Any Tips / Advice / Support to Speed the Labor Up?!!

A good cleaning and scrubbing of the house/bathrooms sent me right into labor with my second son. Just get really active!

I have tried all of the methods already suggested, but the only one that has worked for me is castor oil. However, it only worked once I was past my due date, and you MUST take enough of it to actually put you into labor (not just a Tbsp or two!) You may be a good candidate for it, especially since you are already beginning to dialate.

Here is the recipe for the Midwives Brew:

4 oz orange sherbet
2-3 oz castor oil (yes, this is almost a full bottle!)
2 oz orange juice

Mix all ingredients together in a blender, hold your nose, and CHUG! Do NOT add ice as this causes the castor oil to thicken and it is like drinking... well... use your imagination... (Yuk!)

I always go into labor within hours of drinking this.

C., mommy to 5 with another on the way...

walk, climb stairs, play golf, have sex. Any strenuous activity will help. Or just wait for a change in the barometer. We have a big storm coming this weekend ...that could do the trick.

I know how you feel - did that 4 months ago! I had the Dr. strip my membrains and sure enough that night I started labor. Most people I talked to said that it only caused cramping - I had cramping and little did I know I was in labor. Good Luck.
P.S. My baby was 8.5 lbs (2 weeks early), My first one was 10.7 lbs!

The advice that I recvieved was to have sex (I know, last thing you want to do)... eat Chili... and get foot massages (there is an acupressure point on your ankle and one between your toes that are supposed to bring on labour).
Good luck! I feel for you!

with my first, i drank herbal whole leaf tea the night i went into labor - on the advice of a girlfriend who is really into all-natural, organic and holistic type things. It may have been pure coincidence, but it worked and got things kicked off. My understanding is that tea is a natural diuretic so as it stimulated the large intestine, it also simultaneously kicked contractions off as well. Being natural, I wasn't worried that I was adding anything to my body or doing anything harmful. Like I said, it may have been coincidence but it worked in my mind! Good luck!!!

You've probably heard both of these tactics before, but they seemed to work for me!

With my firstborn, my husband rubbed my feet the night before he was born. with my second, we had sex the night before and within 24 hours we had a new baby!

I've also heard walking, especially up and down stairs can help.

Good luck and congratulations!

Walking and sex worked for me. Good luck.

Nipple stimulation worked for me. Mt water broke and I had no contractions, but within 45 min or so, it put me in hard labor. Sounds weird, but it worked.

Walk, walk and more walking.

well, this may be a little late... i hope that you have a healthy and happy baby by now. but if not..... (and they do come when they are ready!!)....
i was 3 weeks "late." in addition to walking, walking, walking, sex (only if your bag of waters is intact and you feel alright), nipple stimulation, crawling for 20 min at a time, and visualizations... this is what i learned:
my midwife told me the course of action we would take if things didn't get going. 1) herbs. black and blue cohosh tinctures taken together will intensify contractions and get things moving. 2) if nothing happened, then stripping the membranes was next. it would probably take a few times, and can be painful. 3) castor oil as a last resort. i hear that it brings on labor in a most unpleasant manner, violent contractions throughout the whole body.
i decided to take the herbs after checking with myself and what intuitively felt "right" I had been having braxton-hicks contractions for months. well, 30 minutes after i took the herbs, things began to be intensified. i knew it was too soon for the herbs to really have any effect, so for me it was just the intention i had set that got labor started. however, i stopped taking the herbs at night and the contractions faded by morning. I started up the herbs and labor was on by that evening.
i am a petite woman, and gave birth naturally to a 9pound 2oz girl at home. no tearing, either. amazing!! it was a LONG labor, and i pushed for 5 hours, but everyone is healthy and happy!!!
make sure that you do know what you are doing when trying any method.
best wishes to you and your family. may you have a beautiful birthing that flows in its natural way.
blessings,
j

Caster Oil worked for me! Hang in there, good luck, and congratulations!

have the dr strip your membranes..

that will start labor...

sex..

walking..

Hi L.,
Best advice...get up and exercise if you can. If not, slowly walk up and down stairs or go for a long walk. Having intercourse may also help.
Good Luck!
M. M.

I've always been told that making love works :) Good luck!