Erm... I have just booked something chinese to induce labour and I'm not sure what. Anyone?

[BroccoliSpears]

I'm 40+5 today.

Was walking past my Chinese herbalist this morning and on a whim popped in to see if they could encourage the baby out.

They spoke no English and I speak even less Cantonese.

Much miming later, I have to go back tomorrow and they are going to burn some black sticks of something near my feet and that will get the baby out. I think.

Umm... is that an okay thing to do?

that's moxibustion.

Usually they do it at outer edge of little toe to turn breach babies.

Anyone with more info?

Yes, outer edge of little toe could make sense.

Either that or she's planning to burn my little finger with a joss stick.

Bump.

Am a bit nervous about this now.

look at these pages

Hmm. Thank you slim.

But I don't (to my knowledge) have a breech baby. I just want the blighter out.

How can my whooshing downward hand movements have been interpreted as "my baby needs turning around"?

Well I had a chinese takeaway the night before DS#1 arrived. Seemed to help. Now let me think....chicken with bamboo shoots, shredded chilli beef....

Look at the 4th link

Roffle Orm. I have reached the 'try anything' stage. Chinese for tea it is (though you'll be hearing from my lawyer if it doesn't work).

Tweak your nipples.

The night my waters broke with ds2 I had a madras for tea and nipple tweaked (not at the same time though).

Orm

energetic sex and hot vindaloo

Ahhh. Sorry Slim - trying to do too many things at once and missed that. That all sounds positive and encouraging.

About this nipple tweaking - is there a preferred method? I've never liked to ask.

20 mins on each side works a treat. My contractions didn't start when my waters broke so I did the nipple thing to start them off which it did then when I was actually contracting right upto 8 cm, i'd got so used to it I was standing there panting still tweaking my nipples.

I had a homebirth and my best friend said she kept having to leave she was phsl that much because not only was I tweaking my nipples but for some reason Hunker telling me to sway my hips in a circle really helped labour so I did that too. BF said I looked like a very pregnant pole dancer.

20 minutes on each side? Thhat's 40 minutes of nipple tweaking! I'd die of bordom. And I can't mumsnet with my toes.

I tweaked my nipples for 6 hours when I was in proper labour and it made my milk come in. It's quite a comfortable place for your hands. You'll remember this now I bet once you have gas and air you'll start and won't be able to stop. Make sure you do Hunker's hip circing thing too then you too can look as stupid as I did!

Didn't you get finger cramp?

Or RSI?

I had acupunture on the feet and ankles to try and induce. I think I recall acupuncturist saying that they can burn things attached to the needles so maybe it is the same sort of thing.

Reflexology is another possibility for you...didn't work for me but have heard good things.