Old Wives Tales

[Lisa78]

Ok, This baby is NEVER coming out! How can he still be in there when I have finished work, finished the nursery, cleaned every kitchen cupboard I possess AND completely emptied the fridge and cleaned that out too - its not been that clean since the day we bought it. Come to think of it, I don't think we've cleaned it since the day we bought it! If he doesn't come soon, then I shall be forced to clean the skirting boards and that won't be a pretty sight, especially if I can't get up again!

HELP! Someone out there must have a whole boatload of old wives tales guarenteed to bring on labour - it doesn't matter if I believe them, it'll give me something to focus on! DH advises sex is the best solution - hmm, let me think, how far down my agenda is THAT!!!!

Lisa

How convenient for your dh!! Still, he might be right. Some tales I have heard involve hot curries, hot baths, hot sex. My mother always used to say drink hot gin and jump off the kitchen table, maybe that's why I was 6 weeks premature

Hot sex (like Janstar recommends) with lots of "nipple stimulation" - apparently that's a big thing. Also, long brisk walks. . .

How far past your due date are you??? I have heard that orange juice & or castor oil works wonders, curry is meant to. Is this your first??

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sex is definitely top of the list, something to do with some chemical in the sperm that induces labour, also my midwife suggested (as well as sex) curries, pineapple juice and lots of brisk walking, but ds was still 16 days late!!

16 days - steppemum! How did you keep your sanity?!!

Raspberry leaf tea - tastes like pond water. Got me going within an hour (although it might have been the shopping trip to get the tea that actually got me going).

I've heard about the sex one, couldn't possibly do it near my due date, imagine the midwife doing the internal (I won't go into any more detail!)

fresh pineapple - out of a tin won't do!
also, heard the long walks one - I did this by mistake at 28 weeks and had two days of braxton hicks.....!

Clary Sage oil in your bath - not the nicest smelling oil but worth it if it gets you going.

My ds (my first) was 10 days late. We tried everything....hot curries, going full speed over every speed hump in london, lots of sex, massage with all the oils that are supposed to induce labor, hot baths.....
One very helpful young doctor did point out to me that there were no records of a woman ever going to 44 weeks of pregnancy....

gin and tonic worked for me - helps the karma too!!!

Well anyway, Sofia, it sounds like you had lots of fun

Over 44 weeks Sofia? What a horrible doctor to suggest that!! A male I presume? My midwife keeps telling me that they do come out eventually but everyday seems like a week! I'm only on time but I am enormous now and for the past month everyone has been astonished at the size of me and that I am still pregnant. We went on a tour of the labour ward last month and there was a woman there, due the same day as me and the same size. I was just feeling vaguely reassured until she added she was expecting twins....!!! Everyone but me thinks thats funny! I suppose I just got myself convinced he was coming early cos I am so big.

Long walks are out of the question since I have SPD - I can barely walk round the house and its sufficiently bad that I'm nervous out of the house by myself. At the antenatal class, the midwife cheerfully announced that I was more likely to get PND since I had SPD - aren't they clumsy sometimes! My own midwife made me laugh, she is always telling me she has seen bigger, until last week when she added "Mind you, it wasn't human" Didn't like to ask what species it was!

I suppose the food options sound best, curry and fresh pineapple - what a combination! Daren't start on the gin and tonic though, I may not stop! That would look good, going into labour drunk - actually, on reflection, thats probably not a bad idea!

must be meant to be, cos I bought a bottle of tonic today, and haven't done for months. Do you have to stop at one?? I suppose if it did work, it wouldn't do to go in tiddly.

fisil, I was going spare after 14 days! But I didn't want to be induced. I had to be in the end, they wouldn't let me wait any longer. Induced labour was horrid, but baby was HUGE!

Apparently in France they consider 42 weeks quite normal for a first, and just let it all happen naturally!

I have known several women who claimed to get to 44 weeks in their pregnancies, or longer. Here is a lady who claims to have had a 46 week pregnancy.

Nah! I think these women just got their dates wrong!

You might break the record Lisa - so keep your legs crossed for a little longer!

I'm 41 weeks today and so far I've tried sex, long walks with DS1 and 2, raspberry leaf, frantic cleaning and all I feel so far is sick, fat and tired. If anyone can find a way of drinking gin that completely hides the taste I'll give that a shot as well!! Lisa, I feel for you totaly, if I find anything that works I'll let you know.

We are now trying the 'McDonalds' method. Taking the kids out for lunch without my labour bags, a half hour drive in the opposite direction to the hospital and I might even leave the mobile at home.

Actually the thing to do is to plan something that you really want to do and guaranteed you'll go into labor just before you're supposed to do it.
I was really big with both my babies. I gained 45 lbs with each pregnancy and it was all in the belly area. As I am normally really skinny (and the rest of me besides my belly stayed that way while pregnant), it made me look like I was having quintuplets. I was sure I was going to explode. (after 40 hours of labor with my first, I almost wished I had exploded)

Personally I wouldn't want to try the curry option - you wouldn't want a dodgy tum when you went into labour...Ditto the codliver oil.

My first labour started within a few minutes of having a blood test, the day before my due date. My Grandma used to swear by getting down on hands and knees and scrubbing floors (and she had six (babies that is)).

The night before I was due to be induced when I was 12 days late I decided I needed another bra so went shopping in mothercare where I felt something go down below, I quickly paid for my bra it seemed so important that I had to have another one, I then drove home and my waters went totally when I got in the hallway. I had tried all of the above suggestions so don't really know what works but if you really feel that you have to do something (I already had 3 new bras and this was my third child so I thought that I knew the routine) then do it because it might do the trick.

How can they link PND and SPD???? For what it's worth I ahd SPD and not PND....
How many weeks are you ?
I do know (personnally) 1 woman who went 43 +6.
and I know of women who went 44 weeks.

How are you doing now ?

How's it going Lisa? Hopefully you're not posting 'cos you're pushing!!

Excuse the pun, but I'm now trying the gin method.