# Anyone tried a natural method of induction? What works?



## Momamia (Oct 1, 2004)

Has anyone tried a natural method of induction (after going over edd)? What seems to work and what works best? And does any of it really work? I'm 25 weeks pregnant and just trying to prepare myself. I went over with ds and they induced me, so I'm definitely trying to avoid this time!!
Thanks!


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

You might want to do a search on the boards for some great older threads on natural induction techniques---there's a wealth of info 'round here. Personally, I favor the tincture of time







, but I'm a fan of homeopathy....and Pamamidwife's protocol for homeopathic blue and black cohosh is fantastic.

Hope it won't even be an issue for you....but info is power









Best wishes!


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## zanelee (Nov 29, 2003)

After my water broke with my first pregnancy, (that was the first thing that happened) I didn't have any contractions to speak of for almost 12 hours. My mw suggested that I rub casor oil on my bump (NOT taken internally) and put a warm cloth over that. Then do nipple stimulation.
We did this and that's what got my contractions going and my labor started. Don't know if it would work for everyone, but that's what did it for me.


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## anothermama (Nov 11, 2003)

With my daughter, I went three weeks over and finally my midwive stripped the membrane.

With my son, my water broke but nothing happened so I took castor oil and then went on a walk with my midwives where I took black and blue cohosh sublingually and black and blue cohosh homeopathics and I was in labor within about 45 minutes. Again, though, my water had already broken.


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## brigmaman (Oct 2, 2004)

I'll do a search as well, but I'm looking for things to try asap. I'm only 2 days past my due date and pretty comfortable, but I'm concerned about my baby being rather large. My first was a week early and I still needed assistance at birth. I'd love to avoid that if possible.


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## Simply Nurtured (Nov 6, 2004)

Hello Ladies:

This recipe comes directly from a very knowledgeable midwife that I know, who has over 20 years experience. She gave it to me to give to a client, should she wish to try it, whose doctor intended to induce her the following Monday. I gave the client this recipe on Friday and she used it on Sunday. The only thing she did not follow exactly was the vodka. Everything else was exact. When the midwife told me the recipe she told me to make the client very aware that this recipe WORKS WELL and not to dismiss any contractions. Sure enough, by the end of the day the client was in labor. She labored less than 3 hours. When we got the the hospital she was complete and pushed for 3 minutes and birthed a beautiful, healthy baby girl (APGAR's 9 and 10).

So here is the recipe, should anyone wish to try it. I do not make choices for clients, I simply assist with information, they make their own choices. Doulas do not give medical advice, they help in gathering information and supporting birthing mamas/families. This natural induction recipe is for pregnancies over 37 weeks or more. This is really for those who are overdue or there is a medical induction hanging over their head by a doctor. I have never used the recipe, but I have seen it work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Natural Induction

For use when artificial induction is going to be required, or for post-date pregnancy. If someone is asking for natural methods, you can give these instructions, reminding that you do not give medical advice, this is not medical advice, but if you personally needed induction, this is the method you would try first, before resorting to artificial induction.

A full day is needed, as mama needs to start first thing in the morning.

In the morning, after a relaxing breakfast, mama and daddy should make love together; making sure that semen is deposited high, at the cervix.

Mama should squat with every Braxton Hicks contraction, throughout the day.

At 12:00 - Noon, mama should have lots of fluids, and a good nutritious lunch of high protein and carbohydrates.

Just before 1:00pm, mama should cut 5 capsules of 500mg Evening Primrose Oil, then roll a tampon in the oil completely, and insert up at the cervix.

1:00pm, mama should lie down to take a nap.

When mama gets up from the nap, between 2:00 - 3:00pm, she should take a bath. Before getting in the tub, she can mix up a "Birth Cocktail".

Recipe for Birth Cocktail - One Dose
2 ounces Orange Juice
2 ounces Castor Oil
2 ounces Vodka
This mixture should be shaken. (If they don't want to add the vodka, they could omit it, but vodka is much less harmful than pitocin.)

Mama should first relax in the tub an hour, approximately.

At 4:00pm, mama should take the first dose of "Birth Cocktail".

At 5:00pm, she would take another dose. Mama should drink lots of fluids. After this she would take out the tampon, and then eat supper.

She should continue squatting with contractions.

After supper, mama would begin taking Black and Blue Cohosh, 20 drops of each, every 30 minutes - 1 hour. Should be in labor shortly, if not already. (The cohoshes can be taken up to 6 hours, but probably won't be necessary.)

This combination works fast and well if baby is ready! Mama should pay attention to her body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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## boo'smama (Jul 9, 2002)

I used Castor Oil - three separate doses throughout the day. It was easiest to take it in a smoothy. I DO NOT recommend frying eggs in it and then eating them (which was one suggestion I tried), I could not eat eggs again for almost a year without gagging. :LOL

It worked VERY well. My labor started by 9 or 10 that evening. I think it was 61/2 hours total from start to finish.

Good luck with whatever you choose!


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## Momma2LiamandTara (Nov 26, 2003)

I did the Castor Oil/Oarnge Juice combo ws DS and it got my labor going. With DD I was induced becuase I was getting an NST and the heartrates dropped too many times and I was unable to go home and try any natural methods. If you are intersted I found an intersting article aout natural induction methods that I can pass along. PM me if you want the link. Not sure if it's okay to post the link in the message. I would rahter do castor oil again over pitocin. That really sucked mainly becuase the darn nurse disregarded my ob's orders to turn it off once I was in labor on my own.

So I vote for castor oil and try acupuncture I did that too with DS then I did Castorl oil and I went into labor that evening.


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## NaturalMom (Jul 21, 2002)

Hi - I went 2 weeks past EDD with my son. I tried a combo of acupuncture and homeopathy... Hope this helps!


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## Curious (Jan 4, 2002)

I started acupuncture on my due date. Treatments twice daily are supposed to trigger labor in a week. One week later, to the hour of my first treatment, I went into labor.


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## Arolinecay (May 4, 2004)

Hi-
I wanted to induce naturally near my due date b/c my husband (sorry, I have no idea what most of the shorthand website initials for things are...where DOES one find that out?Anyway...) and sister were only going to be around to take care of me for a week (husband starting new job, commute bla bla bla) and if I was late I'd be on my own more or less.
So I took castor oil (not as bad as I thought) with vodka and OJ, did black and blue cohosh as well as see an acupuncturist for a few weeks before due date.
Day after due I started pro-dromal labor. Ugh!
Intense, can't-sleep-through-them contractions all over the board, no pattern or progression for 24 hours. Then they stopped (after I went to the birth center of course). I took a wee nap, had sex and they started again, still irregular and crazy-making. Another 20 hours later and I gave birth.
SO...maybe I kick started things before I was truly ready and thus had to endure a long labor. Or maybe not. Hard to tell. But the castor oil was effective.
With 2nd baby, no way was I going to induce. 3 hours before she was born I was shopping at the farmer's market, feeling the contractions thinking, "I've got 2 more days of this right?" Went home and out she came.
Natural inducement certainly can work but I think the heart and mind have to be aligned with the process too. During my first long labor, things only finally started progressing when I had an emotional release about what it meant for me to have a baby. Good Luck!


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## kweir (Sep 13, 2004)

I ate a cheese steak. There is this deli here that has had many women eat their cheesesteaks and go into labor the next day and sure enough that's what happened with me! I don't know if it was the grease or the peppers and onions but it worked. I don't know if you eat meat but its worth a try if you do...


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## Curious (Jan 4, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arolinecay*
Hi-
IDuring my first long labor, things only finally started progressing when I had an emotional release about what it meant for me to have a baby. Good Luck!

Very true. I had a 66 hour labor, complicated by a bigger than expected baby in a posterior presentation, with a funny shaped pelvis that required her to turn to get out, only there was no room for her to turn. BUT it was when something clicked and I decided I indeed was up to being her mother, that we started getting somewhere, around hour 64. It was when my midwife called in the OB. She had some extra techniques up her sleeve, so to speak...but something about her attitude spoke to something inside me...her manner was sort of, you can figure out how to do this your own way, and it will work. It had meaning beyond the labor.


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## kiahnsmum (Oct 22, 2004)

Everyone in my family had so far had to be induced including me with my first baby, with my second i was eight days over due and having quite strong braxton hicks for about a week before. My midwife gave me four evening primrose oil capsules 2 to take orally and 2 for pessaries. I took them at about 9pm and went to bed and woke at 2.20am with slight discomfort and my precious girl was born (while on the toilet) at 3.50am.
EPO will be my 1st choice next time round


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## tiafit (Oct 25, 2004)

I tried acupuncture, spicy foods, some crazy salad that everyone told me to go eat, jogging on the beach which was a site being almost 42 wks, then the homepathics (ask a professional), castor 2x , and 2 days before I was to be induced we did nipple stimulation and I went into labor that night. You should ask your health care provider about this and or doula. We were given the go ahead by the Doc to try our best on our own. The nipple stimulation can be very intense and put in into labor very quick and strong I have heard so it is important to consult with a professional and not use it if you are NOT late. Good luck , it will happen.


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## LovingMotherCassie (Sep 7, 2004)

A good alignment by a chiropractor accompanied by accupuncture intended to induce labor did the trick for me. Make sure your chiro is experienced with pregnancy and induction before giving this a try. My doula (practicing now for 9 1/2 years) recommends this to all of her clients past their edd who are being pressured to induce and she has yet to see it fail.


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

The one that worked the best was to have sex using EPO as the lubricant. Every time we did that I had strong cx and dilated 1 cm. I got to 4 before going into labor. Later that day I thought I might be in labor, but had sex just to help things along since I'd had several false starts. Only an hour after that I was *sure* I was in real labor and had dd less than 12 hours later.

Darshani


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## Alisa Welsch (Jan 14, 2003)

I was ten days overdue with my second child, my homebirth midwife told me that if I could wait no longer, I could try going home and putting a hot towel (as hot as I could stand) across my chest, wrapping around under my arms. I was to repeat this several times. I was so mentally overdue that I went home and did it. My appointment was mid-morning, I went home did it and that evening went in to labor. I have to say though that given the chance to do it again, I would let mother nature take her time, because my second child's labor was much longer than my first, not harder, just longer. My body was slow to get going, as if it just was not ready yet. I still wonder if my interference had something to do with that. You might really want to consider letting your body decide when it is best.


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## Rika (Apr 8, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Momamia*
Has anyone tried a natural method of induction (after going over edd)? What seems to work and what works best? And does any of it really work? I'm 25 weeks pregnant and just trying to prepare myself. I went over with ds and they induced me, so I'm definitely trying to avoid this time!!
Thanks!

I just had my baby 2weeks ago. He was 16 days overdue and weight 12 pds. I had a home birth and water birth. It was nice. I had an ultrasound at 14 days overdue and my placenta was a grade 3 what means it was getting old so we needed to get baby out soon. So I tried every thing.I started out taking some herbal formula made to start contractions with blue and black cohosh in it what gave me some contractions and helped me dialate but it was not enough. So in the morning of my 15th day overdue I took 1 portion of castor oil mixed in orange juice on an empty stomach and had breakfast after wards. 3 hours later I threw up. I took another portion after lunch with no problem. In the evening and through the night I walked a lot and did nipple stimulation a lot! and had my baby the next day. All these methodes together and not giving up and also prayer brought the results. So don't give up. Friederike


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## spooky mom (Jul 3, 2004)

My daughter was born 16 days past her due date (and I also had a home waterbirth). I spent the first 13 of those 16 days trying _everything_. I spent the last two days in labor.
I tried castor oil for a few days, black and blue cohosh for a few days, evening primrose oil capsules (pierced and placed near my cervix), and I tried combinations of all three for a few days. I had accupuncture, ate spicy food, hiked for miles, went on bumpy car rides, and had sex. Nothing worked.
My body didn't go into labor untill the day after I stopped messing with it.


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## Queencaledonia (Aug 18, 2004)

Ostensibly, a person seeks "natural" induction when she is post-mature and is or may be scheduled for medical induction, as she wants to avoid not only drugs, and getting any kind of iv started but ultimately, a c-section.
You may in fact cause the baby unneccesary stress and for meconium to be present, and thereby stress which causes fetal heart tones to be alarmingly erratic.
This certainly happened in my case after using the castor oil method as directed by my midwife.
Yes, I went into labor on my own, but it was too late for the baby who, after being stressed by the castor oil and having a bowel movement and also being post-mature and there wasn;t enough oxygen and etcetera from the placenta, I had to have a c-section immediatley after 12 hours of labor.
I think you should know, that just as drugs can affect the baby, so can castor oil.


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## kimbies (Aug 31, 2004)

I was leaking fluids (not amniotic) and was "overdue" about 9 days- the OB was getting nervous and I DID NOT want to be induced so she stripped my membranes (was no big deal & didn't hurt) and then I went home. Then I started drinking Raspberry leaf tea- you can get it at the health food store. I drank one cup per hour throughout the entire day and evening. I also went on 2 long walks the same day and had sex and at three o'clock in the morning the next day, I was in labor!

Note: you shouldn't drink this tea early in your pregnancy but you can take it at or after your due date. I read about this in Peggy's book, "Having a baby Naturally", I think...or maybe "Birthing from Within" either way- it worked. I could not stomach the castor oil.

GOOD LUCK!


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## Lucysmama (Apr 29, 2003)

I just had a rough labor a couple weeks ago in which my water broke, but active labor was not happening. Cohoshes put me into labor for a few hours, and then it would peter out. What finally did the trick was castor oil. It was terrible, though - I would recommend it only as a last attempt. I felt really depleted afterwards.


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

There are not studies to show that castor oil leads to meconium staining. That is something that is anecdotally told but there are not actual studies to that effect and I think that is worth pointing out. The fact is that postdates babies are more likely to have meconium staining and women who are postdates are more like to try things like castor oil etc. If the baby has meconium when the water breaks there's no way to know when the staining occured. Chicken or the egg? Was it the castor oil or was it the stress of going postdates? I've had meconium with one of my kids who was two days past my EDD and I did not use castor oil or anything else just had meconium when my water was broken (no interventions before that point). With my DD I did take castor oil and she did not have meconium. Until I see actual studies on it I trust my care provider's advice and I really think it is a personal decision to discuss with your caregiver.

In my case I was being strongly pressured to have the baby or be transferred over to the OBs where I knew I was going to be even more pressured to be induced or have a c-section. My baby was supposedly 11.5lbs at this point. Since I conceived 10 days after a miscarriage there was absolutely no question of the dating of the pg. Starting when I reached full-term I was told to take EPO orally and red raspberry leaf tea (which you can take during early pg btw it is in many pg teas women with a history of m/c might want to avoid it but it is considered safe). I started nipple stimulation. We also tried sex. Nothing did anything at all. No effacement, no dilation. A few days before my EDD I was told I had basically another week and then I would be transferred. The evening of my EDD I took castor oil with oj. Nothing happened for a couple of hours. Then I had one bad bowel movement and contractions started. I was able to go to sleep and get a few hours of sleep but then I woke up in active labor. This was approximately 12 hours after I took the castor oil. I gave birth 13 hours later. Because I had so few side effects and I've always given birth on time I can't really know if the castor oil did anything or not. Maybe I was ready and it did just enough to get things going. If I were in that position again I'd definitely take the castor oil again. I was augmented with my first two and ended up with an epi and a boatload of other interventions. I really felt that avoiding chemical induction was essential to a natural delivery for me.

ETA Not at all to diminish QC's experience but I also wanted to note that meconium staining is not necessarily a big deal. My child had no problems. My caregivers simply noticed it when my water was broken but that was the end of that. In most cases this is not the cause for an emergency c-section any more than say a cord around the neck (despite what my In Touch magazine says about why Celine Dion had one







).


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## NaturalRN (Nov 10, 2004)

Just a quick note, I had my first babe in 2001, at that time I was doing B6 vitamin and black/blue cohosh, castor oil, etc... My midwife informed me that a study was out on blue cohosh possibly causing heart arrythmias in newborns. Something you may want to investigate further if going blue cohosh route.
Courtney







coconspirator with David







, mommy to Keely 2/28/2001







,Sophie 09/19/2002


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## texcalkas (May 12, 2004)

With #1 I didn't do too much except eat fat laden foods like sausage and candy bars. I was induced even though I was already dilated to 5 cm. He was born 4.5 hours later and I vowed if I had another baby I would not allow "the pit".

With #2 I began the self-inducement process on my due date because my doctor (a family physician) was anxious to induce. I did nightly nipple stimulation, used accupressure, had lots of sex and took castor oil cocktails. At 41 weeks, unbeknownst to me he stripped my membranes. I do not have access to herbs so although I have "The Childbearing Year", I couldn't use it. I consented to being induced again but also had men at my church lay hands on me and pray that the baby would be born within 24 hours. I woke up the next morning feeling weird and knew by noon that prayer was working. The baby was born within one hour of the 24 hour limit.

I think that if I'm blessed with another baby I'll let Mother Nature do her job. Yeah, I know I'll be anxious to help her out but who isn't?

Kimberly


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## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

I tried everything and nothing ever worked for us - all our babies were late and the last one crossed the 42 week limit and I needed to be induced.

Maybe if I began drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea already now it would help? (like you, I am 25 weeks pregnant) Well, at least it is a good tea for women's reproductive system regardless


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

RRL does help tone the uterus. It won't hurt but it might help later down the road.


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## treemom2 (Oct 1, 2003)

I asked my midwife about this question and she said in her experience sex, pizza, and a beer work wonders for inducing labor (only if the baby is ready). She also said that she never recommends castor oil and every birth she has attended where the mom used castor oil the baby passes a lot of mec. But like Wasabi said, is it the chicken or the egg??


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## Mama Bear (Aug 4, 2004)

When I went a week past my EDD, my midwife suggested Blue Cohosh because she knew that I was against induction. My dh and I bought a bottle. I didn't get to use it though, because I went into labor the night before I was to start taking it.
Power of persuasion I guess!


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

I agree with Wasabi about the castor oil.

And, the blue cohosh = heart issues was ONE incident, not a study at all. It's been used for a long time without adverse affects. I don't think that one incident is enough to prove the cause and effect that the hysteria claims.

Ultimately, induction just because you want to stay on a provider's schedule is, in my opinion, NOT a good reason to induce. Your body is not a microwave - it is not as linear as the calendar. You have to find a provider that will support you and honor your body's own rhythms.


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

sex, pizza and beer...sounds like what lead to conception


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treemom2*
She also said that she never recommends castor oil and every birth she has attended where the mom used castor oil the baby passes a lot of mec. But like Wasabi said, is it the chicken or the egg??









See I think is part of the reason why we don't have stuides on this. Is it really every castor oil birth she's attended had meconium or is it every one that she was aware was a castor oil birth (or even just the majority). I don't think anyone asked me if I had taken castor oil or anything like that. I may have told them but really by the time I got to the hospital labor was so advanced I really wasn't in the mood for talking so I probably didn't offer anything they didn't ask. So I wouldn't be counted as a castor oil birth that had no meconium KWIM? Unless health care professionals start routinely asking what natural induction methods you used there won't be any way to really establish whether or not there are risks. Of course women have used these methods in some cases for thousands of years and that makes me feel a bit more comfortable. Pit on the other hand we know has all kinds of side effects on the baby and yet hospitals use it all the time.







:


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## curry4 (Nov 12, 2004)

Hello! First of all, the newly revised, as of early 90's, studies state that the actual "average" length of pregnancy is 41 ann 1/7 weeks, which yes, according to your dr. is overdue....which is a silly concept anyways. Babies will come when they're ready. BUT, if you're getting pressure about it, you should seek another caregiver first. Then, towards the end of your d-day, if you've made zero progress, you could try a capsule of evening primrose oil inserted into your vagina, broken and squeezed up in there.....I induced myself at 40 weeks with 2 oz. castor oil, taken after breakfast, had my baby the next afternoon. It gives you the runs, which stimulates prostaglandins, that help open up the cervix, which then produces contractions. I had a VBAC, and was under some pressure, so that's why I did it, although I wouldn't reccomend it for a normal pregnancy. I did the cohoshes, it stimulated a few irregular contractions, but nothing serious. Semen has a very high amount of prostaglandins as well, so lot's of sex is a safe bet!!!!! Good luck, and don't stress about the timing!


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## momsgotmilk4two (Sep 24, 2002)

I asked my midwife yesterday about castor oil and it's connection with meconium and she said that in her experience castor oil did not seem to cause most babies to pass mec. She advises patitents to use it if they are at the point where they might be facing a pit induction since in her opinion it's better to try natural methods of induction first.


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

That's so true Curry. We're so accustomed to saying we're overdue if we go past 40 weeks when really we're not overdue until 42 weeks. I always say all three of mine were on time even though two were born just barely past their EDD and if someone asks when I'm due I just say April and leave it at that.


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## nicsmom (Dec 8, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *georgia*
sex, pizza and beer...sounds like what lead to conception









Funny! My doc told me, "that which got you into this can get you out: have tons of sex."

With my first I went past 42 weeks and was then induced with cytotec. Ended up with a c-section mostly due to size and malposition (he was firmly wedged in the pelvis in a transverse position).

With my second I hoped to labor on my own and ahead of time so as to at least (hopefully) ensure a smaller baby. I used RRL tea, EPO (orally and internally) acupuncture, and sex. I vbac'd at 2 days shy of 40 weeks.

Of course there is no way of knowing for sure if any of those things made any difference but I'd sure do them all again to try to labor spontaneously and close to 40 weeks. With the acupuncture I felt a noticeable difference in my B-H contractions during and after the treatment so at a minimum I feel like it probably helped me along even if nothing else did.


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## natashaccat (Apr 4, 2003)

OK I have to ask, how in the heck can you have sex at 41 weeks? I thought of trying this with dd 1 but my dh didn't think it would be anatomically possible!


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## mimim (Nov 2, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *natashaccat*
OK I have to ask, how in the heck can you have sex at 41 weeks? I thought of trying this with dd 1 but my dh didn't think it would be anatomically possible!

Easy - mom on top! Or dad kneeling while mom lies or sits on the edge of the bed.

I tried LOTS of methods to induce with my 1st. My midwives stripped my membranes, I did cohoshes, castor oil, sex, tons of walking and squatting.... nothing worked. I gave up, agreed to be induced in the hospital, and went into labor the night before my induction appointment! DS was born 1/2 hour before I was scheduled to start pitocin - exactly 3 weeks after his EDD.

My 2nd was born 10 days after his EDD. DH and I had sex in the morning (for the first time in weeks) and I started contracting within minutes of his climax. I'm sure it wasn't a coincedence, but I'm also sure it wouldn't have helped if I wasn't ready to go into labor anyway.

My method this time, since I'm sure to go past dates again? I lied about my LMP.







My official EDD is 5 days past what it would really be if I told the truth about my dates.


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## mamabain (Sep 19, 2002)

to avoid possible induction due to pih this last time, i used natural prostoglandin (sex) starting week 38 (every day). i drank 2 cups of red raspberry leaf tea every day. then, when my blood pressure went up even more, i tried nipple stimulation. one nipple, twiddling it for 5 minutes out of every hour, for just 3 hours one evening. that night my braxton-hicks changed in intensity, frequency and pressure. about 12 hours after last nipple stimulation, i was in active labor. i had katya at 5 pm the next day . i truly believe it worked!

i'm not sure it would have done anything if my body weren't ripe.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

let's not forget that female orgasm aside, the ingestion *achem* of prostaglandins has been shown to be more effective than topical application.

ok.








hee!


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## scheelimama (Aug 2, 2003)

Since you are only 25 weeks, something that I tried this last time was 5W. It's a combination of herbs that you take the last 5 weeks of your pregnancy. With my first I was a week past due and induced and I really didn't want to be induced again. This time baby was born 4 days early and I had a wonderfully easy labor and delivery. I'm not sure if it was the 5W or my just my body being more ready since it was the second time around that caused baby to be born early, but it's worth a try anyway.


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## love2all (Dec 13, 2003)

Blue and Black cohosh worked for us at 42+ weeks-


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## Momamia (Oct 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wasabi*
RRL does help tone the uterus. It won't hurt but it might help later down the road.










What type of red raspberry leaf tea can you use? Is it store bought? I notice they have it in the store but it just says raspberry tea and such. Is that the same thing or is it a health food item?
Thanks for all the wonderful replies!


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## happymamajenni (Jun 2, 2004)

I started using EPO both ways the day before my due date. I didn't know to break the caplets before inserting them, though. I didn't go into labor until I was five days past due and had a 56 hour labor with really high blood pressure and had to be induced at a hospital instead of having the water birth I wanted at a birthing center.
I am going to let nature take it's course this time because I have no way of knowing whether I forced contractions upon myself when my body wasn't ready.
People complain about the intensity of being induced, but after being in labor as long as I was, I was ready for things to pick up, and I didn't really notice an immediate change in the pain of the contractions.
Oh, and can you believe my midwife told me to go home and have sex while in labor? That was the furthest thing on my mind, but someone mention sex at 41 weeks, and I didn't have a problem with it (while not in labor







), but I really didn't like anything but the spooning (side by side) position.


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Momamia*
What type of red raspberry leaf tea can you use? Is it store bought? I notice they have it in the store but it just says raspberry tea and such. Is that the same thing or is it a health food item?
Thanks for all the wonderful replies!

I did get mine at a health food store but you can also get it online. Mine is prepackaged into bags but you can also buy it loose which might be cheaper. It is definitely on the same as raspberry tea. That tastes good this does not. :LOL


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## whimsy (Aug 6, 2004)

My OB recommends "hair of the dog" aka lots and lots of sex

He (a father of 6) thinks that what got you into the the situation is the best to get you out. Provided both partners are willing. I told DH he owed it to me and he needed to just suck it up and do it - willing or not.

Makes me think of the Friends episode when it was time for Rachel to have her baby.


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## brigmaman (Oct 2, 2004)

I was following this thread a few days last week while waiting for my baby to arrive. I was a few days past my due date. A friend of mine booked a pedicure for me at a local salon. She had heard that there were some pressure points in your calf/foot that help to bring on contractions. Since I was already 3+ centimeters and completely effaced, I decided it was worth a try. The woman who did the pedicure knew what I was referring to and gave me a little extra massage. I went into labor that night. I'll never really know if that is what worked, but I did start having contractions- though irregular- that afternoon.
Good luck!!


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

Re pressure points I had a prenatal massage when I was 36 weeks. Since I was full-term and had the go-ahead from my midwife I let them do the pressure points. I did have some contractions but didn't deliver for four more weeks. I think like all of these things nothing's going to work if the baby isn't ready.


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## Amanda Repp (Dec 28, 2013)

What does the vodka do?


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