# For the successful induced labor only please



## maymommy (Apr 23, 2006)

I want to induce my labor, desperately! I'm 37 weeks and 3 days. Do you know of any inductions that actually work?? My friend was 36 weeks and she tried walking, mexican food, caster oil, and nipple stimulation, and the nipple stimulation was the only one that worked for her, well four days after she tried all that she had her baby. Even if the baby doesn't come right away at least I'll have fun thinking I'm helping her come. Me and my hubby have had sex every single night, but that doesn't seem to work, my cervix are still long and closed. So please give me some advise from the people that have success in inducing themselves. Thanks


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## weliveintheforest (Sep 3, 2005)

I don't think there is much you can do at this point. Sex and nipple stimulation are a good place to start. Nipple Stimulation will help get contrax going, but wont do much for you until your babe is ready to come. The last couple of weeks are hard, but your baby is in the best possible place


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## Tofu the Geek (Dec 2, 2003)

I don't get why you want to induce at this point? Technically, you're not even due yet, why get the baby to come before its ready?


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## stellimamo (Jan 9, 2006)

You are not even at your due date yet. You can try to induce yourself but if your babe is not ready chances are not much will help.

Walking is a great way to get things moving along.

Try to relax and enjoy your last weeks of pregnancy.


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## maymommy (Apr 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TechnoGranola*
I don't get why you want to induce at this point? Technically, you're not even due yet, why get the baby to come before its ready?

I know I'm not due yet! I just wanted to know what I can do, AND like I said before if it doesn't work at least I'll have fun doing it. Like I asked before, I only want answers from the successful ones that induced themselves. Why did you even write on this page, you didn't even help. You were just rude. Not cool. Thank you to the ones who are writing helpful things back and not being rude about this.


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## Daisie125 (Oct 26, 2005)

You are in the wrong place if you are looking for support on making your baby come before it is ready for no good reason.

I can think of a few places this question would be better recieved. MDC is not one of them.


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## Kathryn (Oct 19, 2004)

Other than sex and walking, there's not much that you can do that's not dangerous to the baby. The baby best health should be in your best interest right now, not how comfortable _you are_. You have 3-5 weeks left in your pregnancy, if not more. Your focus needs to be on your child, not yourself.


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## Tofu the Geek (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maymommy*
I know I'm not due yet! I just wanted to know what I can do, AND like I said before if it doesn't work at least I'll have fun doing it. Like I asked before, I only want answers from the successful ones that induced themselves. Why did you even write on this page, you didn't even help. You were just rude. Not cool. Thank you to the ones who are writing helpful things back and not being rude about this.

Actually I was not rude. I merely asked you two questions which were valid when someone wants to induce 3 weeks before their due date. If you had provided answers to the questions, I and others here might be able to help you out better as we would know the context to your inquiry. It's up to you whether or not you want to provide more information.


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## dynamicdoula (Jun 11, 2004)

This sounds like a newbie to the site who doesn't 'get' the climate here, so maybe some gentle guidance is in order rather than a thrashing?









Maymommy, you might have a better chance finding the information you're looking for at www.gentlebirth.org. The mothers on this site are not highly known for their 'fussing with nature' perspectives!

Also bear in mind that unless you know exactly when you concieved, your due date could be off by as much as several weeks! What if your baby just isn't ready yet, even though you feel that you are? There is more to this decision than just the 'fun' of 'seeing what would happen'. I hope that you find the answers you are looking for!


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## Kathryn (Oct 19, 2004)

I think she got gentle guidance until she became rude.


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## *guest (Oct 7, 2005)

Well, just don't try castor oil, from what I've heard, that's not "fun" while doing it unless you really enjoy sitting on the toilet







Seriously, I'm due a month after you, and there are days when I think "argh, get this kid out," so I imagine you might be feeling pretty uncomfortable and eager to meet your baby. But messing with a natural process is not without risks, and no one wants to advise you to do something that may not be safe for you and baby. If nothing else, you will just frustrate yourself and feel like something is wrong with your body when really the only thing going on is that the baby isn't ready yet.

And I think people wanted to better understand if you had a medical reason for inducing early (maybe you are facing a hospital induction for a very specific condition and wanted to try natural methods first).

At your stage, I'd feel comfortable drinking red raspberry leaf tea to tone the uterus or possibly taking evening primrose capsules orally, with the goal of preparing for birth, not inducing birth. Walking and sex are always fine and good ways to relieve stress unless your care provider advises you not to do these things. And don't be discouraged if you go past 40 weeks. The average length for a first time pregnancy is really something more like 41w1d. Hang in there.


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## JanetF (Oct 31, 2004)

Elective induction of labour.
http://www.hencigoer.com/articles/elective_induction/


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## Snowdrift (Oct 15, 2005)

I'm due about the same time as you are and I understand the desperate wish to get things going. I have to go back to school next week and would just love to have a baby this week just so I don't have the birth in the middle of the term.

But while I'm doing all the walking and sex and stimulation things, I'm also keeping in mind that those things aren't so much "inducing" labor as keeping my body open to it. In other words, if the baby and my body is ready, then those things might help get it started.

I know that since this is my first baby I'm most likely to have her late in the month or even in early to mid-June than before May even rolls around. I know that "induction" methods like sex and walking aren't really induction; they're just encouraging my body to do what it needs to do as soon as it is ready but NOT before.

I'm also kinda frustrated with how much my body is being typically unready at this stage. The women in my DDC who have had other babies all seem to be halfway there already--dilating, effacing, etc. I haven't had any internal exams, but I've tried myself and my cervix is still high. My baby is still hanging out on the right side and is not quite engaged yet although seems to slowly, slowly settling a bit lower--but still not having really any of the impending labor signs, not even the ones that typically show up a couple of weeks early, like engaging or effacement or changes in discharge.

I guess I'm just hoping to support whatever efforts you're doing, don't have any suggestions for any others, or at least any others than are safe and not utterly miserable, and really don't want to come off as ignoring the questions in your post.


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## Hevyne (Mar 30, 2006)

Hi there!! I am due on May 13th and am also looking for ways to naturally induce. My reasoning is a little different though. I was medically induced the 1st two times due to losing fluid at the end, so I am trying to prevent having to be medically induced, and have my cervix manually opened. If you come up with anything that works for you let me know? I have been taking evening primrose oil pills orally for the past 3 weeks to ripen my cervix, and I have sex EVERYDAY, whether I want it or not...even through cramps if I have to. Just read the side effects of induction b/c some I have read are NOT good. Do not try castor oil, b/c if your body is not reeady for birth yet, you are going to make yourself really sick and have no baby to show for it. Some induction techniques can cause birth defects or problems too. Blue/black cohosh I was considering until I read the side effects.

But, I understand your need to try, so I am not being rude at all ok? Your cervix has to be soft and ripe to even have induction techniques work. Otherwise you try to induce and it will just really stress out your baby to the point where he/she could go into distress. You can email me if you have any questions, I am in the process of trying to prepare my body for labor so I will try to help you if I can. [email protected]


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## courtenay_e (Sep 1, 2005)

Yup. I agree with pretty much everything that's been said. I'd focus more on getting your body ready to go into labor. Until your baby releases the hormones that kick starts your labor, nothing you do, not even pitocin, will really work. On that note, the suggestions of walking, sex (lots of sex!), evening primrose oil orally, and red raspberry leaf tea are all great ones. Too, I'd be sure that your baby is in a good position, so go get yourself a birthing ball and only sit on that (like instead of a chair at the table or the couch in front of the tv). This will hopefully help your baby to settle into your pelvis at an angle that is helpful to the labor process. Get yourself a prenatal yoga video and GENTLY practice for a session everyday(assuming that you've had a normal healthy pregnancy to this point). This helps to gently get some of the muscles you'll be using for labor and birth prepared for the hard work ahead.

Now, if you're at 42 weeks and facing hospital induction (which is a different much more difficult and dangerous for baby ball game), there are other things you can try...but not yet, not till baby's had a little more time to cook!

I'd suggest (as I suggest to my clients) that you go and take some very special time with your partner and/or for yourself. Get a manicure/pedicure...if you can't afford to have it done professionally, have your best friend or your husband do it! Take a bubble bath or a long hot (as hot as is safe...)shower every night. Have quiet candlelit dinners together. Do something special for yourself and as a couple EVERY DAY from now until the baby is born. THIS PART IS IMPORTANT, as it's the last time IN YOUR LIFE that you won't be responsible for the health, welfare, and at least for quite some time, the happiness, of another human being. Having a newborn is such a crazy, intense, tiring time. Please relax now, while you can. Your life is about to change forever in a way that you won't understand until you get there. Relish this point in your life, as you'll never find it again! Have fun, and good luck. Happy baby cooking!


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## DoulaLace (Apr 27, 2006)

i agree with the women that said your not ready. baby is not ready yet. Wait till your due date at least. its not good for babe to go that stuff if she's not done cooking...


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## Amber~Joy (Oct 25, 2003)

My pubic bone separates during my pregnancies and I literally can NOT walk for a lot of my pregnancies. Talk about wishing that baby was out!! However, no matter how much pain I am in during my pregnancies, I would not risk spending the next month in the NICU with a baby who was born before it was ready. The risks to your baby are not worth attempting self-induction.

And I have to disagree slightly with something that has been said. It is possible to naturally induce your labor before your baby is ready. Generally walking and sex are not in that category, but if you do much more than that, you CAN cause your body to go into labor before baby is ready. Just because it is natural does NOT mean it is 'fun' and safe to try.

My last pregnancy I wanted to self-induce so badly, so I had my toddler nurse for a good, long nursing session one night. My water broke while he was nursing. I was already dilating and had had an internal exam earlier that day. I had been having regular contractions for several days. It was obvious that my body was ready, and I still would NOT have tried any self-induction methods beyond walking, sex and nipple stimulation.

I would only try the other methods if I was facing medical induction.

Really, please consider that if that baby comes even one week before he/she is ready, that could mean spending weeks in the NICU. I just can't see how that could possibly be worth it.


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## Emilie (Dec 23, 2003)

i know your feelings mama- the baby will come when ready. Enjoy the sex!
Emilie


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## lorijds (Jun 6, 2002)

Hey, I've worked as a nurse at a birth center for about four years......please DO NOT try a "natural induction" at 37 weeks! These are very often the mamas who end up in labor for 3 days before they get sent to the hospital for maternal or fetal exhaustion! A "natural induction" at this point is likely to start some contractions, but if your body isn't ready for it (ie your cervix isn't ripe, etc), what often happens is that you get these annoying contractions that hurt, don't allow you to sleep, but aren't really strong enough to make labor progress. So then you end up exhuasted, dehydrated, and mentally fatigued. Ripe for a c-section!.

I know those last weeks of pregnancy are soooo uncomfortable. And sometimes inductions must take place for the health ofthe mama or the baby--if that is the situation here, you need to be talking with your health care provider. If you are just tired and sore, I recommend a nice long bath with the brand BATHERAPY bath salts (found at any walgreens)--it helps relax your muscles, lots of fluids, and small frequent walks. Hang in there--your baby will be here soon, no matter what you do!

Lori


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## Artisan (Aug 24, 2002)

I was in the place you are with my first baby. I was SOOOOO anxious to get things going at 37 weeks. I tried every single home remedy in the known universe, including three doses of castor oil. It did nothing for a week. Then I had a week of prodromal labor, with lots of contractions that kept me up at night and made me crazy (even went to the hospital once, only to get sent home). My baby finally came on his own at 39 weeks.

The second time I didn't do any of the above. I was WAY more comfortable physically and emotionally. And guess what? The second came at 39 weeks too.


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