even if it doesn't work?

 

[aley28]

Oh, or you could try acupuncture, massage, chiropractor?

 

[jstarr]

Thanks.
Jstar, dates?
Dill, bowling?
Both new to me, but will give it a go!
Xx

Sounds far fetched I know but google it, there's something in them that makes the cervix more favourable apparently! There was a (small) study and the women that ate 6 a day I think(?) had shorter labours or went into labour a bit sooner. Sounds a bit crackers but to my desperate mind it's completely plausible haha

 

[Mrs G]

Thanks for all the fab suggestions.
Have been on rlt for a while and started taking epo today. Might start vaginally after 37w got mum coming round for floor and skirting board scrubbing next week and got a reflexology session booked. Dh is obviously thrilled at the possibility of extra sex!!!

My sister's friend is a midwif so will let you know if she has any more suggestions.

Might also get some clary sage?

Thanks again.
Xx

 

[icegurl470]

Red raspberry leaf tea to help "tone" the uterus. Evening primrose oil capsules take 1000-1500mg orally in the am and insert 1000-1500mg vaginally in the pm before bed and unprotected sex. The EPO and the semen both contain prostaglandins that are supposed to help "ripen" the cervix. Drink a lot of pure pineapple juice, same deal. Nipple stimulation, my dr said this was the only proven method for naturally inducing labor, worked for me using my breast pump at 40+4. Walking, bouncing on exercise ball.

 

[oneill614]

Bouncing on the ball and walking more have been giving me contractions. None that are progressing, but up until yesterday I had absolutely zero going on, and the day I started bouncing and walking more, I got them right away.

I have seen that study on eating dates. Women who ate them had shorter and less complicated deliveries. I really hate them. They don't taste good, their texture is creepy, and they literally look like insects. However, if you can stomach them, do it!

 

[Dill]

A former coworker of mine makes some pretty amazing cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates. They are my favorite thing to make her bring to potlucks.

 

[tallybee]

Here is the dates study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21280989

As it states in the writeup it's a small study and more investigation is needed. You're not going to get immediate results from eating dates it's more of a help along if you eat them over time. I've been having them every day for the last few weeks as I like them anyway and what the hell if it helps then bonus x

 

[tallybee]

Phone doubled post sorry lol x

 

[icegurl470]

I've not heard about the date thing, I may need to try that! I can honestly say I've never had a date before.. I wish the study was more specific on the type of dates they consumed, I'm assuming dried dates probably wouldn't be as effective. I'm willing to try anything to make labor easier/faster/less chance of medical intervention.