Does anything REALLY work to encourage labour to start?

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

Background - I am hoping for a VBAC after an EMCS last time round as DS was in a bad position and got stuck. He was very overdue, so it is likely DC2 will also be late; but due to the previous section I want to avoid being induced, but will probably get pressure to go for ELCS if I go very overdue. Midwife's advice is "try to go into labour naturally around 39/40 weeks" but not much advice on how to manage this

I have heard lots of theories about ways to start labour, but almost all of them usually followed by "there is no evidence this actually works" (e.g. pineapple, walking lots - which I can't easily do anyway as too achy, raspberry tea, curries,....) so just wondering whether there is anything more likely to work? - thinking things like reflexology perhaps, which I don't know much about? Thank you!

well, at 8 days over nipple-twiddling worked for me (waters broke, full-on contractions started within 20mins)

and there's a reasonable scientific explanation (it stimulates oxytocin, which is the hormone that does contractions). but then we'd also been having lots of sex which might have, erm, warmed things up a little (not that night though!). again, there are hormonal explanations. someone who doesn't have a teething 8m old can probably explain them to you

Nothing's really proven to work, but wouldn't you rather try something than not do anything? I went into labor a day after my due date, following loads of walking (at least 2-3 miles a day) and a couple heavy dinners (think: beans and rice and lots of it). Sex might have helped, too.

Hi,

I am 39 +3 with my second child and really hoping the same as you that i will not have to be induced again.

There are accupressure points you can try as well as the nipple tweaking to stimulate oxytocin to help encourage labour, there are quite a few websites that show you how.

It's horrible going over, and I felt cheated out of a birthing experience after having to be medically induced ending in a full spinal block.

I hope your baby comes naturally this time.

walk, walk, walk!

Shagging

Apparently there is an enzyme in sperm that can kick things off

Reflexology definitely helped me - my mum's a reflexologist (as am I, among other things!) and gave me a treatment at about 11am on the Tuesday morning 9 days before my EDD. I went into labour at 8pm that night and DS1 was born at 8:30am the next morning.

(Think we might have got dates a little wrong so he might have been a bit overdue rather than 9 days early, but either way he was 8lb 1 oz and very definitely 'cooked'!)

If you can find a reflexologist locally who's experienced in this then it's a great excuse to have a nice relaxing treatment, but if not then you can do it on yourself. The main point (related to the uterus) is on the inside of your heel, just below the arch of the foot, directly below the nobbly bit of your ankle. You'll know when you've found it because it'll feel tender. Massage this with your fingers & thumbs and it should help.

Don't play with it until you want to go into labour though, just in case it does get your started early!

Have an orgasm!
Don't know about the enzyme in sperm thing (it may be true) but orgasms are often accompanied by involuntary uterine contractions, which just might - ahem - prime the pump.

If your DP isn't available, try a spot of DIY...

And if it doesn't work, at least it'll be fun!

Ooh snowtiger us more!! Do you mean on the sole of the foot (can't visualise it) I've been doing a point on the outside of my leg, 4 fingers above my knobbly bit of ankle just off tibia I got from a link on here. Anything to help (went very overdue with dd and overdue again)

Nothing worked for me with dd, did everything except castor oil (despite lots of people telling me too I do actually have a few brains cells and decided against it!) walked loads, pineapple, sex etc I also want this baby out safe in my arms!!

I went to an emotional funeral - obviously not recommended - but am CERTAIN that the emotions kicked things off - am going to sit down in front of weepy movies if I go overdue next time.

My son came 2 weeks early so I reckon it must have pushed things along...

Carrie it's not on the sole of the foot - more the inside of the side of the foot if you see what I mean.

If you put your fingers on the nobbly bit of the inside edge of your ankle bone (i.e. on your right ankle, the nobbly bit facing your left leg, and vice versa), then shift them down an inch (towards the sole of the foot, but not on it) and back an inch (towards your heel) there's a natural hollow there - basically just massage all of that part with your thumbs in a circular motion.

Hope that helps - difficult to explain exactly where you mean without diagrams!

My advice would be to not do anything - sit it out! I spent last 3 weeks of last pregnancy trying to get things going - nipple tweeking, breast pump, sex, foot massages etc only to induce some seriously uncomfortable BH which led to nothing. Then miraculously (or indeed not given that my periods were always like clockwork and a 28 day cycle) I went into labour 3 hours past due date.

The baby will arrive when it is cooked, trying to force things only made me more uncomfortable than necessary and made me more and more impatient and annoyed by the day. Enjoy your last few days, (she says whilst recalling that she would have paid good money to speed things up). Now that DD has arrived, I wish I'd spent more time taking it easy rather than focussing on how much I wanted to shift her

There is a point in the webbing of your hands betwen the thumb and the forefinger right where the two bones meet, if this is rubbed for a couple of minutes then it can start things off. Certainly gave me tightenings about a week ago. x

Ooh nipple twiddling is a good one, I had forgotten that and it seems to be one thing there is some reason to believe in! Might try the reflexology too in a few weeks; and walking if I feel up to it, but at the moment it is usually too painful for me to walk very far (I usually start getting hip or bump pains after a bit).

MamiBabi I know what you mean and would do that if it was first time round, but as this is 2nd baby I won't get to take it easy for the last few days anyway as will be running after DS! And the midwife reckons if this one comes at 40 weeks it will already be at least 9 1/2 pounds... so am not too worried about it being undercooked but more worried about it hanging around for ages and then having to have another section as a result.

Will be having ago at my feet later the point between your finger and thumb is for pain relief I thought??

I would also love for nature to take it's course but it didn't with dd and she was 2 and a half weeks late and was a big baby too!!

Carrielou2007 - If you massage the point on your fingers it's for labour but can be continually pressed for pain relief, or so I am led to believe !

digging the veg patch did for me last time

i'm in Germany and my friend went to the hospital on saturday to be induced as her BP was too high and they gave her a castor oil cocktail!!!!!

but her DS (DC4) was born at 2.45am on Sunday!

wouldnt want to try it at home but amazed she was given it by the hospital!

I don't get why people are so about castor oil. Someone further up the thread was really disparaging about it-why? It irritates your stomach and gives you the shits-no difference from a really hot curry surely.

Am i missing something here?

Definitely nipple-twiddling, contractions started and my waters broke at the end of my 45 minute session. I also did a dry run a few days before but got cold feet when after 15 minutes or so I started to get period like pains. There seemed to be direct cause and effect each time.

Good luck!

Victoria because it also gives the baby the shits apparently

No, I tried everything and as a result was EXHAUSTED by the time I was induced. If you are ready then some of the things might help but if you aren't then NO amount of nipple tweaking, sex, walking and curry is going to make a blind bit of difference.

and I speak from bitter experience!

It was nipple-tweaking that did it for me with DD2 - waters popped all over the place! It probably helped that I was relaxed in bed at the time.

I've heard that Evening Primrose Oil can kick off uterine contractions - that's why it should be avoided if you are trying to conceive?

Has anyone used this successfully?

There's some evidence that castor oil can cause baby to pass meconium before birth which is Not Good.