Wondering About Inducing Labor

Be wary of the black and blue cohosh that other posters have recommended. It can have some very undesirable effects, and can be very dangerous. Same with castor oil, to a lesser degree of dangerousness.
You probably didn't mean it to sound this way, but you said that your first was very healthy and almost 9 pounds, and you definitely don't want that to happen again. I would think you WOULD want that to happen again; a healthy baby is a great thing! And, his weight was very normal. Honestly, women can deliver a five pound baby and have a more difficult labor and birth than someone birthing a 10 pound baby. The weight is not what is important; it's the position of the baby. The suggestion of using a birth/exercise ball is great, not only for helping your body get ready for labor but for encouraging your baby to be in the correct position. If he/she is in the correct position, labor will progress more rapidly and be less painful.
Due dates are very misleading things...the average length of pregnancy for a first time mom is 8 days past the 40 weeks that we've grown accustomed to thinking of as our "due" date. For subsequent births, it's 40 weeks and three days. Your baby will come when he/she is ready, and if you let him/her decide that chances are much higher that you'll actually have a less painful, safer, and easier labor and birth than you would if you were artificially induced before your baby is ready.
Things you can do to encourage labor to start naturally (these things will only work if your body and baby are ready anyway) are walking, using the exercise ball and making wide circles on it, sex, nipple stimulation (although this can produce overly strong contractions and I don't recommend it until you are already in labor and want to strengthen the contractions), Red Raspberry Leaf tea, evening primrose oil, RELAXING is really important (try getting a massage - I can recommend someone if you need), acupuncture, eating pineapple, eating spicy foods, ....
Hope that helps:-)

the only thing i would add to it would be to sit on an exercise ball all you can. it really loosens the hips up! yes i was induced on my first one and helped out with my second. but my labor didn't seem to want to progress any other way, so thus the drugs. alas just because you induce doesn't make it quick and easy. for the second baby, i still had 9 hours of hard labor after the drugs, and this was after 2 days of on/off labor contractions. i was exhausted by the time i could sleep that night!

I was induced by my doctor the day after her expected due date. I was glad I did because she already had her first bowel movement. I recommend you follow your intuition. Mother knows best!

Having gone into labor naturally (at 41+ weeks) being induced and having a c/section - I would choose waiting and going into labor on my own anyday!!

I work as an OB nurse as well.

I will tell you that my induction was brutal (at 39 weeks) and my son should have been born via c/s because of his size. My third was preterm labor then a c/s because she was breech.

I really believe that mother nature knows best when babies should come...sometimes they do need help (like if they are too big to fit through your birth canal like mine was)... but too many inductions end in c/s!!!!

walk, walk, walk and sex~!!

Good luck!! Perhpas our paths will cross when you have your baby!

Here is an induction "recipe" that a friend of mine has used twice and was given to her by her midwife. I have not tried it myself and both times she was almost two weeks overdue. However, it did work for her and she is now the mommy of two happy, healthy little girls. Best of luck to you.

Night before...
Sex
15 Red Raspberry Capsules

Next Morning...
Sex (lay there for 15 min afterwards)
25 Red Raspberry Capsules
2 Ounces Castor Oil (take a shot and chase w/ OJ)
wait 20 minutes
2 ounces Castor Oil (take a shot and chase w/ OJ)

it may take several hours for your system to be cleaned out (don't make plans to go anywhere!)

after contractions have started...
5 drops of Blue Cohosh (hold under tongue for 15 seconds and swallow)
5 drops of Black Cohosh (hold under tongue for 15 seconds and swallow)
repeat every 15 minutes until contractions are strong enough to go to the hospital.

Shopping List
Red Raspberry Capsules (Walgreens, grocery store)
Castor Oil (Walgreens)
Blue/ Black Cohosh (Vitamin Shoppe)

K.,
I had 3 9 pounders... Two were vaginal births when they were ready... actually in most cases this is true too, your labor gets easier and shorter. I did have a c-section with my 3rd, but I know for a fact if I would have had him vaginal then it would have went quicker. I was in labor for 16 hrs with my first and 14 hours with my second... I had all my babies on Mondays, which I think that is why the last really wanted to be like his siblings. I had a schedule c-section for that Thursday, that Sunday night at 10:45 PM, I rolled over in bed and my water broke, it never broke with my other two and I was suppose to have another week to go... Anyway, I did have sex that Friday night before having him and I had contractions about 4 hours afterwards, they started regular then became irregular. Anyway, that Saturday I was fine and then Sunday night he decided he was ready... Again, I think it's just my body and kids, but I did go into false labor the Friday before I had my kids... they were all born on Mondays.
I wouldn't take anything, but I would do anything that is natural, I like that ball exercising, wish I would have known that when I was pregnant, especially with my first.
Congrats in advance!
God Bless:)

With my second baby I had labor induced by my dr. seeing she was due on New Years Eve and for insurance deductable reasons and tax purposes too, my dr. induced me on the 29th. My obgyn said it is ok to induce after 38 weeks. I tried sex and lots of walking, eating spicy foods and nothing worked. But my dr. induced on the 29th and it was the best labor ever. Nothing like the 14 hours of pain with my first one. I should up at the hospital, got an epidural and then they broke my water and started the potosine ( not sure how to spell?) Yes, I got the epidural before anything else and it was wonderful. Only six hours of waiting and then she was here.

Believe me, I've had four, and none were the same, labor wise etc. So thinking you'll change it by doing something doesn't necessarly make it so, it may just be different this time, and since it is your second, I'd bet on it being a shorter labor.

don't induce..walk and live it out unless there is a medical emergency..
Just my 1 cent worth