To be getting impatient now??! (Tips for getting baby out please!) :)

[Absofrigginlootly]

Baby due this weekend..... NO signs of imminent labour.. Had a few days a couple of weeks ago where I had period pains on and off all day but obviously never came to anything. Not sure I've even had a proper BH (what exactly do they feel like?!.....and WTF are 'tightenings'?!)
Told baby is 3/5ths down, but that was 2 weeks ago and no change since.

Have been sitting on my birthing ball and prowling round the house. Tried eating pineapple. Nada.

4 ladies in my NCT group (who were due after me) have already had their babies....why do I get the feeling it's going to be at least another week or 2 for me???!?

Any tips for helping to start labour?! What worked for you?

I'm sure you'll say it will happen when it happens, but if anything, I could do with a laugh and willing to try things purely for distraction!

Thanks in advance! :)

I'm 40+1 and no sign here!

I'll await tips with interest.

Weird things I've heard:
Walking down stairs (not up)
Swallowing semen
Orgasms
Nipple twiddling
Raspberry leaf tea
Anything that gives you the trots
Booking an appointment for a hair cut or massage.

But don't bother with the pineapple, I ate it last time till my lips bled from all the acid. Turns out you'd need to eat about 6 whole pineapples a day to get enough of the

None of it works. If it did, no-one would ever be induced with the drip.

Eat Jaffa cakes, watch crap telly in peace and 'pop' out when you feel like it's You won't do that for a while.

Is this your 1st baby?

I was just like you before my 1st arrived. I wish I had listened to people who said enjoy the peace, freedoms and quiet.

Honestly enjoy the last few days of freedom and sleep. I know you can't wait to meet baby but really. I'm currently sitting next to the bath watching DD have a bath, and hoping she wont do a poo in it

happy

I have popped out a few times, but keep having visions of my waters breaking with no warning in the middle of sainsburys or something!!!!!!!!! (Happened to 2 of my friends, although both were at home, not sainsburys)

A sweep and a long walk worked for me (that was at 40 + 16 though so probably just time!)

See I'm conflicted. I'm absolutely loving being on maternity leave from my stressy job and I feel ok. So I'd be happy to be another week in a way. But then I'm terrified of being induced!

Have a small beer. Worked for me with both DC

You know you can ask to be monitored instead, Splendide?

What was the sweep like littlejohn? My MW said she'll offer it to me next week if no baby by then...

I'm also due this weekend, I am so tired of waiting now and dc1 was born at nearly 42 weeks so I most likely have another 2 weeks of pregnancy at least (over dramatic sobbing)

The things that worked to get ds out were sex and doing a huge monthly shop with me pushing the trolley, also I had about 3 sweeps.

I can't bring myself to have sex this time, went shopping tonight but I'm not holding out much hope. We have 3 parties to go to this weekend, I was hoping to have to cancel but it's looking unlikely.

The enjoy the sleep whilst you can is so far from the truth for me, I had 3 hours of broken sleep last night (more sobbing) I definitely found early days with a newborn much easier than late pregnancy.

The person who decided that swallowing seaman would induce labour must have been a man!

I have a sweep booked for Thursday, I really hope it works!

That's something to think about Johnny - are midwives reluctant to do it?

Ask to be induced is my only tip! Worked well for me both times.

(am being someone tongue in cheek as I know there are many reasons why people don't want this).

Honestly, OP, just calm down and recognise that you can do precisely zilch about it.

I did every single recommended thing, from the medically recommended to the old wives' tales/folk remedies - sweeps, raspberry tea, birth ball, very long walks (14 miles on due date), nipple stimulation, acupuncture, curries, sex, pineapple, going to the opera (on the basis that it would be rather inconvenient to have my waters break in the middle of the ROH, so that might make it happen) etc etc, and nothing did any good. I refused induction and had an ELCS at 40+15, and it turned out he was so tangled up in the umbilical cord he was never coming out by the usual route.

Oh just to add I tried nearly all of it, and ended up induced when my hind waters went.
Induction is hard but not awful, and the baby at the end makes it worth it!

Nipple stimulation.

2 overdue and induced babies here. Did all the pineapple / raspberry leaf tea / curries / nipple stimulation / sex.
The only thing you truly can do is put your feet up and try to get comfy. It's so difficult to do when you've just had enough. I hope its not too long for you.

Apparently the only thing with any real evidence behind it is semen but not swallowing it, but having it erm up there, due to the prostaglandins present (which is what is in the pessaries they give you to induce before they proceed to syntocinin drip)

I'm sure it is in far less quantities but face it it can't "hurt" unless you've been told not to (probably only placenta praevia or fear of placental abruption in which case you would know)

People will have various ideas about what worked for them and it may just be that it was their time or that it worked for them but not you.

Its true it will come when it comes and that if it doesn't want to come, nothing will make it come (I speak from experience as someone who had 17 hours on a synto drip and made it to a massive 1cm dilated )

Sitting about on the sofa apparently is no good and bouncing on a ball is, but I think that may be more about optimal foetal positioning than actual induction of labour. You could argue that you should make yourself as comfy and relaxed as possible so that's your call.

Things like curry and pineapple are possibly as much urban myth as anything, and 150 million plus women may say "it worked for me" which it may have, but its hard to measure as many of them were probably 39+ weeks and about to go...nobody really knows but it can't hurt as long as you like eating either.

Cod liver oil is not recommended these days as if you are about to go, it can give both you and the baby the shits which may or may not induce labour but apparently can increase the risk of meconium in the water which can be either a distressed baby, a C-section, or a baby who has inhaled meconium which is no laughing matter, so ignore your well meaning spinster aunt if she offers this up like mine did.

A jolly good cervical pounding with the very thing that got you into this mess in the first place, is only fair, if you are up for it Of course I tried that and wish I damn well hadn't bothered. But go for it. Its the blardy least he could do. The barstarding, non pregnant prick.

Plus he may not be getting some for a time

Oh the other thing with some evidence is nipple fiddling which is something about oxytocin.

Anything "hormone" seems more likely than anything "enzyme" imo

Bear in mind oxytoncin is the "real" version of syntocinin which is the synthetic form of what is in "the drip". So a hearty shag followed by some nipple action = pissweak world home induction. Maybe.

A sweep worked for me. Nothing else did and trust me, I tried everything (other than castor oil and gin- don't try this).

You don't have to be induced, just say no if you're unhappy with the idea. If you're anxious that is absolutely a sure-fire way to slow up / complicate the labour, so only do what makes you happy

I went to 40+14. You do NOT need to agree to indiction. I didn't. The midwives were iffy about it so I asked to speak to a consultant who fully supported me and the facts behind my decision. Had a quick natural birth on DS's timetable not theirs. DM me if you want more details. Good luck!!

Nipple.twidling apparently, but needs to be a good few hours a day so Ive heard. And sex.

Like I can be bothered