Nipple stimulation

[river_mommy]

Hi,

Does anyone know or has tried the nipple stimulation to induce labour? How effective is it?
Do you think it is more effective than sex?

I've read about it on few websites and some say it is quite dangerous if not done by a health care professional...others explain more, but there is not a consistant information about how exactly to do it...
For the past 2 nights me and my husband are doing the along with nipple stimulation (I explained him to imagine he is a breastfed baby and to cover the areola as well when doing it). I didn't have ANY success, no contractions, no BH. I am thinking maybe the pressure is not enough or the time in not long enough (1-2 mins at the time, pause 1-2 min, repeat)- sorry if TMI...

Please let me know what are we doing wrong or if we should do something else...

 

[popat]

I was bored the other night and started to do it and started getting loads of intense BH. The next day my nipples were really really REALLY sore.

I'm not sure if it is worth doing it to be honest.

 

[mumtobeplus1]

For it to induce labour, you would need to do it for about 20 mins an hour
several hours a day for a couple of weeks.
Its really not an effective method at all. x

 

[Sophist]

Edited: here's a link https://www.birthingnaturally.net/cn/technique/nipple.html

 

[river_mommy]

I've tried last night again 3-5 mins at the time each nipple, no success, no symptoms...maybe this is not for me...

 

[special_kala]

Ive heard its actually not safe to do this without a doctor there as mad as it sounds.

Anything that can make your uterus contract when its not actually ready too seems silly to me

 

[Emsy26]

I didnt try it to start of labor, but me and OH were playing
with my last child on the Thursday night, my waters broke early Fri morning.
It could of been coincidence or that playful night with my nipples could of worked. I was 38 weeks xx

 

[river_mommy]

I saw a clip on youtube about using a breast pump to be more effective, I am thinking that my DH is not doing it right...I think he was too gentle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kacu9bt4daI

 

[TattooedMama]

Are you frickin kidding me with the 'its not safe without a dr" BS??? Its your fricking nipples, if you were having sex with your man and he wanted to play with your nipples how would that be different?

Have you ever actually heard a dr or midwife say its not safe to play with your nipples? No you havent because its F*ing absurd. Having an orgasm causes you to have a massive contraction, sometimes more than one and can lead to BH for hours or even real labor....I dont see anyone claiming that sex is bad or dangerous because it is not "safe" to give yourself a contraction. Actually quite the contrary, EVERYONE is saying to have sex, lots and lots of sex to stimulate labor and its not just for the prostaglandins in sperm but for the fact that female orgasm can start more contractions besides the initial one.

To say that stimulating your nipples is not safe is stupid and ridiculous, it has the same effect as an orgasm so whats the difference & where are you getting your "information" from?? This is just as ridiculous as people saying your dr says its not safe to put anything up your vagina....the same idiots that make a living from sticking their fingers up women's vaginas everyday but somehow its just not "safe" if we do it. SOOOOOOOOOOO annoying!!!!

 

[austinsmom]

Are you frickin kidding me with the 'its not safe without a dr" BS??? Its your fricking nipples, if you were having sex with your man and he wanted to play with your nipples how would that be different?

Have you ever actually heard a dr or midwife say its not safe to play with your nipples? No you havent because its F*ing absurd. Having an orgasm causes you to have a massive contraction, sometimes more than one and can lead to BH for hours or even real labor....I dont see anyone claiming that sex is bad or dangerous because it is not "safe" to give yourself a contraction. Actually quite the contrary, EVERYONE is saying to have sex, lots and lots of sex to stimulate labor and its not just for the prostaglandins in sperm but for the fact that female orgasm can start more contractions besides the initial one.

To say that stimulating your nipples is not safe is stupid and ridiculous, it has the same effect as an orgasm so whats the difference & where are you getting your "information" from?? This is just as ridiculous as people saying your dr says its not safe to put anything up your vagina....the same idiots that make a living from sticking their fingers up women's vaginas everyday but somehow its just not "safe" if we do it. SOOOOOOOOOOO annoying!!!!

...i actually agree, LOL nipple stimulation can cause pretty intense contractions (speaking from experience). but, if it caused your body pain, you'd more than likely not continue to do it (iykwim).
you'll know if what you're doing to your body is good or bad. if it's bad (painful), then common sense says, 'don't do it'.

 

[PeanutBean]

Excellent post TattooedMama!

I don't know about bringing on labour from nowhere but I've heard a lot about it in birth stories over in the natural birthing section (and generally online) being very helpful in increasing the strength of contractions and in bringing on contractions after waters have broken.

 

[Mrs Dubs]

What about women who breastfeed while pregnant?

Surely it's the same sort of stimulation?

 

[popat]

Reporting back after speaking to my OB - he suggested it to me as an option to get baby out sooner. I told him about my experience and he thinks its a good idea for me to do it. I'm 75% effaced and 1cm dilated though.

 

[stellababy]

hahaha made me smile

Are you frickin kidding me with the 'its not safe without a dr" BS??? Its your fricking nipples, if you were having sex with your man and he wanted to play with your nipples how would that be different?

Have you ever actually heard a dr or midwife say its not safe to play with your nipples? No you havent because its F*ing absurd. Having an orgasm causes you to have a massive contraction, sometimes more than one and can lead to BH for hours or even real labor....I dont see anyone claiming that sex is bad or dangerous because it is not "safe" to give yourself a contraction. Actually quite the contrary, EVERYONE is saying to have sex, lots and lots of sex to stimulate labor and its not just for the prostaglandins in sperm but for the fact that female orgasm can start more contractions besides the initial one.

To say that stimulating your nipples is not safe is stupid and ridiculous, it has the same effect as an orgasm so whats the difference & where are you getting your "information" from?? This is just as ridiculous as people saying your dr says its not safe to put anything up your vagina....the same idiots that make a living from sticking their fingers up women's vaginas everyday but somehow its just not "safe" if we do it. SOOOOOOOOOOO annoying!!!!

 

[ummar]

Totally agree with previous posters - don't stimulate your nipples without doctor supervision?! Seriously!

I've heard nipple stimulation is most helpful in intensifying labour once it has started and then stalled - not for triggering labour when the body is not ready.

Whatever the case may be, I've never heard or read of anyone developing complications due to nipple stimulation.

 

[ttcgeordie]

I sat and watched desparate house wives with my breast pump last sunday night 6 days over due, and what do you know went in to labour monday morning and had him a few hours later lol so yep i think it works really well, or at least it did for me xxx

 

[mumtobeplus1]

Or you could have gone into labour without it anyway, as you were 6 days overdue.
Theres no way of telling whether they work or not, as you dont know if you
could have just gone into labour anyway, without having done anything, no harm
in trying though. x

 

[n3wmum]

I am one day overdue at the moment and when I saw my MW on Monday she advised me to get the breast pump on. I must admit I am not telling everyone to start with the breast pump as it has made me express so ask your MW but seriously playing with your nipples harmful??? That is the worst scaremongering I have ever heard. In that case we best wrapped ourselves up in bubblewrap for nine months. My MW says that when in delivery if contractions slow she will give me some "alone time" to get them going again haha. So get playing with them hun!!!

 

[ttcgeordie]

Or you could have gone into labour without it anyway, as you were 6 days overdue.
Theres no way of telling whether they work or not, as you dont know if you
could have just gone into labour anyway, without having done anything, no harm
in trying though. x

This is true could well of been ready to go, but like you said no harm in trying x

 

[kiwimama]

If your body isn't ready to go into labour, then no method of natural induction is going to work, even induction with strong drugs often won't work.
I've heard nipple stimulation is very effective in kicking things into gear when in very early labour. And agree that it is silly to say you need a doctors supervision to play with your own nipples. I think the only time you may need to ask for advice from your doctor is if you have been told that you shouldn't have sex during your pregnancy.