Bringing on labour

[mrsnlw]

Im 36 weeks on Sunday and at my last mw check at 34 weeks, my MW mentioned about perineal massage to help reduce tearing and also how sex and the hormone in semen can help to ripen the cervix for when labour does start etc.

My question is, the whole eating curries, going for walks, drinking raspberry leaf tea, getting intimate, nipple stimulation etc - Does it work at all in getting your labour started and if so, when would you suggest to start from? I assume 37 weeks?

I started drinking raspberry leaf tea (between 5-8 cups a day) from around 35/36 weeks. DS arrived at 38+5 after 45 mins in active labour. No idea whether that helped speed it up or not but it was fast for a first labour!
It can't hurt to try all the usual things but most babies come when they're ready and not before. However I think the idea behind nipple stimulation is that it causes your uterus to contract therefore triggering labour.

Ha ha, I tried everything you list and DS1 was 40 +18 and DS2 was 40+11, baby will come when baby is ready, just plan lots of nice treats to keep your spirits up if you do go a few days over.

I think it's pretty pointless tbh.

I'm 38 weeks and have reset my brain to only consider myself as 'due' at 41 weeks. Anything happening before then will be a pleasant surprise .

DD arrived at 41+2. She simply wasn't ready before then. I tried all the curry/sex/pineapple/raspberry tea stuff and had a sweep. I even considered castor oil (not knowing any better). None of it did anything.

This time I won't be having a sweep or bothering with any of the rest of it.

Although.........

Basically, no it doesn't work (and raspberry leaf tea isn't meant to bring on labour anyway).

If you feel frisky, by all means have sex. Could be the last time you are in the mood for a while, so enjoy it. Nipple stimulation I think does have some effect, but that's based on doing it for something like four hours a day!! Curries and other things in that vein are based on the idea that getting your body to have a good clear out might get things going - not the most scientific of ideas even though often women do find that their body does that naturally just before labour.