Will anything work to naturally start labour?

[Chai88]

I’m being induced next week at 39 weeks due to baby measuring small. This is my third child and my first two were both born at 41 weeks, so there’s no chance I’m naturally ready at 39 weeks.

With my second I had two sweeps, at 39 and 40 weeks, but they did nothing. It feels my body naturally goes to 41 weeks.

Does anything work to try and bring it on quicker? I’m eating pineapple, having sex etc but no luck so far. I would just rather not be induced.

Has the baby measured small the whole time or has growth dropped off recently? (Bearing in mind late scans can be wildly inaccurate)

I'd have thought it would be better to give a 'small' baby more time to cook. Induction also puts extra stress on a small baby that might not be ready to come out.

Have they talked you through all the options, pros and cons or just told you because it's guidelines?

He’s measured small since 28 weeks so been under fetal medicine. Theyre worried placenta’s not working as well as it should, although he’s followed his own curve all along, but he’s grown from 1st to 3rd percentile. So they said they strongly recommend induction at 39 weeks so worried about going against that.

Not for me, I've had 4 'overdue' babies so tried absolutely everything! There is a FB group called 'positive induction ' which might be helpful; you may still find there are choices you can make if you need to be induced so it could help to write an induction birth plan. In my two inductions, I found walking around (as far as they would let me, which was the whole of the hospital grounds) especially up and down stairs, really helped. Good luck!

It very much depends. Baby could be more at risk if the placenta has failed meaning it’s less beneficial for baby to stay put

When I was pregnant with my third, I went to the park and spent about an hour swinging on the swings after dinner on the day he was due. Went home and felt a bit crampy a couple of hours later.

He was born before breakfast!

I did a pregnancy yoga class right before I went into labour but I have no idea if that’s what did it.

Idk if any of this actually helped or if babies just come out when they're ready.

1&2 born at 41+3, basically was happy to wait for them to arrive. Accepted a sweep at some point but wasn't anywhere near ready so they couldn't complete it. I walked A LOT and both babes were still massively 'late' so can't say that helped much. With #2 we did some oxytocin inducing activities the night before she was born, watched a comedy show, had a massage that sort of thing which could have helped?! No sex though, wasn't up for that level of acrobatics with the size of my bump. Drunk a cup of raspberry leaf tea (teabags) daily, ate dates when I remembered.

With #3 I was just done. Really wanted the pregnancy to be over! So went in heavy with

• dates
• raspberry leaf tea (loose leafed and stewed strong)
• sex as much as I could stomach it
• nipple stimulation
• massage and anything else I could think of to release oxytocin. Fave foods, that sort of thing. Midwife suggested a nice glass of wine if that's your bag. My older two made me laugh a lot, perhaps that helped.

She was born at 40+5, so earlier than the other two but not 'early'. I don't think any of it would have helped if she wasn't ready to join us.

Hope it all goes well for you whatever you decide

Nipple stimulation is the only thing that might work, get the breast pump out!

Book a table at an expensive restaurant or some pricey theatre tickets - Sod’s Law says that’ll work!
Good luck OP.

I was booked to be induced at 39+4 purely because of my age. Tried some of the old wives tales to no avail (we were having regular sex, I tried stimulating my nipples, eating dates…), I went for a sweep at 39+1, but my cervix wasn’t favourable, had my appointment for the Foley’s induction at 39+4, but my cervix was still unfavourable 🙄. So I ended up going into the antenatal inpatient ward for induction by gel at 39+5, and it was actually ok (if slow and frustrating at times), I had two doses at the minimum level, but they set off the contractions, and although I then had a bit of a wait to be admitted into the labour ward (at least 16 hours from getting to 3cm, which was fun being in a shared ward when contractions were getting more intense…), DD was born on her due date (in the Labour ward, thankfully!) without any interventions needed.

A friend of mine is 60 today. His dad had a ticket for the match…