Nipple stimulation to encourage labour?

[soon2befamilyof4]

I keep hearing that to play with your nipples or hand express some milk is a good way to get labour started? I can't go to the brithing centre if I need to be induced again so I want to increase the chances of going into labour naturally. But only if it is safe.

Has anybody done this? What exactly do you do? I am 37 weeks - is it safe to start now? What about using a breast pump? Is this ok? I know you can freeze the milk (I know its not proper milk but can't think of the name so will just say milk for now!) and I do actually have some little weaning pots which would probably be suitable if I did actually manage to get enough milk out. I have started to leak now so there is obviously something there!

Any advice would be great. I want this baby out before it gets to induction! I know I have a long way to go but I also know that most of these things don't actually work!

---

If you've found this page in your search of the benefits of nipple stimulation to induce labour, you might find our guide to the best nipple toys useful. Hope this helps! MNHQ

Hey soon2be apparently you have to do 15 minuites nipple stim either side 3 times a day for it to be effective i think? (we were talking about this on the last AN thread, so feel free to have a look its towards the end of episode 25, as i may have got it wrong )

Hope everything is going well with you

Thanks! I might have to come back over to the thread. It just moves so fast for me! I can't keep up! You miss one day and there are 5 pages to read! Then I feel rude if I don't read it all!

As long as your waters havent broken, sex is definately the most reliable way of instigating labour
nipple stimulation is ok to do, but sex will more effecient(sp??)(assuming you are with your partner) because of the prostaglandins(sp?) in sperm

sorry my spelling is terrible tonight

no worries its still as fast, dont feel rude just update and ask away nobody minds xx

Don't feel rude about not reading it all! We're so chatty we don't notice if people don't catch up anyway

& I think as an extension of what Nutty said - it's 15 minutes each side, alternating for an hour, 3 times a day.

Sounds like a lot of hard work to me. But apparently if it's going to work, it works within 48 hours. I suppose at 37 weeks, although it'll be safe, it may not be so effective because you won't necessarily be ready, IYSWIM.

Using a breast pump is okay as well, but I'm not sure how comfortable it'd be at this point. As for freezing the colostrum, there's little point in most cases - & if you're using a pump there probably won't be enough collected to freeze anyway, as some gets lost in the mechanism & there's not a great volume of colostrum to begin with (or so I've read - I've never used a breast pump... yet!)

I nipple-twiddled from around 37 weeks onwards and went into labour on my due date! IIRC, I did it morning and evening, for about 10 minutes or so.

Could be pure coincidence, but I swear it worked for me!

M/w today suggested lots of sex - DH quite liked that suggestion. What the hell am I doing mumsnetting when I should be in bed

I'm also planning on pineapple juice and curries over the next few days - due on Saturday

Worked for me, after waters broke and then wandered around for many hours without any progression. Had heard of it from a friend, so did it, in desperation (ie curries, sex, trampoline redundant as was in hospital by then) ...feeling a bit of a loon...but...very soon after, contractions started with avengance. Don't know if it would work before labour's thinking about making an appearance, but if your body's being a bit slow after initial signs....I'd recommend it....again to emphasise, felt a bit of a loon (plus felt a nipple or two!) but it seemed to work for me, at that time! Still have a problem admitting it to people, as they tend to curl up and cringe, or laugh out loud, and it was many years ago!!!