I'm pretty sure this must have been done but I can't find a thread - Natural Ways to start labour?

[LuckySalem]

I'm now 39+3 and am having a planned homebirth.
MW came today and said baby isn't even engaged yet and we'll be cutting it close for a homebirth. They give us till term+12!
I do'nt want to do anything dangerous and would prefer if possible to leave it to nature but I really DONT want to be induced (it's probably my biggest fear)

I don't seem to have had any BH - Just period pains (no hard stomach though) and a stabbing pain right above my clitorus (TMI sorry) Also had really leaky nipples in the past week or so (have to wear breastpads and change at least once a day already)

Any ideas would be brilliant! Thanks

I take it this is your first baby if the mw if worried about the head not being engaged? It is unusual, wonder why it isn't? Are you sure of dates, is the baby definately head down etc? Tbh, nothing will start labour except the baby or a huge dose of artificial hormones! If the head is not pressing on the cervix there is no stimulation for labour to start. Otherwise castor oil seemed to do the trick for me.

Yeh definatly right way round. First baby.

She says it is on its way but she can still feel it properly so isn't engaged.

on another note - They seem to be against Homebirths do you think this could be a way of making me switch to a hospital birth and baby is actually down cos it definatly feels lower to me and I can't feel head when I press and I know I used to be able to.

I think your suspicions could be correct regarding the whole homebirth situation. Maybe this is something you should talk to your mw about?

DS never fully engaged and I went into labour spontaneously (sp?), so don't worry too much about that yet.

If you google optimum fetal positioning, you will get some good tips on encouraging your baby down (keeping your knees lower than your pelvis when sitting, birthing ball etc)

I always thought optimal fetal positioning was just about getting them head down, didn't realise you could use it to make them go down as well.

I try to use my birthing ball as much as possible anyway cos it helps my hips but if its going to stop a hospital birth (complete with scary inductions) then I'll use it more! Thanks

Why do you think they are against home births? My mws were not very enthusiastic either but I think they may just have been jaded generally. Many mws also think hbs are for second babies as first labours are such an unknown quantity (I personally think all labours are an unknown quantity!)Us student mws we think hbs are great and are very much taught that they are safe and appropriate for most women, but they only comprise about 3% of all births so perhaps your mw doesn't feel very confident about the prospect.

When I said I wanted a homebirth they spent the rest of that appointment (20 mins or so) telling me why I shouldn't. First baby are you sure you can cope? What if something goes wrong, its more likely to go wrong with first births. Can be very expensive to get a pool etc etc etc. Didn't get any niceities about it at all.

Any movements that open out the pelvis may encourage your baby down.

Don't be disheartened, things can change so quickly. I was told at 40 weeks that my cervix felt like someone at 38 weeks, and 7 days later I went into labour!

Good luck xx

I like the sound of that, thanks very much moveit

champagne. Worked for me! And at least it's fun.

Oh, I could murder and glass of wine right now and I know there's a bottle in the fridge (for new year) Mmmmm

Anyone know of any more?

There are loads of others, but will only work if your cervix is ripe and your baby is ready:

reflexology
fresh pineapple
raspberry leaf tea (to soften the cervix)
sex
eat something that gives you the trots

something that gives the trots? I've never heard of that one, is that what they mean by curries etc?

Am not going to start anything until my due date at least (thursday) to give baby time to get down.

In the meantime, I've not left my ball yet! lol

Long walks, drives down bumpy roads, any kind of bouncing/running (just ignore the funny looks you get!) - they should all help the baby move down. Just been for a marathon 3 mile walk (really hope I don't go into labour know though cos I'm knackered lol!) and the pressure in my pelvis is immense - baby is pretty well engaged anyway, but at the moment I do feel like if I go to the loo and strain too much he might just pop out! Having said that, I've had that several times in the last couple of weeks (I'm due today) and no sign of the baby yet!

Other than that, stuff like clary sage oil massaged into your bump with a carrier oil is meant to be a uterine stimulant (hasn't worked on me yet), eating fresh pineapple (especially the stem) is meant to be good (careful you're not allergic to it though, the ulcers took a week to go with me!), or eating anything that stimulates the bowels shall we say - hot curries, lots of dried fruit, castor oil (although make sure you're 100% sure about it first, not considered to be particularly safe these days as it stimulates baby's bowels as well as yours) etc.

The other thing to try is lots of sex and nipple stimulation. Sex is good for introducing prostaglandins to your cervix (to soften it), giving your uterus a workout (assuming you orgasm - if you don't during the deed, then make sure you do it yourself ) and if you're on top, then bouncing around is another good way of getting the baby to drop. Nipple stimulation produces oxytocin which stimulates your uterus. Good technique here. All it ever does for me is give me regular BH though

Hope this helps - I've tried them all and still here after several false labours, so I think at the end of the day the baby will come when s/he is ready

Naetha sound like a (desperate) woman in the know!!!

Oh Naetha - Still no baby?! Sorry hun.
Thanks for you list though!

LS, you could look here but I would stress that you should NOT overdo it when trying to encourage labour. You can try to encourage it but all that may happen is that you get contractions that then tail off leaving you exhausted, as baby is not ready yet.

Here are a few links to read through which might help you.

www.homebirth.org.uk/overdue.htm

www.radmid.demon.co.uk/alternative.htm

www.gentlebirth.org/archives/natinduc.html

So my tip is to relax, plan a treat for every day for the next 2+ weeks, enjoy some brisk walks and swims but not overdo it, enjoy some bedroom antics with dh and NOT focus on when baby is coming. Baby will come when she/he is ready. Listen to your instincts.

Remember also that even a sweep has risks and that it only shows the state of the cervix at that minute and that labour may start in a few hours of a seemingly unfavourable cervix.

Best tip: RELAX and forget about impending labour

BTW I had my VBAC at 42+1 scan edd and totally understand the pressure when waiting

Had both DC at home (MW very positive for 1st birth, DH and GP against) and it worked out fine.

I used an acupunturist with both (on recommendation of MW). with DS waters broke and nothing happened and was booked in for induction BUT acupuncurist came to our house and within 30 minutes labour was on its way.

2nd time round (big baby) MW agreed to induce from 37 weeks onwards and acupuncture didnt help, she came when she was ready.

Relaxing - Totally agree, have a nice bath with a glass of wine and who knows!

If anything other than artifical hormones worked midwives wouldn't work weekends, Christmas, bank holidays.

no one tried evening primrose oil take 2,000mg oraly and insert 2,000mg each night but on a pad tho as is messy it ripens the cervix

sat here 40+6ish with #4 and also booked for homebirth, dds 1,2,3 were all overdue too, so have been here before :D

big fat raspberry to 'not allowed homebirth after term +12' it's rubbish read the page on the homebirth website above and don't let the MW or anyone else bully you into anything

average arrival for first baby is 40+10 and that includes all of those who are induced at 40+12, so should be longer if they'd been left alone to get on with it! if there's no problem with the baby or you then no reason to indcue or have to go to hospital they can only offer an induction, you're perfectly entitled to turn them down

try to chill out and enjoy the last few days if there's time between the long bump walks, sex, pineapple, curry adn clary sage anyway......