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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

what did you do to bring on labour naturally?

87 replies

lightsandshapes · 08/11/2011 11:43

I am 41 + 4 and don't want to go down the hospital induction route....

what did you do to bring on labour naturally (that worked???)

Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
lightsandshapes · 09/11/2011 12:12

well, tonight I am going to a RNLI sessions gig in a 'secret location' that we are bussed to (told to waer flat shoes - I'm just turning up and not telling them I'm massively pregnant!!) and on Saturday there's a mahoosive fireworks and music festival at a campsite literally next door to us that I really want to go to - if neither of those bring it on, I don't know what will!!

OP posts:
GalaxyWeaver · 09/11/2011 12:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ExquisiteCake · 09/11/2011 21:55

A good ol' sweep sorted me out.

Nothing like the giant gorilla mitts of my OBGYN yanking my cervix from one side to the other.

I was in labour and had delivered by the same time the next day.

slide15 · 10/11/2011 13:23

Castor oil. Not exactly natural. But it worked!

Zipitydooda · 10/11/2011 13:33

Look on you tube for acupressure points to bring on labour, massage those points using clary sage. Worked for me after 2 days massaging a couple of times a day.

Astronaut79 · 10/11/2011 13:42

Bloody everything. Ds1 was 10 days overdue, although Dh wouldn't rise to the occasion, so I blamed him.

This Dc is currently a week late, although I've had some contractions every night for 2 weeks. A very distressed DH finally played his part on Saturday night, but to no avail. Maybe it doesn't work if they don't mean it!

I've just had my 3rd sweep and have been told I'm 3 cm dilated, with the cervix all gone and the water bag bulging. SO WHY WON'T IT COME OUT? Am sitting bouncing away while I write this and contemplating jogging to nursery to pick Ds up later.

jumbly · 10/11/2011 14:50

Not sure which, if any, of these did the trick, but when I was 4 days overdue, on the day before arrival of DS1, I walked about 4 or 5 miles, ate a load of fresh pineapple, had a ride on the up-and-down merry-go-round at the seafront funfair, ate a whole load of crispy duck pancakes and plum sauce...and I awoke in labour at 4am the following day. DS1 was out and kicking by 9am. I like to think it was the merry-go-round that clinched it, but I'm probably wrong.

Brunhilde · 10/11/2011 17:38

So wld anyone take the offer of a sweep to try and hit 'pretty' due date of 11.11.11 or is that just bloody daft??

S1TLL · 10/11/2011 18:08

Relexology. Worked within 24 hours for both of mine.

crazyhead · 10/11/2011 18:21

@Brunhilde I would if I was offered.

I walked 4 miles today, and it made sod all difference, so poor old OH will be under pressure to perform later. The romance.

SmallZooOwner · 10/11/2011 18:24

I found a good bounce at a local park on a see saw worked for both of mine. I still go now its got a good bounce on it Grin

Colliewollydoodle · 10/11/2011 18:58

SLEDGING!!

nomiddlename · 10/11/2011 19:01

Nipple stimulation - worked within a couple of hours for ds.

Hasn't been proved for high risk pregnancies though so I'm not advising based on that.

FryLaw · 10/11/2011 19:13

I think it was already said, but inadvertently, by morethemerrier "With DC3 I was much more relaxed and she was only 3 days late! Funnily enough DC1 was born on DD!?! "

yeah, if your more relaxed then its more likely to happen with these inducements, but if your not relaxed, then your not tuned in to your body, and cannot allow it to do its thing.

tiggersreturn · 10/11/2011 19:46

Moving house when expecting dts. They came 3 days later. We still have unpacked boxes. I tried all the others with ds except for castor oil and nothing worked.

MangoMonster · 10/11/2011 19:50

Sex, worked for me.

nattnatt · 10/11/2011 19:51

I highly recommend going to a nice loud concert. I was 10 days overdue and went to the MEN arena to watch the Stereophonics (my cousins were supporting there was no way I was missing it). My contractions started in my seat! Currently 13 weeks pregnant and already trying to find a nice concert/party to go to in May :o

FoofFighters · 10/11/2011 20:19

13 days overdue with DS1, had to be induced. 11 days overdue with DS2, I bounced on my birth ball like a mofo and hey presto = labour. I'm sure that's what did it!

RememberImAWomble · 10/11/2011 20:34

Flisspaps I was told by my doc not to have sex, or rather to make sure we used a condom.

That was at month 5 when DD prematurely got herself into position (thanks to a holiday that involved a lot of hill climbing, I suspect). 4 months later a sweep brought on the first part of labour, a whole 10 days before sex brought on the rest of it. I guess it would be more accurate to say that it moved things along that were already happening, rather than started things off from scratch, though!

DC2 will be 40w on NYE and I will be trying everything to try and get an earlier arrival than that so taking notes now...

My granny used to recommend scrubbing the floor on hands and knees, and she had 5 kids so I suppose she might know?

Brunhilde · 10/11/2011 21:12

So now am bouncing frantically on ball, fiddling with nips and demanding DH shag me later. You ladies have a lot to answer for :) He's lucky I'm not in the garage looking for the sledge.

Glimmerberry · 10/11/2011 21:56

I went at 39+3, first time mum.

In the last week of pregnancy I did the following:
Raspberry leaf tea several times daily
Pineapple +++
Swimming

...then had to take a flight at 38+6

Slight water leak at 39w, no sign of labour, so continued above. The day I went into labour my husband and I went for a reasonably taxing 8 mile walk. In bed that night, worried about my PROM, I googled other things to try and we did a bit of acupressure in desperation. Woke up with contractions a few hours later.

Of course it's most likely all just coincidence (at 39+ with ROM, what were the chances I wouldn't go into labour) but i thought it was interesting that the recommended acupressure points were inexplicably tender and sensitive. Weird.

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=acupressure%2Bpoints%2Bfor%2Blabor&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDoQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwnEcLSHTI0s&ei=2ke8TqbeA8XEsgaI6rDGAw&usg=AFQjCNGDgIAC7tJibAu-pRy-KOJsdXfrxg

triskaidekaphile · 10/11/2011 21:59

sex

carantala · 11/11/2011 04:25

Castor oil did the trick when 13 days past due date; avoided medical inducement

33goingon64 · 11/11/2011 08:00

39+6 DH had been a lazy arse and despite being asked repeatedly hadn't loaded the car with stuff to take to the tip, so I did it myself (he quickly leapt up to help). Next day 39+7 I went to the tip alone and despite emerging from the car heavily pregnant not one of those blokes in hi vis vests came to help so deposited it all myself in the various skips, going up and down the steps. Then I went to Sainsbury's to do a full shop. I went into labour that evening and DS was born 9mins into his due date. Wasn't for one moment expecting to be on time. Reckon I might have ended up being late if I hadn't been so active that day.

Babblefish · 11/11/2011 08:40

i have 3 and all started off with SEX!!!!!

DS1 and 2 started 24 hours after sex but DD started 12 hours later.

It's not east especially if you had SPDlike i did with DS2 but it works for me!!!

Good luck xx