Calling overdue Mums. 40 weeks + 4. Ideas for inducing labour?

[Jools78]

I was 14 days overdue with DD1 (natural delivery, not induced) and am now 4 days overdue with first son.

Booked for a sweep at 40 + 8 but had a sweep with DD1 and found it incredibly painful and intrusive, like the internal exams you have in labour (more painful than labour, in a way) so keen to induce naturally.

Here are some things I'm going to try:

• Caullophyllum 30c (homeopathic remedy - 3 doses)
• Walking
• Curry
• Pineapple
• Clary sage in the bath (any advice here on how much to use or inhale on a tissue?)
• Shiatsu points (at yoga tomorrow, yoga teacher practices some shiatsu)

Any other ideas?

Anyone else in my boat?

Really hoping for home birth so don't want to be induced. Thanks! Jools

Hi, I'm not overdue but will read responses with interest (induced on 1st labour with DS1) ..... am now pregnant with DC2 but only 17 weeks.

Have you tried Acupuncture? The day after I had this my waters broke (however I was still induced as 24 hrs passed with very minor contractions).

The old school Midwives kept telling me to have sex saying that will be the only way to naturally induce labour but I couldn't face it!

One thing I will recommend not to do is to touch Castor Oil - hideous hideous hideous...

Oh and I'm completely with you on the pain of the sweeps! I hit the ceiling and demanded the gas and air...

Thanks, Beanigan for your response, good luck with your second, and congratulations.

DH and I were just discussing acunpuncture a minute ago, as I had two courses of it with 1st pregnancy, and it did absolutely nothing to bring things on.

Thinking about reflexology this time, maybe an appointment tomorrow. Worth throwing £30 at it, if it works?

We tried sex with DD1 and I remember it being really uncomfortable and unenjoyable for us both, but DH says that's what got things going. He would, wouldn't he?

Thanks for the castor oil avoidance tip. Not inclined to try it.

Will keep you posted.

I hope the following from a very wise lady is a help to you too...

Being 'overdue' is one of the
wonderful opportunities we have in life to learn to live with
uncertainty...to understand the virtue of patience and that we can't control
nature.

The risks to the baby of induction balances with the risks of not inducing at about 42 weeks. Between 42 and 43 weeks the risk to the baby is about the same that it was between 37 and 38 weeks. There is a small dip in
perinatal mortality between 38 and 42 weeks. This can be accounted for because some babies born before 38 weeks may actually be younger than this (neither scan or menstrual dates are spot on) and are slightly more likely
to have problems associated with prematurity. Then, some babies who have major abnormalities do not seem to trigger the onset of labour so readily -
meaning there will be a slightly higher incidence of very poorly babies post term than there would be at term...and this is thought by many to account
for most of the difference in mortality. The other baby who may be at risk from staying in post term is the small baby who is struggling to grow.

Fat
and bouncy babies do not appear to be at greater risk (though simply being alive is not without some risk). I attended the birth of a baby born safely
at home at 46 weeks, but the vast majority of babies arrive by 43 weeks.

Research shows that induction at 42 weeks is fairly
safe...and just as safe as expectant management (monitoring more regularly).
The risks from both to the healthy baby are slightly higher than with a spontaneous birth between 38 and 42 weeks...but only very very slightly.
Induction is very slightly safer than taking no extra care post term (term being 42 weeks). The earlier induction is offered before labour would otherwise have started spontaneously, the higher the chance that it will end
in CS.

A mother being induced at around 41+ weeks
is twice as likely to need a CS...and she must remember that this major surgery adds to her (the mother's) risk quite significantly. The later
induction is left the more likely it is to work...but the more likely it is that labour would have started within the next day or two...a very difficult decision!

Monitoring before 42 weeks and accepting sweeps can trigger anxiety in our
professional carers, where none is warranted. There is a small chance of a
sweep rupturing the membranes and this then has a negative impact of the
course of events. However, it is important to monitor the baby yourself and
feel confident that the frequency and nature of his or her movements feels
right to you. Any unusual quietness and any unusually frenzied activity is
worth having checked out straight away....don't wait several worried hours
when you simply need some reassurance. After 42 weeks (and you are probably
already in labour as I type), research supports more frequent monitoring,
but only on the basis of a very small reduction of poor outcomes...most of
which would involve the smaller growth retarded babies. The golden rule is
to do what feels right and makes you feel safe. This is why pressure and
coersion is so dangerous because we resist this and become out of tune with
our instincts. There are no guarantees in life...but birth is about as safe
as life gets!

I was 40+17 for DS1, and got induced, he came out like a rocket (4hrs) after one pessary,

For DS2 I was 40+16, and as I was 2yrs older I conceded an induction one day earlier. He would have also shot out like a rocket, but unbeknown to me I had enough fluid to sustain an elephant, and his poor little noggin couldn't push through it to the birth canal - as soon as they burst my waters though, he was out within 5 mins!

I didn't have a sweep (cervix pointing wrong way apparantly), but did have regular checks - I felt OK in myself, and the baby was not stressed, so I went with it, until I felt risk of holding on was greater than risk of induction.

Both boys 8lbs 14 and everything bonny and healthy.

I wouldn't have done it without the baby heartbeat / blood pressure check every other day - I think I also had an ultrasound at about plus 14.

Hope this helps - I went with my gut feel.

Sorry - I meant to say no ideas for helping start it off - Raspberry leaf tea? As you can tell, none of it worked for me!

Thanks very wise Ilovebeingamummy there's a lot of statistics to take in there. Will digest! Was this cut and pasted from your blog or something?

I'm thinking of going for a reflexology sesh at 40 +8 and sweep at 40+12.

I'm not sure if my authority allow home births after 42 weeks. Must check that out.

Thanks, nicelfeece for your thoughts. Will trust my gut! On the sweep front, it feels like a balance between pain now but saving intervention later if I don't go into labour.

The reflexologist suggested that maybe I'm just one of those mums who carries past due date and not to do anything too dramatic for another few days yet...

Will keep you posted.