Natural Induction

I've tried several ways to induce my babies and nothing worked. Even after my water breaks I have to have Pitocin. As much as you want him to come, enjoy the few days of being alone. You'll be with him forever and you won't be able to get back this time that you have now. Babies are fun and are great to hold and care for but they are so much more work once they are on the outside.

I was told to start drinking Raspberry tea about 3 weeks before my due date. I bought Raspberry Zinger and brewed it strong so I could drink it as iced tea (hot tea at this time of year in the southwest is an bearable thought for me). I had one glass about every other day and my water broke the evening of the third tea day. A woman I know who went past her due date tried the tea thing and it didn't end up working for her. It worked almost too well for me, but my little guy was born healthy and happy at 37 weeks and I was more than ready to be done with the whole pregnancy thing.

Good luck and congratulations!

Get a foot massage. When I was pregnant with my first, I had a friend training to be a massuer and she wouldn't touch my feet because it could possibly induce labor. As I recall, it was the area around the achillies tendon. Good Luck.

All of the suggestions that have been given so far are possibilities. But, your body is working just fine it sounds like. I know the last couple of weeks can be uncomfortable but just focus on how your baby is recieving that last bit of time to fine tune its development. Many first time Mom go 41 or 42 weeks (not to discourage you) and nature know that you or your baby need that extra time. Your body is preparing for your birthing already since you are effacing and dilating. Allow it to work in its own time and your baby to come in its own time. The work it is doing now, which I assume is going easily for you, will be work it doesn't have to do when you finally go into active labor.

"If you only look at what is, you might never attain what could be."

J. Streit, MA, CHt, HBCE, Doula
Positive Human Dynamics, Ltd.
Nurturing Mom Doula
1453 Rio Rancho Blvd., Ste. E
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
posihd.com

Keep walking--and whatever you do, DO NOT TAKE CASTOR OIL. I stupidly listened to my mother when I was in your position and not only did I go into labor that night, but I went directly into HARD labor. Contractions 1 1/2 minutes long and about a minute apart for almost 18 hours. And after almost 3 hours of pushing I ended up have a c-section. I don't know for sure if all of that was a direct result of the castor oil, but I do know that next time I'm just going to suffer through and wait it out.
The next few months are going to be simultaneously the most magical and the most exhausting time in your life. Try not to worry about the little things and just enjoy bonding with your baby. Everything else--laundry, cleaning, phone calls--it can all wait. Everyone will have advice they want to impart so just remember that they mean well but in your heart, you will instinctively know what is best for you and your baby. Trust that and everything will be okay.
Good luck and best wishes -- AND STAY WAY FROM CASTOR OIL!! :-)

Castor oil
Acupuncture & Acupressure
Sexual intercourse
Spicy food
Nipple stimulation
Herbs such as black and blue cohosh - use with CAUTION and only under the guidance of a midwife
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

The most important thing to remember is that your baby will come when he is ready. Trying too hard to bring an un-ready baby into the world will lead to unnecessary medical intervention, a medicalized birth, artificial labor induction agents, and an increased chance of a caesarean.

Here's an example of that:

Your doctor breaks your water....
But you don't go into labor....
So they start you on pitocin...
Which makes contractions unbearable...
So you get an epidural...
Which slows down your contractions...
So they up the pitocin...
Which hyperstimulates your uterus...
Putting your baby into distress...
So they do an emergency caesarean to "save the baby"...
When leaving things to nature would have resulted in a normal, natural birth in your body's own timing.

My best advice would be to simply have patience and know that your sweet baby will be here when he is ready.

I had this exact same problem! I was completely miserable and just wouldn't dilate. I stayed at 1 cm for over a month. Finally my water broke and since I wasn't having "regular" contractions all along, they just kept sending me home from the hospital. But because of the water breaking, they had to induce me. I have heard that foot massages on certain pressure points in the feet can induce labor. You can probably google this information. Best of luck!

I was in the same boat...effaced, dilated, and membranes stripped. My husband read on WebMD about nipple stimulation. We think it worked because the next day...Cassidy arrived. Go on-line and read up. There are some risks...talk to your medical professional.

Hi S.-
Yes, I was in your boat at 32- oh,my. The baby has his own time- let him have it. Why would the due date have anything to do with anything? Unless, of course, the baby is way overdue, or having problems; doesn't seem like either is the case. There is no need to induce. Baby will arrive- that is Mother Nature's way. I was so uncomfortable the last week or two, I got incredibly mean and cross. When the day finally arrived, I cleaned the house from top to bottom, showered, dressed, timed my own labor pains until three minutes apart, then called a friend (or a nice taxi may take you; just say you need a ride; take a big folded absorbent blanket or towel with a garbage bag under to sit on to protect the poor person's back seat if your water breaks). My baby was two weeks overdue by Dr.'s estimate, and two days overdue by my estimate (from exact date of conception). The Braxton-Hicks pains are horrid, but they're different. You'll know. There is a burst of energy, and euphoria :-) Continue your walking, but not in the heat of the day. This is your legitimate time to veg out- enjoy it. There is really nothing more you can do- just relax- he's likely to make more progress if those muscles aren't so tight. I think raspberry leaf tea was one of the helps used by Native American women. Hopes this helps- my son arrived mid-August :-) S.

congratulations! you only have 2 1/2 weeks tops left. enjoy it. I delivered my son just over a year ago with a completely natural, unmedicated, uninduced labor. He was exactly 2 weeks past his due date (maybe the midwife forgot to tell him). I started getting nervous about being induced when my due date came and went. I did everything short of the wretched castor oil, but nothing really seemed to work. I had my membranes stripped several times, I had hundreds of dollars of accupuncture, cranio-sacral release body work, accupressure, rasberry leaf tea, carne adovado stuffed sopaipillas... I must have walked at least 50 miles the last week. Bottom line was that my son's first act of independence was determining when he was to be born. My water broke and labor started about 6 hours before I was scheduled for an induction. Talk about cutting in close!

I know it is hard, but try to relax and enjoy your last days as a maiden before the adventure of motherhood. Good luck with everything!

Hi S., Sorry but as a mother of 5, one thing I learned is that they will come when they want to. Through all of my pregnancies, at some point, I tried a broad range from hiking up rediculous mountains through swallowing disgusting things that only led to me sitting on the toilet. When I expected my last two to come early, since I had already had 3 before, it didn't happen...they came when they wanted. My best advice to you is to get out of the house, go walk around the mall or do something relaxing for you, because soon enough your baby will be here and the days of peace and quiet and me time will be gone. :) good luck

Hi S.

I actually used castor oil to throw me into labor. I took it one morning and early the next morning I was in labor. I mixed it with orange juice and held my nose and swallowed it down.

BEWARE---this does act as a laxative or it did to me and cleaned me out all day long, but it worked.

I was in this same boat exactly 1 year ago! my son just turned one. I know you are uncomforable BUT...here's the thing: your life is going to be complete and utter chaos once the baby arrives and you will be like, oh the discomforts of pregnancy seem like nothing now! I'm serious. Looking back, I wish I was not in such a rush and just enjoyed the quiet of those last couple weeks. Watch tv, read a book, talk to your friends...it's gonna be a long, long time before you get any YOU time again!!!!!!!! You will love your baby and I know you can't wait to meet him but really, take some time to rest and enjoy your pregnancy a little longer!

Chiropractic adjustments!

Work the nervous system and help your body do what it needs to do naturally!

Also, be patient. Your body is preparing you for a wonderful experience. It has a lot of steps to go through. Try some yoga moves, position shifting, and deep meditative breathing to get you through until your body is ready.

Motherhood = patience

Best of health
Dr. J. Kuty
www.kutychiropractic.com

get a prenatal massage - I had one at 2 O'clock and my water broke by 5:30.

Good luck!

Not something that I personally ever tries, but i hear that castor oil works. I hada male co-worker who's wife did a shot of it in the afternoon and was in labor by that night. I don't know how uncomfortable her entire experience was b/c of the side effects of the castor oil, but it certainly did work for her.

Just as a side note, I understand that anxious feeling when the time is so near. With my first child I was induced b/c I was a week over due. Although I didn't enjoy the experience b/c you're pretty much confined to the bed or right next to it and you have a blood pressure cuff on constantly, my daughter was an ounce shy of ten pounds so I shudder to think how much more she would have grown had she stayed in any longer. My point is good luck with moving things along naturally and if you avoid being induced at the hospital I recommend that you do.

D.

I hate to spoil this for you but labor is brought on by a change in your hormone levels. Other than having artificial hormones injected (as they do to induce labor) there isn't anything you can take that will make this happen. Sorry. The baby will come when he is ready. Hang in there. Just think, these last couple weeks in utero will make your baby that much stronger and healtier when he is born.

I felt the same way, and I was dialated to 5 with nothing happening. We tried everything, absolutely everything I found/read about and not one thing worked. However, I got so stressed about it that my blood pressure went through the roof and I was induced far from naturally and had to have a bunch of meds. The point is, the baby will come when it's time, when he's baked to perfection and there's no sense in trying to rush things. Enjoy the last couple of days without a baby - go to the movies, eat out, spend time with friends because it's all about to change. I don't think they'll let you go over two weeks past your due date, so you've just got like 2 weeks tops left! Hang in there!

Take a long walk to a park with swings. Swing for about a half hour then walk back home. I did this with my oldest and it worked later that night I was in labor. Good luck!

M.

Gosh, I know exactly what you are going through. I was so anxious at that point in my pregnancy, it's all I could think about. My doctor said exercise (walking) was the best. I walked my butt off everyday for the entire pregnancy but the day that my water broke, I was determined that if I hiked up this hill that I would have the baby that day. I walked up this hill at about 10am and was so tired but than at 11am my water broke and it was off to the hospital and delivered a week early. I do believe they come when they are ready and we don't have too much control, but it can't hurt to try something. Just be careful as it is really hot outside and you don't want to dehydrate you and your baby. I do agree with the previous post about not rushing and truley enjoying your last days of freedom. Had I known that motherhood was going to be so hard and drastically change the way I live my life, I would've probably really tried to enjoy those last few days by going to lunch, dinner, movies, coffee... ANYTHING! Because although you are going to have a true bundle of joy, you will not be able to enjoy those things for awhile and when you start doing those things, it will never be the same as it is now. So go have some fun and get all the rest possible. You will need it for labor and motherhood. Welcome to motherhood. It is truley a blessing. I am sort of a single mom too, so if you ever need to talk or vent or whatever, please feel free to email me. Best of luck.

My SIL swears by Black Licorice Root Tea, she has used it for all 4 of her kids and has gone into labor within 12 hours of using it. You should be able to find it at a Sprouts or similiar speciality type shop. Good luck!

With my first child, I was miserable during the last few weeks. Like you, my doctor stripped my membranes. I also had a friend that was a massage therapist and she gave me a deep tissue massage on the sides of my hips. Which felt great and hurt a little at the same time. I walked around the next day and my water broke that night.
P.S.
with my second child I got anxious and asked to be induced...not a good idea. They used the gels wich didn't work,and made me more miserable.
Like the other ladies said, try to enjoy your last few days, get some rest and good luck with your labor!

Please let baby decide when baby is ready to be born. Having said that, reflexology can be useful in encouraging labor. There are certain "uterine" points on the feet that can induce labor. You might also try talking to baby, encouraging him/her, saying how anxious you are to hold him/her. It really is baby's decision, tho, that activates labor and if you want a natural birth, be open to the natural process. If all things are not ready and in place, natural will be harder to attain. Happy birthing!

My aunt massaged pressure points in my hands and ankles, I walked all day long including stairs and then drank orange juice and castor oil. I went to bed at 8pm exhausted and my water broke at 12...Not sure which method worked or if it was just time. I heard the pressure points massage is a good one. http://pregnancychildbirth.suite101.com/article.cfm/press...

Congrats and Good Luck

Congratulations! You're almost there. I know how the last few weeks just seem to creep by and for even those of us who desperately want a natural childbirth we are ready to do anything to see our long awaited little one. But,he knows when he is ready to make his appearance. I have had five children all natural births(we used the Bradly method)and I will admit towards the end I tried to speed things up with walking, intercourse,rasberry tea, nipple stimulation and my midwife stripped my membranes a couple of times. The truth is nothing seemed to work. So, just try to be patient and enjoy these last few days of getting a good night sleep for a while.Good luck and again congratulations!

Well, I was going to say to have your doctor do a cervical scrape, but it sounds like that is what you had done. That worked for me. Within an hour I was in labor. The downfall is that it lasted for 36 hours until my 2nd kiddo was born. I'd say keep on walking a lot and I guess just wait until your baby decides to make his/her grand entrance. Good luck.

Castor Oil, I did this when I had my daughter at home with a Naturopathic Physician, Dr Farra Swan.

I can't remember if I took 1 or 2 tablespoons. They recommended mixing with OJ or Coke, but after doing that, I would recommend just taking it by itself then chasing it with something to drink. Castor oil doesn't "mix" with anything!

It was nasty, but about 6 hours later I went into labor. It's also good for cleaning out the intestines before giving birth. It gives you diarea, but the contracting of the muscles is what causes you to go into labor (and you'll only go into labor if you are ready)

You might just take the recommended dosage on the bottle or if you want to call my doctor, they'll probably tell you how much over the phone.
Dr Farra Swan ###-###-####

Hope this helps and good luck!
C.

HI S.,
HOW EXCITING YOU'RE SO CLOSE! IF YOU ARE IN THE ALBUQUERQUE AREA CALL BODY MIND SPIRIT BIRTHING CENTER TO SEE IF YOU CAN CONSULT WITH A DULA. THEY ARE WONDERFUL AT NATURAL INDUCTION PRACTICES. YOU MAY EVEN CALL THEM AND THEY CAN GIVE YOU SOME SUGGESTIONS... JUST GOOGLE IT. MY DULA WAS PRICELESS DURING MY LABOR. Good luck and enjoy the magical process. S.