Natural Labour

[L4uz]

Hello, I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips on how to bring on labour naturally?
I'm due in a week and booked in for a sweep on the 20th but I'm so uncomfortable I'm happy to try anything to induce early labour and to avoid a Christmas Day birth if possible! 😄
Many thanks

Sex! Worked for me. Had contractions straight after

I went into (first) labour after watching something hysterically funny on TV. I was at DPs’ house at the time - I laughed so much my Dm said, ‘You’ll set your baby off,’ and she was right.

Honestly the uncofmort of late pregnancy is nothing compared to newborn hell. Keep it in as long as possible

It isn't happening naturally if you are doing anything to bring it on. Keep active (hah! Yeah, I know!) try and relax, it'll happen.
You don't have to have a sweep if you don't want one, I'd imagine they've agreed to do one just incase it gets you in labour and you can be out again before Christmas easing any staffing issue. They are an intervention, they aren't risk free and usually they hurt like fuck!

I really don't think there is anything you can do other than relax. You're only 39 weeks and it's very normal to still have to wait at this point. One of mine was born at 37 weeks and one at nearly 41 weeks. I didn't do anything either time, other than keeping up being active and doing everything I already had been doing (regular walks and swimming).

Thank you 😊
I've been for a nice long walk today with the dogs and I keep sitting on my birthing ball for an hour or so a day. Just takes a bit of pressure off the foof!

@Dowermouse thanks for the info about the sweep! I didn't realise they weren't without risk, the midwife never went into detail she just said she was booking me in at 40 weeks 😕 what are the complications?

@vinoelle

Sex! Worked for me. Had contractions straight after

@vinoelle I've been completely off sex since I found out I was pregnant anything's worth a try though!

I had a baby in my arms 10 hours after heaving my SPD ridden body down to the the MW appointment on my crutches.
I spent the afternoon in bed with backache which wasn't surprising after enduring a 450m walk He was a due date baby tipping in shortly after midnight.

I'm pretty sure DS1 was triggered by the effort òf staggering around the theatre to find our seats for the panto. As I was watching Neil Morrisey going through the 12 days of Christmas in the second act, I realised that the braxton hicks were getting a bit too regular... shame it was another 40 hours before meeting DS1!

@BogRollBOGOF I really feel for you with the SPD... it's bloody awful! That's the main reason I want baby out sooner rather than later because the pain is getting unbearable. I've been getting Braxton hicks occasionally but they're not regular. Some days I'll get them and others just a wriggle. It's very frustrating

the science is that all the 'old wives tales' are nonsense. If nature cocks it up, you need medical intervention.

good luck and hope the eviction goes smoothly.

The evidence around sweeps are not conclusive. Some studies say they work a bit, some say not at all.

It's generally a low risk procedure therefore are considered before a medical induction of labour.

I'm a midwife and went postdates on all my children. I never considered castor oil. I once looked after a poor woman labouring on the toilet with rampant diarrhoea whilst vomiting into a sick bowl. She was completely wrecked and I felt incredibly sorry for her.

I used to advise all my women to have sex as the hormone used in medical induction (prostaglandin) is naturally found in semen. Although there aren't any studies to prove it works (as the studies haven't been done). However, it can't hurt to try!

www.cochrane.org/CD003093/PREG_sexual-intercourse-for-cervical-ripening-and-induction-of-labour

When my waters broke and DS showed not intention to come, I got the 'Hebammencocktail' (midwives cocktail):
orange juice, wodka and castor oil. Worked a treat.
I drank it, wanted to go for a walk but labour started. Two hours later DS was out and I was on my way back home to my own bed and bathroom.

Eating six dates a day (seasonal!)
Reflexology

I went for a swim 10 days before my due date - it was a very hot summer - and went into full labour 12 hours later. I always joke that the baby realised that was more than enough for her and she wanted out!

Not sure how much of this is science or just good fortune ! I drank the red raspberry leaf tea throughout both pregnancies and increased towards the end, practised pregnancy yoga and squats and watched tv on the birthing ball, I just tried to be active most days , both babies arrived in dates , I was keen to avoid induction as planned for home births so was very relieved.

If your body is ready to go into labour then these suggestions - exercise, a sweep, sex will probably get it started. But if you aren't then they almost certainly won't work!

I had a sweep with my second when I was a week overdue and it did the job - started me off in labour and my daughter was born the following morning. I had sex when I was in early labour with my third and that definitely sped things up. I'd been having contractions on and off for several hours and half an hour after sex they were coming every five minutes. But I was also a week overdue and I was having a home birth. Not sure how practical sex would be if you were in a hospital :)

@Clockstop

Honestly the uncofmort of late pregnancy is nothing compared to newborn hell. Keep it in as long as possible

YES!

I had SPD and you have my sympathies. I had a c-section at 39 weeks. I was in a wheelchair and couldn't even imagine carrying on with being pregnant for 1 day more.

I should clarify that wasn't why I had a c-section at 39 weeks but I was glad it was done. Having a newborn wasn't easy but at least I wasn't in anywhere near as much pain.