Best way to naturally induce? sex?

[Nekobaka]

I heard that having sex is the best natural way...as well as stimulating nipples. Had anyone used this method to self induce at all? Does it work?

[Hokey Pokey]

Clary Sage oil can help.
How far are you?

[Littlemissmetal]

Both my labours were brought on after going for an hour long walk, not sure if it was coincedental, but I have heard walking can contribute to progressing labour. Acupunture can also bring on labour.

[Nekobaka]

i'm only 32 weeks and my backpain's been awfully horribly killing me day and night. I want bub to drop when he turns 37 weeks....can't wait any longer :( and this is my second one. DS1 is a hyperative toddler and kill me even more to look after him

[Sammyfenton]

I tried everything to bring on my labour nothing worked i ended up being induced at 11 days over due.
I was inserting evening primrose very day, drinking raspberry leaf tea, walking heaps, sex, and I had about 4
Sweeps still nothing I think they just come when they are ready unless your induced :) hope everything goes well for you

[spikeyhedgehog]

Three doses of acupuncture from a qualified person sent me into labour. My first was overdue so he only took 1 session!!:smiliedance:

[daddynmummybee]

castor oil put me into labour last time. cleanrd mr right out and there ws no issues with bub or my waters. it didnt kick in till the next day though. i was also 40 + 10 then too.

sex also can help. dh and i were put on bedroom restrictions because we were doing *it* too often too freqwently and i went into preturm at 30 weeks. thankgod they managed to stop it. butwe were going at it like rabbits because my hormonea were threw the roof. 2 maybe even 3 times a day.... but you have to get the spirm right up into your cervix as that helps soften dialate and ripen your cervix and the orgasm is what starts the contractions off. im now 37 weeks and still on restrictions lol

[Pesca77]

Three doses of acupuncture from a qualified person sent me into labour. My first was overdue so he only took 1 session!!:smiliedance:

This ^^ although I only needed one session since I was 5 days over too. My OB actually recommended it and it worked.

[ToughLove]

sex also can help. dh and i were put on bedroom restrictions because we were doing *it* too often too freqwently and i went into preturm at 30 weeks. thankgod they managed to stop it.

Really?!

Jeez hubby and I were at it like rabbits too, and the doctor told us that the pleasure from it could only do good to the developing baby, and it would help my muscles for birth.
We did it about 4+ times a day, we would have done it more if he didn't have to work, but man I wanted him more than I wanted deep fried pineapple fritters.
and I think we can all understand how much a heavily pregnant woman would want pineapple fritters deep fried in sugar. :D

I never knew you could overdo it and have to be on restrictions!
We had to stop for a week because we actually chafed the skin right off his....y'know.

[headoverfeet]

i'm only 32 weeks and my backpain's been awfully horribly killing me day and night. I want bub to drop when he turns 37 weeks....can't wait any longer :( and this is my second one. DS1 is a hyperative toddler and kill me even more to look after him

Have you tried chiro or an osteopath rather than trying induction? Your baby is still has a lot of developing to do, even at 37 weeks there is still development going on..

[Sarahlou]

I can highly recommend acupuncture, not for induction purposes cos I truly believe that a baby will come when it's ready. Both my my first 2 were about 41 weeks and I know how hard it is to see how you are going to get to the end while caring for other children - I am about 35 weeks now and really felt like you did a few weeks ago but started acupuncture really to help me sleep and with some back pain and the day after the first session I felt so much more focussed on this baby and positive about everything. I almost feel like my normal self rather than the grumpy cow that I had become! The other tip I have is to let all non- essential activity go eg leave housework til the weekend when maybe your partner can help or do it and try to enjoy these last few weeks with your toddler. Have a sleep or at least a rest during the day if you are luck enough to have a a napping child and prepare really simple meals when you are particularly tired - my kids are enjoying scrambled eggs a lot at the moment! Babies really do ideally need 40 plus weeks in the womb and there is actually some research about currently that even a few weeks early can have a lasting impact on their development. If you haven't already, maybe start reading some positive birth stories to get mentally ready for the birth. All of these things are helping me at the moment! Good luck xx

[SugarSkull]

Bouncing on an exercise ball helps bring baby down. Also standing, spreading your legs apart and squatting up and down.

[kaycol]

I tried everything I had heard of with my first, and being unsuccessful was induced 16 days past my due date... But with my second, spicy Chinese Satay Beef for dinner, labour was in full swing the next day!

[Guest]

I used sex, the sperm is supposed to have hormones that help induce labour. Everytime we did it I'd get contractions whereas other methods I didn't. I went early with both 38 and 39 weeks.

[Deserama]

I recommend evening primrose oil, taken from about 34 weeks onwards. I took about 3 a day, one at breaky,lunch then dinner. Then towards the end I upped the doses to about 6 a day...2 for breaky, lunch and dinner etc. I noticed on days that I forgot to take them I didn't get as many or as intense braxton hicks, on the days I did...they were full on.

Out of the 6 babies I've have, I've only taken EPO with the last 3 babies and they were the only ones who came early out of all of them - coincidence? I don't know! But at least it gave me some form of control, even if it was only supposed control LOL

When I say early, I mean safely. I don't believe any 'methods' will work unless baby is ready to come anyway. #4 was 9 days early, #5 was 6 days early and #6 was 11 days early.

[fai firinne]

Sorry to hear you are having back pain. Hard work especially with a toddler on the go as well.

Can you see an Osteo or Chiro or have a therapeutic massage?

Could you go to a local fitness centre and book your toddler into childcare and go for a swim?

Try getting on hands and knees and rotating your hips in a circular motion.

I hope these things relieve the discomfort.

This might not be what you want to hear, sorry can't be helped:

But nothing works unless the baby is ready. The most aggressive form of medical induction will not work if your body and baby are not ready - all that will do is start the cascade of intervention.

http://m.smh.com.au/national/health/...125-1nz9r.html (http://m.smh.com.au/national/health/alarm-over-jump-in-induced-births-20111125-1nz9r.html)

However if your body and the baby are ready, or pretty close to it, then sometimes various methods might just tip you over the threshold. That's how come we have all these anectodal stories.

So the fullness of time is your best bet.

Make sure your dates are by The Woods Method (http://fullmoonsdaughter.com/blog/tag/woods-method/), not the Naegels method - or they may be up to two weeks out. (Not many women actually have 19 and a half day text book cycles, being people not machines.)

I do think there are things we can do though to really optimise your wellbeing and the baby's well-being in late third trimester that will really help get those hormones flowing, help the baby be in a nice position (that would be, what is the right position for him or her) and help the mother be in a great head space. And these kinds of things I think actually do help eliminate any unnecessary delays to the start of labour.

Stay physically and sexually active. Minimum 30 minutes walking a day - and plan to keep walking walking walking through labour. (Unless it's night - then rest when you can!)
Sex, massage, cuddling, orgasm etc all help release those lovely hormones - sex hormones and birth hormones are one and the same. And yes, semen contains natural prostaglandins, which can stimulate labour.
Connect with nature. Swim in the sea, walks in the wind etc.
What Birth As We Know It calls spiralling - circling your hips, standing or on hands and knees. Lovely open pelvis moves. Dancing. Belly dancing. In water or on land. Making space for the baby. You wriggle your hips and baby wriggles too, it helps bub settle down nice and low with good application onto the cervix.
Chuck out sugar. Drink plenty. Eat healthy.
See an osteo or chiro, especially if they are on to The Webster Technique. If you have un unstable pelvis or SPD, even better. TWT can release tension that might possibly be hindering bub from moving into a better position.
Check out Optimal Foetal Positioning - some babies just *are* posterior and that is what works for them, but none of us are really going to benefit from a car-couch-computer lifestyle and some hip circles on hands and knees might be worth getting into.
Relaxation, visualisation, prayer, art, journalling, craft ... get out of your logic busy brain and into your deep, symbolic, artistic, intuitive brain. This helps the hormones and the hormones help you go deeper yet - vital for labour. Use your breath to help you consciously relax. The breath is the *bridge* between body and mind. Your hormones are released from the Pituitary gland that is located in the Hypothalamus - the deep brain - the place where deepest emotion, memory, instinct etc comes from.
Write down any fears and address them honestly. Don't let them lurk. Bring them out into the light of day. If you need better information to zap those fears, seek it. (this is not airy-fairy hippie nonsense, this is all about nothing but the science of hormones. The link between emotions and hormones is strong.)
Talk to your baby.
Spend time alone.
Get into your body.
Have a professional massage - even better if it's from a birth workers who understands about bodywork, pressure points, acupressure points etc. We often work a lot around the sacrum to encourage those lovely birth hormones.
All that you do to relax and get those hormones rising to peak levels is going to do work to soften and prepare you, and soften and ripen the cervix. So I'm not just fobbing you off here!
Think about some perineal massage if you haven't yet done it. Just another way of getting in touch with your birthing body.
Have your doula do some rebozo on you. Great for releasing stress and getting those lovely hormones going.
If you have a doula or midwife who knows about pelvic mapping, going through those basic landmarks with you can be another way of getting in touch with your body and building your confidence.
You can take the 'Birth Vibes' herbal tea also, if you are into herbal tea. It helps nourish your birthing body and promotes the release of those hormones and helps ripen the cervix.

[Bellaxo]

I tried EVERYTHING to get my daughter out, the night before the start of my labour (I ended up being induced) we dtd about 11 hours before my labour cramps began. :thumbup:

[scarymarygoldfish]

I ripped out the tarp underlay from my garden beds to bring on labour. I could feel twinges already and my instinct told me to get moving. It worked!

[hoping28]

Subscribing so I can come back for tips:)

[HouseOfFun]

Im very sorry to hear you are having a rough time of it. I hope you can get some treatment/relief soon. I found that nipple stimulation worked for me. But, likely a coincidence as I was very ready to go (6days past EDD). I dont think many induction methods work unless baby is ready to come out anyway and it just tips it over the edge.