So did anything you tried ACTUALLY bring on labour ?

[fakeblondie]

Getting a trifle warm now and a week overdue !

I spent three hours in front of the TV sat on a gym ball, ate a spicy meal and a plate of pinapple.
I started at 7pm while watchdog was on and by the time the ER finale was on at 10pm I was in full blown labour.

Hope it happens soon.

first time - tried 'hot curry' fortunately lugging the shopping basket round Sainsburys was sufficient...

second time - nipple stimulation & sex - went into labour straight after morning conjugal relations.

I ate a whole pineapple and had a hot curry the day I went into labour. Might have just been coincidence but worth a try

No idea if anything I tried actually brought on labour or if it just happened naturally at 40+11 but I'm a big believer in the fear factor. Up until 40+10, we had tried acupunture (below knees, done by midwife), walking up and down stairs (100 at a time!), gym balls, even a sweep - anything to ensure I could still have my planned homebirth.

My waters only finally broke though when I eventually gave in and went into hospital for a trace-thing at 40+10 to check baby's heartrate etc. I was adamant that I still wanted a home birth so the midwife sent me home - I had to drive sitting on a plastic mat because I was absolutely drenched and didn't want to trash the car. It worked though, and DS was born at home early the next morning after a straightforward and swift labour.

Anyway, whatever works or doesn't work, you'll hopefully have plenty of fun trying in the next few days. Good luck!

i walked 4miles in the afternoon, got home, waters broke.followed by fully blown labour!!

with DS1 think it was a mix of spicy food plus sex and with DS2 a mix of reflexology plus sex...

only thing guaranteed to work is waiting
Sorry!

Well, I tried nipple stimulation (a vibrator is excelent for that - your hands don't ache) and I've had a couple of curries this week and I'm currently in the early stages (contactions between 8-12 minutes apart).

I can't say whether it was the spicy food and the stimulation mind. The baby's head has been pretty low for the last few weeks.

i am watching this thread with interest as am 5 days overdue and booked in for induction due to high bp on weds, which i would love to avoid.
my midwife did a rather painful sweep yesterday and said my cervix is still closed so must get DH to have sex with me as the prostaglandin in the semen will get the cervix going - yuck. she also said hot curry and castor oil are good because it gives you diarrhoea and that sets off contractions. don't find that one particularly appealing - especially in this heat and with very active toddler to look after!

First baby: Sex. Then bottom propped up on a pillow so the sperm (well its the prostagandin in it) pools against your cervix. My waters went 4 minutes later.

Third baby: Was climbing over DH to get to the right side of the bed, ready to try the above again - waters went.

Am due today again. Guess what we will be doing tonight (if its cool enough - not giving birth in this heat!) xxx

I'm afraid nothing works.

You'll find a lot of people will have tried things and labour coincided with this but it is just that, a coincidence.

You'll find many more who tried and it did nothing and even more who went into labour while sleeping/sitting/eating chocolate/having a bath.

It's frustrating but your body will go into labour when it is ready. It's a chemical process, nothing to do with sex or curry or pineapple.

With DS2 my waters broke 30 mins after eating a hot curry. But as he was over a week overdue it may well have just been coincedence...

MyGod I can't believe a midwife is recommending castor oil!!!! DON'T!!!

Waters broke after playing my sax for about an hour. Then nothing until I ate a whole fresh pineapple ... bingo!

I tried:
pineapple (huge quantities)
chilli
sex
clary sage
reflexology
raspberry leaf tea

None of it worked and I went 9 days over, sorry!

I was attending ante-natal yoga and the instructor had a "trick" for bringing labour along but she would not show it to you unless you were at least 38 weeks. I was 37 weeks and desperate to avoid an induction (advised due to previous history) so she agreed to show me. I was due to be induced the following Monday at 38 weeks so I agreed that I wouldn't try it until the weekend before (are you still with me??). Right, so she told me what to do and demonstrated on me.....I said OK, let's not do too much as I don't want anything to happen too soon. Baby was born at 9:30am the following morning after a 2 hour labour.

Long, sorry!

Don't know if it was just coincidence, but I went to my first aquanatal session at about 38 weeks with DD1 and was so elated by the weightless bump sensation that I really really went for it and as I got out, my bump seemed to shift and drop, accompanied by a strange dragging/ pressure inside, just above my pelvis. DD was born the next morning .

TELL, Pinner35 !

I burnt clary sage oil in an oil burner for an hour or so (indeed I may well have had a bath with the stuff in before hand). Put it out, lay down, there was a little pop and my waters went. DS born a few hours later.

Mind you I was 40+2 at the time so not really a surprise to go into labour with or without the clary sage.

my friend saw an acupuncturist and the next night her labour started, 2 h later and she was holding her brand new daughter.

Just to re-iterate do not take castor oil.

pinner35 - you can't leave us hanging here!! we're all overdue so no danger of early birth!
WHAT DID THE YOGA TEACHER DO??!!

LOL pinner35 I am due today - come one tell!!!

a sweep

definitely carrying heavy shopping. Supermarket worked for me and my sister. Taking a small child with you is helpful- borrow one if you don't have, stroppier the better..

Also never got there myself but reflexology worked for people I know.

good luck.