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Original poster

Naturally Inducing labour?

15 replies

icklebabyjack · 25/10/2007 11:36

Hello Ladies,

Have been reading the forums on here for months now and finally decided to join and ask my own. I am sure you all hear this alot but i am 40+2 and feeling pretty fed up. My baby boy is 4/5ths engaged, i have had the show (3 weeks ago) a small water leak (split in sack which resealed, think its known as hind waters breaking) and regular tightenings/braxton hicks which never develop into anything more, even though some are pretty painful.
My midwife has booked me in for the sweep next week and if no success an induction date is looming. I really don't want to be induced as i have heard it is not a nice experience so would like to kick start my lil lad to come out.

I have tried many things:
Rasberry leaf tea, Lots and lots of walking, sex, eating spicey food (eventhough i hate it), hot baths, driving down bumpy roads, walking up and down stairs, intense cleaning and nesting, fresh pineapple, accupressure (kind off, just done it on myself) The list goes on i'm sure. Thing is I am getting to the point were i will do anything. I have heard MANY stories about caster oil and it is apparently pretty effective eventhough it is an unpleasant start to labour by being in the toilet for ages.

What are your opinions please?? Should i give it a try and see if it helps him along?

Thanks in advance for all your respones.

(sorry this has turned into a bit of an essay!!! lol)

xxxxx

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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indiasmum · 25/10/2007 11:37

my friend swears by castor oil. def worked fro her. but i dont think its recommended. i def didnt want to try it!

wheresthevalium · 25/10/2007 11:39

Clary sage oil mixed with base oil massaged into bump and back.

Fresh pineapple

HTH

rdk · 26/10/2007 10:27

caster oil doesnt always work my friend had some last week and nothing happened shes still waiting now for lo to arrive

LackingNicknameInspiration · 26/10/2007 14:24

No experience of castor oil, I'm afraid, although I suspect it will be effective (if it is) as it upsets your bowel - my MW told me that's why hot curries can work.

I note you mentioned acupressure - can your MW recommend a reflexologist? I was 9 days overdue and had a sweep on the Monday morning (8th Oct), a reflexology session at 3pm the same day and the baby arrived at 10.21am the following morning . Not sure if it was coincidence or the combination rather than one individual thing, but just relieved something worked (and I'd had no signs of labour whatsoever before that - no show, no BH, no waters - nothing!!). If nothing else it was a nice relaxing hour of having my feet fiddled with - and because the recommendation came via MW, it was £15 which seemed quite reasonable to me. Not sure where you are, but the reflexologist I used was in Epping, Essex.

Good luck - tis miserable being overdue, so I sympathise. But well worth the wait!

millie76 · 26/10/2007 14:27

I think castor oil does work, but apparently can be quite unpleasant, and really isnt worth it.

I tried everything to induce my dd - raspberry leaf tea, pineapple, curries, sex, long walks. It was the membrane sweep that eventually brought her into the world.

That said, my dates were wrong, and she was in fact early, rather than the two weeks late they thought she was, so it turned out she wasnt ready to be here anyway!

I know its frustrating, but it'll happen when its ready. Not what you want to hear though, I know.

suzi2 · 26/10/2007 15:15

IF anything worked for me it was one of the following...

clary sage, kerb walking (one foot on kerb, one on road, look like a prat!), a good cry, finally deciding on a name and saying "we're ready now" sort of thing, eating mexican food, having a beer or champagne, sex.

good luck

Tejay22 · 29/10/2007 16:06

Im in the exact same potion! i am 1 week overdue and have tried everythin! even a pre natal massage! no joy! gettin fed up walking round the house imagining little Cohen in his basket/change mat/my arms! went for sweep this a/m! not the most pleasant of things as she does get right in there! a little blood coming down! imagine its a show! period pain like cramps in belly! MW has given me a induction date for 5th Nov! a whole week 2 go! Good luck hun! if ya find anythin that works please let us know!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

bambam30 · 30/10/2007 10:07

i went to a homeopath and she gave me caullyphillum [sorry don't know how to spell it] but she gave 3 small doses over a day and then one big dose next am it worked i went into labour she also gave me arnicacto help with bruising and focusing it must have worked cos i was dead chilled out had no pain releif and delivered a nine pounder with forceps and all the midwives kept saying to my dp she so calm it been a very long labour etc but i swaer the arnica realyy did help me so hood liuck all you ladies in waiting

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 30/10/2007 20:02

DON'T DO CASTER OIL!!!! OMG, it was AWFUL. Well, my sister did it and was fine then I was advised to try and was told to have half a BOTTLE of it with the same amount of orange juice (think nan was a bit wrong with that, turned out she'd got dementia!!). DISGUSTINGly horrible. Within 15 mins and was weeing out of my bottom!!! And very soon after, I was in a horrible labour, contractions weren't even 2 mins apart but it wasn't even established labour - it was my body going mad!!! I'm sure it didn't help ds either, he was quite stressed at times and they kept me in even though I was only 1 cm dilated. 19 hours of hell but we got there in the end!

If you try it, don't take as much as I did!!!

paulaplumpbottom · 30/10/2007 20:02

sex sex sex

Original poster
icklebabyjack · 01/11/2007 14:59

tejay22: its nice to know im not alone, i am due to have the sweep on sunday and i am not looking forward to it one little bit. My induction date is the 7th november, i am really hoping he will come on his own before that. have you had any joy?? best of luck.

thank you to everyone who replied and for the advice.

x

OP posts:
ejt1764 · 01/11/2007 15:03
  • nipple stimulation - works, but is a bit of a faff ...
  • acupuncture ... worked for me this time - but I'd been having acupuncture throughout the pregnancy, so was attuned to it already ...

But just need to remind you that you are not overdue until you hit 42 weeks ... and that you are within your rights to refuse induction and to go for expectant management if you want ...

Good luck!

toomanyballs · 01/11/2007 15:06

Caullophyllum ( also sp? ) worked for me too. Can also take it during labour to help contractions.

claraenglish · 01/11/2007 17:16

Message withdrawn

nappyaddict · 03/11/2007 20:37

does anyone know if kerb walking and side stepping down the stairs works?

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