Ideas to Help Labor Along

Just about every mom feels like that at the end. But the best advice is still to let the baby decide and find a way to be glad about every day he waits (it helps you be patient). I started a project so that I could always say I was glad for one more day to try to finish it. I have tried nearly everything in the book for "making the baby come" and what I was most successful at was making myself miserable. The other way made for a much happier ending. I speak from the experience of having been where you are 10 times.

Oh, yeah, and also...what the others said. You got a lot of good advice. :)

N. - you can be dilated at one or even two for weeks before delivering. The best thing you could do right now is walk ... walk ... walk ... walk! It's great for you and for the baby AND it keeps you from sitting around the house waiting for something to happen.

Best wishes!
D.
(grandma of 6 with #7 due late this year)

A "due date" is a guess, baby will come when ready. Walking is great - sex is even better!! I don't know if it will help baby along, but makes the waiting much more fun ;-) Worked for me!!

HI N.! I am sorry to say that you could go a very long time dilated to 1cm. I was dilated to one for 3 weeks and was 12 days overdue. I actually think it's pointless to be checked for dilation before the due date or going into labor. It just creates anxiety! :)
After your due date you could have a pedicure. I have a few friends that have found that to be very effective in starting labor!
All in all, the best thing you can do is relax and do all you can to prepare for your little one's arrival. Congrats on your little one!

I agree with Jodi, babies come when babies come. I have two boys and my second was 10.5 lbs. So I wanted both out! I tried everything people mentioned, sex, walking, castor oil, spicy food, a little wine, sitting on an exercise ball, etc.. I was 1.5 cm with both at the end and nothing worked. I had the doctor strip my membranes with my first and that didn't work either (combined with sex before and after) She wouldn't do it with my second because we knew he was big. I was induced with both and had trouble free deliveries and drug free too! My babies just don't like to come out.
I wish you the best of luck !
M.

Well N., I scrubbed the floor on my hands and knees. Lost the mucus plug and labor started. A friend of mine said 3 out 5 her labors got jump started this way. Hey, worst thing that could happen is you have a clean floor. LOL

S.
homeschool mom, and mamasource business owner

I was a little over a week late with our son and the Dr. told me the only PROVEN tactic for speeding things along was sex.

For me however, at that point that wasn't even a consideration.

I feel your excitement, impatience and misery!! I just had my second baby 2 weeks ago. Both of my pregnancies I did not dilate before hand at all. I had some mild contractions (felt like menstrual cramps) but they were not consistent enough to time them. Finally, my water broke and I knew it was time to go to the hospital. Hang in there. You are getting really close now! I didn't try anything specific to induce labor, but have heard that walking, eating spicy foods and sex can help. If you feel up to those things. When I got down to those last few days all I wanted to do was sit! Good luck!
A.

Seconding a previous suggestion to seek Acupuncture. Apparently it is quite effective as an alternative to Pitocin and I wish I had thought of it when I was waiting to have my babies. I have read that it gets things started 48 hours after getting Acupuncture.

I love getting Acupuncture. It is painless and really improves your blood circulation. I get Acupuncture for pain relief for a medical condition and it is absolutely more effective than taking over-the-counter medicine for pain.

Good luck with your labor, and I hope your baby comes soon! Congratulations!!

Hi! It can be so hard to wait after being pregnant for so long. My advice...wait and do not be induced. As you know, a due date is a guestimate. Most first time pregnancies deliver around 41 weeks. I tried many things with my second so I could go into labor naturally and deliver VBAC. The best advice I have is - have sex frequently. Other things I tried: acupuncture, red raspberry leaf tea, nipple stimulation. DO NOT DRINK CASTOR OIL! I haven't had a chance to read your other posts but usually someone suggests this with these types of questions. Google why it is unsafe for the baby. Sometimes...we get too excited and opt to be induced right on the due date...be aware (you probably already are) that being induced=high chance of c-section. Hang in there! This baby will come soon!

Have you ever heard the term "hurry up and wait"? Well, you can be dilated at 1-2 for weeks. It certainly is a good sign that you're dilating a little early. Hopefully once active labor begins it will progess well for you. I know you're anxious to have this baby, but try to change your mindset on this and don't expect labor to begin early, especially with your first baby.

Congratulations! This is a very exciting time!

I was at 3 centimeters for 3 weeks before I went into labor. I started labor a week after said "due date" and to keep my mind off of 'will it happen today' I did A LOT of walking, relaxing swimming, reading books whatever you find that can keep your mind off of it. It has been said that being active (as much as the doc says is ok, it varies for every pregnant women) helps with the labor. In the end the baby will come when it is ready.

Long walks. Massage your feet and palms. Try gently bobbing up and down while sitting on a birthing ball (but only if your baby is head and face down as this will help him/her to engage into the pelvis). And if you're going overdue and they start talking inductions (I had two, they didn't work and were horrible), you can always try accupuncture which many people swear by! Good luck!

Like others have said this is not advice but sympathy. I was overdue and I tried EVERYTHING to help move my labor along. Trust me when I say everything I mean everything. I looked any possible thing up on the internet. I walked so much I thought I would not make it home on one walk it took. Nothing worked. When I finally gave up and just dealt with the fact I was going to have to be induced I finally went into labor on my own. So just relax and use this time to get some good rest and your he/she will come in it's own time.

Maybe doing some squats would help. They are supposed to help open up the pelvis for the baby to descend through. Two days before my little one was born (my first) I was involved in project where I had to get things out of boxes that were sitting on the ground. Instead of bending over I did shallow squats. My water broke within 36 hours, and I delivered within 48 hours. Since he came 8 days early, I tend to think that they helped move the process along.

My childbirth instructor recommended doing squats anyway, to help open things up. So, they can't hurt, even if they don't help things move faster.

I tried acupuncture and went into labor shortly after. Good luck! I know how difficult it can be towards the end.

My advice is to start a biggish project that involves a couple days to carry out. That way time will fly by, and before you know it you'll be at your due date.

Or, if you're slightly cynical and try to do too much in a day (like me), you'll think "sure I can get XY and Z done. No problem" and then the baby intervenes and says "what are you thinking, woman?"

Good luck!

Sorry, this isn't advice but sympathy. I tried everything-- drinking raspberry leaf tea, using primrose oil caplets, walking, etc. Finally when I was dilated 5cm and still not in labor, I convinced my doctor to break my water and 3 hours later I had my son. Its so hard to be patient, I know! I even tried things that I shouldn't have tried because they were dangerous and should only be done under a doctor or midwife's supervision. Now I feel really bad about that.

Acupuncture. I'm telling you it works! Worked for me - I was 12 days late. Worked my cousin - her water broke right then and there!

You can try whatever...they pretty much come when they're ready! Best wishes! And use your remaining "wait" time to get some rest!

lol.
i dialated to 4.5 cms starting around 3-4 weeks before my son was born at 38 weeks. :P so dialation alone is not an indicator that labor is soon, but im telling you it sure sped up the process during actual labor! i was only in labor for 6.5 hrs including delivery! LOL.

anyway, if you are up to it, sex... walking, doing squats, all can prepare you... but as far as all those crazy things to start labor, they are mostly old wives tales like body shape determining gender, and all that.... :P
good luck, and take your time and rest while you can!

nothing you can do, really. i was dilated to a FOUR for three weeks before baby was ready to make his appearance....and I tried everything. :)
Things I tried: spicy foods, pineapple, sex, nipple stimulation, walking, evening primrose oil, foot massage.

Use this tie and energy to get some "nesting" done. That will keep you busy! I know it is hard to wait...

You will gets LOTS of advice and helpful hints! Ranging from Sex, walking, to drinking caster oil. I've heard lots and I too was way ready!! And my Dr. kept saying be patient and honestly I felt great but I was just READY! About 4 days before I actually delivered and after a Drs appt where he said - yes your dialated to 1 but it could be a day or two. I went home and push mowed our lawn in 100 degree heat - yep, I had neighbors that thought I was nuts. Needless to say - it really didn't help any!! Babies come when babies come I'm not a firm believer in anything that works to get them to come along cause I tried about everything. Except the caster oil - figured that would only make me sit on the stool!
Good Luck and it won't be long your little one will be here and the wait is all worth it!