Induction set for next Tuesday. Any way I can get this labour business moving naturally?

[stopgap]

So I'm set to be induced next Tuesday when I'm 39+5 due to gestational diabetes. My first baby came at 41 weeks, and the current resident seems equally blase about moving (I'm still at 1cm dilated and have not lost my mucus plug).

What seems to be the most tried and true method of getting labour moving? Acupuncture? Sex? Marathon walks? Or should I just resign myself to the reality of artificially broken waters and pitocin, and try to make the most of my last week of decent sleep?

hiya

i feel your pain. induced last time at 39+3 due to T1 diabetes; this time have managed to negotiate 40+5 if alls well (currently 38+0).

last time i had acupuncture, stuck epo where sun doesnt shine, bounced on ball, walked, ate lot of curry but drew the line at sex yuch & still had very unfavourable cervix.

im just being bluntly honest because i feel i should be even though i know you dont want to hear it.

the good news is that as its your second you are likely to respond well to induction and its likely not to be hellish. but have an epidural if you do have drip.

Sex did it for me at 40+11. DD born 36 hours later....
Tried literally everything else, nada. I was even jogging whilst walking the dogs what a sight that must have been

Curry! I went out for dinner and asked for a really hot curry and deep fried chilli peppers (I love spicy food!). 3 hours later waters broke. I was 37+5.
This also happened to my friend in the same restaurant but her waters broke there. Embarrassing.

Walking, get moving as much as possible. Pineapple. Apparently getting down on all fours, scrubbing floors with a small brush used to be a favoured method to encourage the baby to move into correct position for labour, which can in turn help water break due to pressure on the cervix.

I tried everything. And went into labour naturally (thank goodness) at 40+2. Good luck!

Please direct us to this restaurant IngloriOus!

Sorry to hear the period pains came to nothing Kittyelise.

Hi Stopgap. I'm 37+4 with DC4 and hoping for a home birth but my consultant has told me I 'won't be allowed' to go full term because of my great age - 42! So want to get this baby out before they start putting pressure on.

All my previous babies came early and had some promising contractions last night but it's all stopped this morning. I actually find a bit of nipple action (!) really helps! It sets off contractions every time for me but as soon as we stop - they stop!

Have also been told that anything that gets your bowels moving will help labour kick-off as it's all linked down there. Sorry I haven't anything better to offer but do feel your pain ladies and hope we all manage to beat our induction deadlines!

I'm going for a vigorous walk up hill this morning...

Nothing has worked for me so far, OP :(

The pineapple thing, btw - MW told me that there is evidence that something in the juice IS known to be scientifically linked with the onset of labor. BUT - you'd have to eat eight whole pineapples in one go to get enough of it to have any chance of your body noticing! By which time you'll have the shits so badly you wont want to be giving birth as well

Thinking back, I did eat two bowls of pineapple the day before DS1 came, so maybe I'll give that a go again. Oh, and recruiting the hubbie for a night of curry and action shall be a top priority.

Sex ! Not that one feels like it but desperation got the better of me!

Masturbation, apparently. repeatedly. hyou dont get the sperm effect obviously, but you get the orgasm contractions that help. Good way to spend the time too!

being constipated wont help- so make sure youre 'moving'- take some psyllium husks with loads of water, once a day. I mix mine with juice, really get things moving.

Nothing worked for me, but induction 2nd time around with dc3 no where near as hellish as dd1. The procedure had changed and prostaglandin pessary was enough to start labour. No drip and baby born membranes still intact. So don't despair, induction doesn't have to be bad.

Hippie hypno foot massage/ acupuncture didn't work, but was bliss and I had the best nights sleep in ages!

Nipple stimulation.

Good luck!

Nothing! I tried the lot- sex, pineapple, curry,ball,all fours, rasberry tea, hot baths...had 3/4 sweeps too. In the end my DD came when she was ready... Well forced actually! :/ good luck, all will end well- my dd is perfection ans worth the wait.

(Forced= induction at 10 overdue !)

I did everything. He came at 40+11, the morning if induction day.

Two sweeps, acupuncture, a lot of walks uphill. I think, in the end, it was a sweep/hill walking combination - that, and he couldn't stay in there forever.

Acupuncture worked for me at 8 days over. Have heard that nipple stimulation works but you have to do it for something crazy like 3 hours a day!!