Has anyone tried acupressure/acupuncture to induce labour?

[josiemacy]

Hi all. I am 40wks today, & I have an appointment at the hospital on Tues for a sweep if baby hasnt arrived by then - they dont want me to go beyond this week as its a VBAC, so they wont use anything else to induce me. Therefore if sweep doesnt work they will book me for another CS. I am keen to induce labour myself as much as I can - raspberry leaf tea, homeopathic Caulophyllum daily, bouncing on my gym ball, walking a lot, hoovering on my knees with the attachments, home acupressure etc. I wont try a curry as I dont fancy the squits during labour (!), & I havnt tried sex yet (too knackered!)
I was 3/5ths engaged last Mon, & I have been having a lot of pressure twinges & pain in my lower tum, bum & back - but I think that this is baby's head causing pressure as it is moving, rather than anything else!
What I wanted to ask is whether anyone had tried acupressure / acupuncture? I have read that done correctly in a clinic it can induce labour within 1-4hrs if baby is ready, & when I rub the 'spots' at home I get a electric shock sensation in my tum & baby moves a lot! I am booked in to a chinese treatment centre for an hour tomorrow to try it out, & have one last try before sweep on Tues.
Has anyone had good expeeriences of it, or am I wasting £30-40?!!??

I was 41wks with DC2 had accupuncture and then went into labour about 8 hours later. The accupuncturist was also a midwife, so she did a sweep at the same time....so am not sure whether it was the sweep, the accupuncture or just the rigth time for the baby to come out!
The accupunturist/midwife had said my cervix was ripe the day I went into labour, so I think my body was just ready and the session helped me along. It was also very relaxing.
I went on the recommendation of a friend who had had a session the week before and her baby arrived 6 hours later!
Good luck, hope your labour kicks off soon

Here in Germany my hospital offered a course of acupuncture in the weeks leading up to the due date. I went for a session 1 week before my edd and it brought on some fairly hefty contractions which stopped after a few hours. I never made it to the next session as I went into labour on my due date! I don't know what conclusions, if any, to draw from this. I think if you're up for it, it won't be a waste of time because as hackney says, you'll feel relaxed and a bit pampered. Good luck

I tried acupuncture at 40+9 with ds. No effect.

I has accupuncture at 40 +10 and went into labour exactly 12 hours later.

No idea if it was due to the accupuncture though!

Ta everyone! I think if baby is ready to come, & cervix is 'ripe' anyway, then it can happen at any time! (despite whichever method was used prior to going into labour!) - at the moment I am eating pineapple as well - fully aware that you need about 8 to get the amount of enzyme needed to kick things off! I think i'll go & try it & see. I am fairly open minded to alternative methods, so a bit of mind-over-matter may help, too!

Good luck josie, I'm in the same situation as you. However my hospital are willing to let me go overdue as long as I agree to regular monitoring to check that baby is OK.

The acupressure point on your ankle usually sets off a big BH for me, and has been used effectively by my yoga teacher (midwife) during many labours. But as with anything, I don't think it'll set off much that wasn't already on its way.

I went 14 days overdue with DD and tried EVERYTHING..... You've just reminded me to get pressing tonight!

Ta, hobnob. They are going to assess me tomorrow (Tues), & MW thinks that they may possibly let me go to 41wks, but no more. I think I will try the acupressure at the clinic today - I have tried the ankle area, & the achilles tendon area, & both get things moving so there is something in it! I think if its ready to come, then this will help(like anything else!). Failing all else it will HAVE to be some rumpy-pumpy tonight!
Good luck to you, too! When is your due date?

Tried acupuncture for my firtst and it did absolutly nothing. i also had the preparation to labour (three weeks leading to EDD with no results).
the only thing is i lost my waters prematurely and never got round to get contractions...

I had acupuncture (at about 41 weeks I think) and it didn't work (was induced at 42 weeks). But it was lovely and relaxing and made me feel like I was doing something to help the baby come so I would recommend it.

josie I was due last Friday, but this baby is resolutely curled round so its head is sitting in the corner of my pelvis opposite to its bum under my opposite ribs. No sign of engaging whatsoever and BHs all dying away

I'm trying so hard to avoid another em/cs but this baby really isn't helping matters! And yes, I do lots of walking and ball-bouncing and I stick my bum in the air for 10 mins before I get up to try to get it to move.... Will start the more drastic measures this week I think!

Hobnob - Thats what I had to do for my last baby (who will be 2 next week)- she was breech, & I did the whole bum in air, on all 4's for an hour a day thing - nowt worked! Had planned a c-section, but Gracie decided to try & make an appearance 4 days before that, so they rushed me for an emerg c-section. Whats the next step for you, then? Hope all goes well, & I will be wishing & hoping that your awkward baby turns & engages!! Moxibustion is supposed to help a baby turn into a correct position - I was going to try it last time, but never got round to it!
Well, I had the acupuncture & acupressure this AM - feel good for having it (feel relaxed & like I've made an attempt to progress things), however the £30-40 I was concerned about spending ended up being £105!!!! They offered to do double-needle acupuncture (whatever that is!), acupressure & moxibustion, & gave me 2 moxi candles to take & use at home tonight & tomorrow to help things along. Problem was, although it was a fab experience they didnt tell me the price change until afterwards, & as I was so relaxed in there I had no idea that I was in the treatment room for 2hrs as opposed to 45 mins! I suppose it was worth it due to all the treatments & time I had, but I am left feeling incredibly guilty that I could have spent that money on baby stuff, & also I wonder whether it really will work (seeing as I am about to drop anyway!). Oh, well - its only money!....

!!!!

That's a bit callous, is it not?

Think of it as a health in pregnancy grant...

I hadn't thought of the LO as being breech before but I suppose it is in a way - just at an awkward angle. It always behaves for examinations though, so still very much 'free'. I get lots of nice BH when it is head down, but that is sadly a rarer and rarer occasion.

I see MW for a sweep (if she can reach!) tomorrow (40+4) and again next Tue (41+4). After that I've arranged for twice weekly monitoring and to play the waiting game. That was all assuming the baby was head down and ready to play though. My hospital will induce after a CS, but my thinking was that I'd rather skip it and have a CS if it comes to that. But now I'm dithering. I quite fancy a bit of labour to make this all seem worthwhile! I'll just have to see how I feel at the time when decisions need to be made. Apparently hardy anyone goes more than 43 weeks overdue - I'm hanging on to that!

I know how you feel! My hospital will not attempt an induction - they will go as far as a sweep & breaking waters, but thats it! It will then be a c-section if they dont work......but, like you, I am resigned to a caesarean again if thats how its got to be. I pragmaically think that it has to come out somehow, & I have given the best chances I can! But, having said that, it would be nice to have a labour to speak of this time!
Look on Youtube for 'How to flip a breech baby with moxa' - it basically shows you moxibustion using the candles near your little toe, & it is meant to turn the baby into the correct position! Worth a try?
I never had the BH when head was in the pelvis last time, as she was head up the whole time, but I REALLY get them this time...with eyebrows raises when my pelvic floor is bounced against! Strange feeling! Funny enough, these feelings died down yesterday, but are back with a vengeance now, after todays session! Copious fetal movement!
I shall be thinking of you going through a sweep tomorrow, whilst I also have mine! Never had one before, & a bit nervous. Think positive thoughts!! Lets hope your baby's head is there when the fingers go a'poking tomorrow!

oooh - woke up this morning with mild twinges every 20 mins, & a mild 'show' (if you can call it that - a tiny streak of blood, only. None of this great 'blob' that I hear of!) Perhaps I dont need the sweep today after all...& maybe the acupuncture worked!!!?

oooh i hope so! i had acupuncture and then a successful vbac. every time i twiddled the points i was contracting! good luck to you!!!

I had acupuncture to turn a back to back baby dd2 at 38 weeks) and it worked within 10 mins, (which was very strange sensation) So I was full of hope for it to bring on labour. I started at 40 +5, cost £50, 40+6, cost £25, 40+7, cost £10, 40+8, free. Gave up after that when she started to joke she would pay me next time! Baby came 40+11 eventually (dd1 bang on due date, ds 1 40+13) I came to the same conclusion that I have come to with homeopathy...definitely worth a try as it seems to work about half the time, but don't rely on it! Good luck!

josie good signs! Go girl!

No sweep today as head is still free and baby curled in a C shape across the top of my pelvis. They said it was too risky if anything was set off by the sweep that it might not be the head that came out first.

Will start to think of other measures now maybe. Ball sitting and stool perching and walking aren't doing me any favours just now.