To ask if there's any way to start labour that isn't an d wives tail?

[turquoisesea7]

I'm overdue and really don't want to be induced, I know there's a lot of old wives tales out there but does anyone have any advice that actually worked for them and started labour please?

I was induced...both times. First time round, the pessary worked. Second time round, they tried the gel, then tablets and eventually gave in to my request to break my waters. That finally got things started and DD arrived 6 hours later.
I had an epidural both times because nobody gets a medal for "most painful delivery suffered through". The second time round was a "walking epidural", which was actually nicer. I was back on my feet 15 minutes after delivery.

Lunch out with my friend. Both pregnant at the same time, both times we went out for lunch and one of us went into labour the next day. Two little boys born 10 days apart.

I was induced and didn't find it that painful so it might be ok

What did you eat?

There’s evidence for nipple stimulation but iirc in the study it was for about 20 mins straight, not a quick twizzle, which I couldn’t bear the thought of when I was pregnant!

Raspberry leaf tea won’t do anything, its evidence is limited but its thought to tone the uterus making contractions more effective.

Nipple stimulation worked for me! Also curb walking and then the Myles circuit, and eventually a sweep

Good luck!

Crying worked for me both times. Frustrated that my friend had gone into labour and I was more overdue. \burst into tears and started within a couple of hours.
Had a row with my husband with No.2, not overdue, cried, and again within a couple of hours was in labour.

Nipple stimulation with breastfeeding pump while sitting on exercise ball rotatoting. Now it took from early afternoon and all evening but went into labour next morning

I used castor oil. It worked and it was grim. Lots of violent contractions then it just stopped once in hospital but it was too late by then.

Threat of a C-section, the doctor told me this was the last time they'd try a pessary but that I didn't look like going into labour any time soon. I went into labour and hour later and DD arrived about an hour after that

My midwife encouraged putting a comedy on the TV, having a glass of something chilled and delicious (she said wine but I don't drink so I switched out!), a massage from partner and bouncing on the ball. She encouraged lots of touch, kissing etc. Baby was there by 630am the following day.

Saying that she was born on exactly the same gestation day as her big brother (2 weeks 'overdue') and with him I didn't do any of that so maybe I just carry late?! Hard to know!

Not necessarily going to induce labour but DD2 decided that because we had a planned day out with her big sister as "the last one as a family of 3," she decided to arrive 2 days before I was due to be induced.

What worked for me was braving it and going to the supermarket alone when 5 days overdue.

Oh - and tripping over and falling flat on my arse like one of those weighted blow up toys.

I wouldn't recommend that option though 😂

Oh - and despite it starting Labour ds was still born by emcs 2 days later 🙄

Not still born. As in stillborn.

But as I'm still waited 2 days to be dragged out.

Worse bad grammar ever

Nipple stimulation is one of the only things proven to help I think.

This doesn’t answer your question but I have experienced labour twice - one induction and one spontaneous.
My first in 2022 was induced (pessary only) and labour was quick and painful (just had gas and air) and from contractions starting to birth was 4 hours.
My second 13 days ago was spontaneous but 2 days overdue and also quick and painful (no pain relief as gave birth in car on the way to the hospital) and from contractions starting to birth was 2 hours.
Please don’t let the fear of pain put you off a medical induction. You have plenty of pain relief options open to you as you and baby will be monitored.
Wishing you the best @turquoisesea7

Orgasm! Oxytocin will kickstart labour so relax, watch something funny on TV with a glass of wine while expressing some colostrum and then off to bed with (or without!) DH

I had a big coffee and 2 hours later started contracting. My friend swore by cod liver oil

Nipple stimulation is the only thing backed by science (use a breast pump)

Drops of clary sage in a bath started contractions for me, though ended up with long slow back to back labour and assisted delivery.

Fresh pineapple worked for me

Research shows that almost nothing works. Some scientific research shows that sex, for example, makes labour less likely. Pineapple and curry, sex and all that similar squit have never been shown to work. People do all of them and have a baby sometimes. That's coincidence. More people try the old wives tales and nothing happens. I genuinely ate Jaffa cakes on both of the days labour started. And only a couple of hours before. It wasn't the Jaffa cakes!

There's some small amount of evidence that nipple stimulation three hours a day (honestly) might increase the chance of contractions, but these contractions might not be effective.