Pending Labor

Pineapple worked for me. I was craving it and ate a whole pineapple one day ( at 37 weeks prego) and 24 hrs later I had my little girl. I didn't learn until afterward that Pineapple has a component that can mimic progesterone to induce labor!!! If I had know I wouldn't have eaten so much because my daughter was small and early, but she was healthy and my body seemed to know what it was doing by making me crave something that eventually caused labor.

I heard spicy foods/hot sauce - TOTALLY not medically proven but hey - give it a try - have a nice mexican meal ASAP with lots of hot sauce and jalapeno's!

GOOD LUCK! : )

I would hold on until 39 weeks - the lungs aren't fully mature until then.

It's better to be uncomfortable now than to take the chance on the baby's lungs! There's a VERY VALID medical reason why the doc won't induce you.

You don't want to take drugs (or even a glass of wine) for the fear of hurting the baby. Why would you risk NICU time?

My mom always told me "When the fruit is ripe, it will drop from the tree." As a mother of three and an experienced Birth Doula and Lamaze Educator I can tell you that my mom was right.

I know you are uncomfortable and I see you are doing all of the "safe" things we know of to encourage labor. But the truth is that there is no compelling reason to rush baby out. Your body is doing a fabulous job as we speak - just think, you are technically almost through early stage (0-3 cms) and are not even in labor yet. That is like being given a 200 lap head start at the Daytona 500!

FYI, with first babies you efface first before you dilate more than a centimeter or two and tend to drop before labor begins. With subsequent babies, effacement and dilation can happen concurrently so it is not unusual to be 3 cms and 50% with your third. The babies also tend not to drop until labor begins.

Please be patient! You will go into labor when your baby is ready to be born. Instead of trying to bring on labor, try doing things to make yourself feel good - walk, sleep, sex, eat great food, see a funny movie, get a mani-pedi, etc. That is waaaaaay more fun than trying to force your body to release your baby!

Congratulations :-)

Please do not let the ones saying to go a full 40 weeks worry you. If you look it up 37 weeks is considered full term. I have had 4 children. The last 2 were scheduled c-sections at 37 weeks exactly.
It's true that your baby girl is going to come when she is ready, and not a minute sooner though. I don't have any advice to offer. You are doing all the things I have heard of doing. Good luck to having her soon, and having an easy delivery.

I am 32 weeks pregnant with number 2 and I am as ready as you are (maybe not quite as ready as you are)
It sounds like you are well on your way. But you are only 50% effaced, even though you are 3 cm dialated.
You sound like you are doing all the right things to help with effacement. But remember that labor is a natural process and your girl will come when she is fully ready. You say in your post that you don't want to take any meds that might hurt her, inducing before 40 weeks may also fall into that category. Inducing can also make your labor unpredictable, stronger and cause her to come a few days before she is absolutely ready.
Ina May Gaskin (Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth--hands down my favorite pregnancy book) recommends castor oil or raspberry leaf tea to begin labor in addition to the intercourse you mention. I have even heard of women getting onto their breast pumps for increased nipple stimulation.
Hang in there, she will be here before you know it!

Hi K.
Congrats on the lovely family.
I am sorry that you feel so ready to deliver when the baby isn't ready to come. I am so glad that you are not doing the wine thing. Thankful really.
My thought: stop trying and love being pampered because that probably won't be happening ever again.
God bless you and give you peace
K. -- SAHM married 38 years --- my kids came when they were ready -- 37, and on time; 33, one week early; and the twins were 2 weeks 6 days early after being in labor from 18 weeks and on complete bedrest. I worked hard to hold that pregnancy for as long as possible so they would have the best life possible.

Hi K.,

Corn beef and cabbage is thought to do the trick. It worked for me!!! (I know it could have been a coincidence, but it won't hurt to try)

Best wishes to you and your family

Sarah

DISCLAIMER: This is nasty and might not work.

Here's what my friend did: (see how dodgy that sounds already??!) a "mid-wife cocktail". OJ + castor oil. Chug it down.

Apparently, if you're ready to go, it will speed things along.

Otherwise it'll just give you diarrhea. :-p

Good luck, mama!!

Oh! One more thing (and this actually worked for me) - ask the doctor to strip your membranes. If you're ready, it will get things moving. If you're NOT ready...well, it'll probably give you cramps. I went into beginning labor within about 5 hours of having my membranes stripped with my first, and with my second.....actually, I don't remember. I think I went into labor on my own. (Both kids were about a week early.)

Hey mom,

here is a website
http://www.ehow.com/how_8948_jump-start-labor.html?ref=fu...

But rather than go thru all this nonsense, why not just talk to your doctor and tell him that you would like him to break your water? and see what happens.

This always worked for me. and worst case he gives you a little pitocin,and helps it along. PLUS you'd be able to plan in advance when its gonna happen, and have a babysitter ready to watch the kids.

( Saturday the 27th sounds like a good day to have a baby)

M

I agree. Your body and your baby, when ready, will go into labor. Inductions should only be done for STRICT medical reasons. There are great risks you take when you under go an induction. Your chances of having a cesarean are doubled. Not to mention you are very restricted in movement, so unless you have fabulous support of a doula or someone who knows the stops on supporting a mother through an induction, you will most likely request pain medication, which of course is not a bad thing, but timing is everything and with the more interventions on top of an induction, the chances of labor ending a c-section drastically rise.
C., Birth Doula CD(DONA), www.gentle-birth-doula.com

I've added some FACT BASED information on induction, especially when done before what your body says is full term, which cannot be compared with what other people have done or what is considered the range by simple observation of the time period in which women CAN go into LABOR (37-42 weeks). If you're not in labor your body isn't ready.

http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/gecpc3ch39.pdf
http://avivamoodle.org/moodle/file.php/35/induct-fact-she...
http://avivamoodle.org/moodle/file.php/35/CarePractice4.pdf

I walked around the local mall and went into labor four hours after I got home.

Nanc

Drink a huge glass of water, then have a glass of OJ with 2 TBSP of castor oil. Then go for a walk.
Keep in mind, the castor oil will cause you to need to use the bathroom alot so be sure you stay hydrated. (I didn't and they needed to stop my labor to hydrate me before I had the baby)
It worked for me.
Good luck on your new baby!
J.

Hi! My friend, who was in a similar situtation, swears that the castor oil she took caused her to deliver her daughter the day she drank it. It sounds gross, but it's all I have to offer. Congratulations, and good luck!

I too have scoliosis, and have two children, so I know how you feel. However nature made the average pregnancy 40 weeks for a reason. My first came naturally at 39 weeks and 1 day, my second I went in for induction at 39 weeks because I was in so much pain and so miserable. Guess what- I regret every second of it! The labor was fine and quick she was healthy, but if given the chance again, I wouldn't do it. She was very colicky, had jaundice, and had reflux- small issues, still healthy, but I can't help but wonder what if I let her have that other week? Seriously in the span of life what is a week or two? Good luck!

Don't take baths if you lost your mucus plug.
Not to be rude but be patient. She we be here very soon.

Hmmm... Well I just discovered hypnobirthing. Don't know if you've ever heard of it. It is an all natural way of giving birth. It focuses on clarity of mind, breathing through contractions and enjoying the whole experience. Check it out on the internet and google if you haven't already. It's been proven that using hypnobirthing can encourage the onset of delivery.

Hi K.,
I sure feel for you. I know how horrible you feel but all I can say is she will come when it is time. this may be the worst few weeks of your life but it will be worth it. you are just done but she is not.
good luck to you and i wish you a easy delivery, you deserve it!
J.

Castor oil worked for me!

Dear K.,

I am so sympathetic to what you are going through. My daughter was 12 days late and I literally tried just about anything you can imagine to get things moving. Time and time again I was told that any extra methods would only work if the baby was truly ready to come.

However, I have three labor and delivery nurses in my family and all three STRONGLY discouraged any kind of castor oil use. They said in their combined experience time and time again it does nothing but make you terribly ill (vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, etc.)and if you do happen to go into labor you have all of these additional symptoms to deal with. I am sure it has worked for people in the past, but be clear exactly what you are getting into. Again, a collective 30 years of experience in three different hospitals across the country was enough to discourage me.

Also, stripping the membranes if very painful. VERY. It too only works if the baby is truly ready.

I don't mean to discourage you, but the moment your baby is born you will forget all of this. Just keep reminding yourself that you are making such a wonderful "nest" that she wants to stay. And, truly, she should until she is ready.

Best of luck.

Try really spicy food!!

Ugh - I bet you want this baby out!! I did acupuncture to naturally induce labor because I wanted to try to avoid a scheduled c-section. I literally left the office at 12:37 pm and my water broke at 12:51 pm. My insurance didn't cover it, but it was worth the $135 session in my book. I ended up having a c-section (I wanted vbac so bad), but I got to push and know that I tried. Acupuncture is strange, but they must really know the points to hit - they are points that send receptors from the brain to uterus, supposedly. Good luck.

K.,

You sound just like me 20 years ago to the day!!! My daugher was big 9lbs 10 oz at birth and I was ready for her to come. I tried all the things you did plus walking like a mad woman. I also tried mowing our 1/2 acre lawn with a push mower to get her going. The neighborhood was in a panic - everyone was trying to come do it for the poor pregnant woman. I had to beat them off with a stick!

I claim it was the sex that finally worked, but you seem to be doing the best you can on that. The doctor finally had to induce me at 39 weeks. Then I did wonder what I was in such a rush about when she arrived and was a terrible sleeper until she was 2!

I see a lot of women have sworn by Caster Oil. More power to you if you have the courage to do that!! I am guessing that since the baby is going to come within a certain period no matter what we all do, that there will be many stories of what worked when the thing we were trying had nothing at all to do with it, it was just time!!

If this is your first girl, CONGRATULATIONS!!! I adore my daughter and now my very best friend. Enjoy!!

try getting evening primrose oil and rub it around the around the rim of the vagina. that can help to bring on labor. please keep in mind that it's important for the baby's lungs and fat that the stay inside for as long as possible. and yes, it does sound selfish. isn't it the baby's health that's more important. however, even though the mucus plugged detached, as long as your water doesn't break, you're safe.