Ob suggested nipple stimulation to induce labor? - Questions!

[schneiderkm1]

I am a day short of 36w, but if I don't deliver by week 37 my OB wants to induce me. He suggested trying a few natural ways to induce labor until then.

My OB suggested nipple stimulation, which he said to do for an hour every three hours. Said each time I do it I should spend 15 minutes on each side, and repeat until it's been an hour. I tried it for the first time last night, it was pretty effective in the sense that it made my uterus contract quite a bit during the hour I did it. The contractions were strong, they would start in my back and move along toward my sides and finally down toward the front, making my belly very hard. They feel more painful and stronger than the normal BH contractions I've been feeling out of the blue. I have some questions now that I've tried it, so I left a message with his nurse and am just waiting to hear back.

I'm just not sure that my body is ready to go into labor in the first place, and I believe it will only work if the baby is ready. I have also been using Evening Primrose Oil since last night, since my OB believes it could ripen the cervix, making effacement easier for labor. I just feel so skeptical about the whole naturally inducing labor thing, but I guess it can't hurt to try as long as my OB okay'd it, right?

1) Do you feel that trying this helped jump start you into labor?

2) How many days did it take before it actually started labor? How far along were you?

3) Did your uterus start contracting only 5 minutes into the first time you tried?

4) Had your cervix been checked before you started trying it, and then again after you had tried a few days? Had it helped progress your dilation/effacement at all?

 

[ccmummy]

can i ask why they wont you to go into labor befor 37wks??

 

[schneiderkm1]

LO is already over 9 1/2 lbs! They said no diabetes though so that's good

 

[ccmummy]

Wow thats big haha

 

[lynnikins]

that is just an estimated weight hun no scan measurements are 100% accurate and often weight can be off by 1/2lb -1lb either way, 9 1/2lb isnt so big anyway my smallest was still over that size

 

[ccmummy]

i no what ur sayin but thats big to me haha as mine r only small babys haha

 

[Clarabell543]

I tried allsorts when i was overdue.. bathing in lavendar and clary sage, nipple stimulation, bouncing on my birthing ball, staying active, spicy food, i had sweeps from midwife, everything that was safe i tried.. i ended up being induced at 42 weeks and even then it took three days and finally an emcs to get her out lol. She was just too comfy. I really thought these things would help and i used to get mild contractions but they did nothing. Now i really believe that these things will only work if your body is ready for labour anyway. Hope it works out for you though

 

[NaturalMomma]

There is no way they can tell you how big your baby is, that is actually a common scare tactic so they can induce early. Your baby could likely be 6 lbs, and is more likely around that at only 36 weeks especially without diabetes. Inducing at 37 weeks with the excuse of big baby is not recommended. Research shows that women should not be induce prior to 39 weeks, even in the case of a big baby due to gestational diabetes.

You're not ready, which is why you're not in labor. Nipple stimulation can cause uterine exhaustion or hyperstimulation of the uterus because you're making it contract when it shouldn't be.

I would highly recommend getting a second opinion because a 9 lber at 36 weeks is extremely rare. I would also decline an induction.

If you had other children and they were small babies then saying you're having a 9 lber this time is probably way off. Also, your size doesn't indicate how big of a baby you can push out. Many 5 feet petite women push out 10+ babies without even a tear. It is your pelvic size that matters, and your pelvis expands in childbirth.

 

[brunette&bubs]

I agree with Natural Momma.

Having a 9lb baby at 36 weeks is not common.
Your baby would be like 13 lb at full term. Not normal!

I would wait on the nipple stimulation.
Just take evening primrose oil like you have and let your body do the rest.
You've still got time hun

Get a second opinion on that weight too

 

[Sproglet]

Hi, I successfully but accidentally induced myself using nipple stimulation- I was expressing colostrum for baby as I had gestational diabetes, and my waters broke. I don't recommend it. Labour was extremely painful and slow- when I arrived at hospital 2 hours after my waters broke I was 1.5 cm dilated. After 4 hours of extremely painful labour (I couldn't walk or talk through contractions) I made it to 2cm. Which is crazy when you think normally you aren't considered in real labour till you're at 3cm! Fortunately for me I was having a c section anyway, so I just had to wait for theatre to become free, I didn't have to make it to 10cm.

 

[Butterfly89]

I did it at 40w3d and started contractions about an hour later. I tried it at 38 weeks for 2 mins on, 3 off for about half an hour, nothing. But that time I did 3 mins on, 2 mins off for one hour. I would be cautious too.. I had a 36 hour labour with irregular, really painful contractions and a super fast progression after my water broke even though LO was stuck on my hip. I can't say 100% it was what started it but I went from 0 signs to full labour!

 

[mo0nangel]

Stimulating the nipple sends a message to your brain to release oxytocin (oxytocin in its synthetic form called Pitocin is what doctors use to speed up labor/contractions) which causes contractions and therefore could induce labor.