Starting labour advice!

[highheavenn]

Yes my baby will come when she's ready.. however for fun I'll try some "methods" which others swear by!

Tomorrow I'll be 39+5. Im having a sweep done also!

Hopefully she can do it and my cervix is how it should be for it 🤞🏼

Does pineapple juice actually help? If so when should I take it?

Do dates help labour? (I have eaten them daily since 36 weeks)

Does raspberry leaf tea tablets help? (I've taken them since 36 weeks)

Does curb walking help?

Does sex after a sweep help?

Firstly endorphins helps to start labour so not stressing too much about it will help.

Sex help’s because there’s something in semen that can help to soften the cervix and it should give you a nice dose of endorphins.

I wouldn’t mess with raspberry leaf tea.

I have no idea what curb walking is but staying active in general is good!

There is something in semen that apparently will start labour.

With my oldest who is now 10 I went into labour at 39+5 after sex, we done the deed and 10-15 mins after my waters broke, she was born 12hrs later 🤣🤣 so for me it worked 🙈🙈

I wouldn't have sex right after a sweep as your cervix might be irritated and then there might be some bleeding/pain which is nothing to do with baby, just an angry cervix but will end up worrying you none the less.

But sex before definitely! And maybe 24hrs after.

It's all anecdotal.

I tried everything and baby arrived at 41+6

I think relaxing and visualising it happening helped me. Dd1 is not pro change so maybe she needed a bit of reassurance.

You need oxytocin to start labour which is a happy hormone. So being relaxed and happy. Warm baths, massage, watch a comedy.

Raspberry leaf doesn’t start labour, it tones the uterus so contractions are stronger therefore labour is shorter. It definitely worked for me but needs building up slowly from one a day up to 4, ideally should be started from 32 weeks though.

Everything else I tried and doesn’t work, dates did nothing but were disgusting. Pineapple will likely just give you loose stools, clary sage never worked.

Curb walking can help get baby down into your pelvis and the pressure on you’re cervix may encourage dilation.

Your best bet is to try and feel relaxed and not stress about starting labour

Ok. I will let you into a little secret….

Nothing worked for me to start labour earlier, except having an orgasm. I am sorry to put it so bluntly, but I was horny as hell in my fourth pregnancy, and so when I was close to the due date this would increase my braxton-hicks rates and this helped induce labour. Nothing else seems to work as well.

Not everyone feels horny at 9 months pregnancy though! I was strange.

Might have been a coincidence but the day after bouncing lots on my birthing/gym ball my waters broke 🤷🏼‍♀️even so it’s good to bounce apparently to get baby in a good position

DTD and expressing colostrum worked for me (I think) I had my bloody show not long after doing a combination of both!
And I also agree with trying to be relaxed/do things you enjoy to release oxytocin! Go for a nice lunch, shopping, walks, bouncing on the ball…
Raspberry leaf tea definitely can’t hurt, I had a really quick pushing stage (less than 10 mins) so I definitely vouch for it!