Inducing labour - what did and didn't work

[Absy]

I'm starting this thread, because when I was overdue and desperately calmly researching ways to induce labour, I couldn't find many which gave the ultimate results. So this is what I did and what did (and didn't) work

Raspberry leaf tea - turns out (I didn't realise until too late) it doesn't induce, but only helps prepare the muscles for labour
Pineapples - I ate one a day and it did nothing. Though I did start turning them into Virgin pina coladas (blending them with coconut milk) which kept me occupied and made me feel like I was drinking something fancy
Spicy food - we are spicy food every night for a week - nothing. However, the day before I went into labour DH was given some special chilli from Kenya by a colleague so maybe that helped
Walking - I was walking between 1-2 hours a day for a week. I'm not sure about whether or not it helped, but it kept me occupied, it was nice walking listening to music and I think it helped keep me fit for labour and after
Sweep - I had a sweep at 1pm on the Monday, went into labour midnight Tuesday (so around 18 hours later). I think it helped but ... DS was born at 40+10. My siblings and I were all born around 40+10 so it might have been his time

Options not done

• castor oil. I thought it was to gross
  
• booking non refundable tickets
  

Any others?

[MrPony]

I tried everything and nothing worked. My womb is really comfy, babies never want to come out.

[Imnotaslimjim]

Sadly they're all old wives tales and while they keep you occupied, they won't do anything to induce labour. Castor oil and the like can help by causing stomach cramps and irritating the uterus but its believed to be dangerous now. Staying upright is best to help baby drop into the pelvis, this releases chemicals telling the uterus to go in to labour.

[Junosmum]

We had sex then went for a really long walk the next day. Day 3 my waters went.

[snoukie]

I don't think anything works unless baby is ready to make an appearance!

I had a sweep on my due date, but didn't go into labour until the following Friday.

Although the sweep possibly did help, I just kept making sure I walked as much as possible (tricky at times when you're massively heavily pregnant!) and every evening I sat on the edge of the sofa and rocked forwards slightly to push the baby in to position.

Hope your little one makes an appearance soon!

[Sirona]

Booking my caesarian for the next day was the only way make dd decide to finally make an appearance a few hours before it was due.

[mrssiriusblack]

I'm waiting for dc3 arrival after a c section with dc2 I decided I wanted a vbac this time and really don't want a c section but baby really isn't moving or showing any signs of coming soon. C section is booked for 41 weeks (just over a weeks time). I'm getting a lot of Braxton hicks and keep getting my hopes up but then everything stops! I just have a feeling it'll end up being a c section again, which I don't want!!!

[ICJump]

dS 1. Arrives at 40+10 after a shit load of sweeps, acupuncture , awful teas, long hard walks, plenty if of sex.
With DS 2 I decided to do nothing. At 42 weeks I had two lots if gel he popped out pretty soon after that!

[Sirona]

Good luck mrssirius. I had pretty much resigned myself to a section and not the vbac I had planned as dd was showing no way of moving, I never even had so much as one Braxton hicks. Last minute archie waited until 12 hours before I was booked in to start making a move. There's still time yet.

[mrssiriusblack]

Thanks sirona - there's still time and I'm so hoping he comes on his own, with a 3 year old and 20 month old, I don't want to be recovering from a c section!!

[Heirhelp]

I am reading this at 40+2 and I have done some research. In theory walking and doing figure of 8 on your birthing ball should help put pressure on your cervix so it starts to eface but for it to really work your need the baby's head to be engaged.

Eating pineapple does work but you need to eat at least 8 including the core which will give you diheaora (sp) which you dont want.

[Miffy1979]

I tried a few things:

Dates
Raspberry leaf tea
Birthing ball
Sex
Walks (although this was tough with SPD)
Sweep (wasn't favourable)

For me.. none worked and had induction started at 42+1. This kick started labour and DS finally arrived 42+3.

Currently due tomorrow with DD.. and I've done sod all this time! Let's see what happens..

[NickyEds]

Things that didn't work:
Exercise
Raspberry tea
Curry
Pineapple
Sex
Sweep

Things that do work:
Being 9 months pregnant (dd)
Syntocinon (ds)

[badg3r]

Yes probably not what you want to hear but in my experience it's all rubbish. For me, the best thing for getting the baby out was four hours of strong contractions, two minutes apart, that began completely out of the blue at a week and a half overdue. The good news is that the end is very near!!!

[TheABC]

Chatting to sister (medical doctor) at the weekend about this. She said the only things with some evidence of working prior to induction were sex (oxytocin levels) and sweeps. Depressingly, we concluded that women go overdue in our family and I need to settle in for the long haul. Grrr!

[mrssiriusblack]

Yes I have now accepted that the only thing that's going to get baby out is my body being ready!! I just have a feeling it's not going to happen and it will be a c section next week! Fingers crossed he comes of his own accord please!

Fingers crossed to the other ladies waiting on arrivals