Monday, November 2, 2009

OWT's for inducing labor

I've been asking around for suggestions on how to get labor started and/or ripen my cervix. Yeah, most of them are OWT's, but I really don't care! I'll try just about anything. I know, I still have 9 days left until my due date. But I already have an 8+ lb baby inside of me and I really don't want him hanging out in there much longer, getting bigger and bigger. Eeeek! And I'm really looking forward to the insane swelling in my legs/feet going down, the carpal tunnel subsiding, and the acid reflux going away. So if you have something to say, make sure it isn't, "He'll come when he's ready to!" or "Most first babies are overdue!"....mmmkay? Thanks.

So, here's what I've tried so far:
  1. Sex - DH and I tried the "marital bliss" method over the weekend. I was definitely cramping/contracting afterward.
  2. EPO - I started taking 1500 mg of Evening Primrose Oil orally (1000 in the AM and 500 in the PM) to soften my cervix. I've been told you should insert it vaginally, but I don't want to do that without the doctor's consent. I have no clue if it's doing anything.
  3. Squatting - I started sitting on an exercise ball yesterday to try to open up my pelvis and get gravity working on my side so the baby's head would be putting pressure on my cervix, and I actually think it might have worked. I had some painful cramping/contractions in the hour following that. Plus, it's a great labor position so I'm getting some practice. :)
  4. Nipple stimulation - One of my friends swears by this. She did it while she was on bed rest with her first and couldn't do much of anything else to get labor going. She went into labor that evening. The idea is that stimulating the nipples releases a hormone (I think it's oxytocin) that makes the uterus contract. When a new mom is breastfeeding, this hormone is released and she has cramping/contractions that make the uterus shrink back to it's original size. So, doing it while you're pregnant should make the uterus contract. I tried it a little bit yesterday. Maybe for 2-3 minutes at a time, took a break for a few minutes, and then would start it again, probably for 15 minutes total. I did this a couple of times. It actually worked. I definitely started cramping/contracting right afterward.
  5. Certain foods - We had some spicy chili that DH made this weekend, and I'm having more for lunch today. Yum! (Someone asked how I could eat chili with the reflux/heartburn I've been having. Pepcid and Tums are your friend!)

What I'm considering trying:

  1. Acupressure - I was reading online about some pressure points that are supposed to stimulate labor. We might try them out. One is just rubbing the skin in the webbing between your thumb and first finger.
  2. Castor Oil - Someone from my church (who has had 7 kids!) swears by this. It makes you have diarrhea and because the intestines are close to the uterus, the movement from them stimulates contractions in the uterus. I just don't know how I feel about forcing myself to have diarrhea! Yuck! Plus I read that it can dehydrate you, and also, you could end up with the stomach cramping and diarrhea and not go into labor. Not so sure if it's worth it or not and it's definitely one I'd check with the doctor on first.
  3. Certain foods - I was told that pineapple can help induce labor or ripen the cervix. DH bought some for me, but I haven't eaten it yet. I'm not a big fan, but I'm going to try to gag it down.

Yeah, I know, I'm all over the place with these methods I'm trying. This weekend was sort of a trial run to see what worked. I think I need to stick with the methods that seemed promising and try to get the contractions to become more frequent and consistent.

6 comments:

  1. I saw a show on Discovery Health where the Doula gave an overdue woman castor oil. I know you are scared of it, but it did work for her. She went into labor less than a day later.

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  2. I was taking EPO for just over a week before we delivered.

    Lots of sex for sure.

    Pineapple was my next step, and we had chipotle for lunch the day my ctx really picked up.

    Oh and yes, I lived on my yoga ball!

    Good luck!

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  3. Mya - how much EPO were you taking? Did you just take it orally, or vaginally too?

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  4. Nothing worked for me. :( I went 9 days overdue. I was overly miserable. I had an ultrasound on my due date to check fluid and size and she was 8.4lbs. I delivered 9 days later and she was 8.4lbs. That said, it was either accurate and she didn't gain anymore weight OR the u/s was off. Dont worry about his size, they will get him out. LOL My girl was harder to get out, but I pushed her out evenutally.

    I am a massage therapist and I recommend to full term ladies to massage the pressure points on their ankles and inside of the thumb.

    Walking did make me get strong BH and when I was in early labor a dilation exam made me go into active labor.

    Good luck and I'm looking forward to hearing when your little man arrives. :)

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  5. I tried the pressure point inside my thumb last night and it definitely worked! Where is the one on the ankles? And how long are you supposed to do them for? I did the thumb one alternating hands for about an hour last night. I started getting cramps after about 5 minutes.

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  6. The ones on your ankles are on both sides of the achilles. :) Just massage away. Cant hurt. Tell hubby to give you a foot rub and hit those points.

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