lexi Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 (edited) So my due date is less than a week away. I'm crabby and uncomfortable.Share what put you in labor. Or share something to distract me. Or...I don't know.ETA: Recently the baby dropped big time and I'm not comfy, umm, down there. It's making me feel a little desperate to be done. And another edit: Please don't make this a debate about inductions and whether babies will be born on their own time or on yours. I'm well aware that babies have their own time table and I want a healthy baby. I'm having a healthy pregnancy and there are no medical issues so I'm not even considering medical intervention. I'm not trying to do anything crazy or unsafe. I'm just venting my frustration and discomfort because I know many of you can relate. When you're 9 months pregnant, it's just not very fun. I just wanted to hear fun stories about what put you into labor. Or any fun story about labor or pregnancy. I'm just trying to distract myself to try to stay sane while I'm impatiently waiting to hold my little one. Can we just keep it happy please? Edited March 22, 2016 by lexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 With one of mine, I went to the gym and did maybe half an hour on the elliptical machine, then walked two miles outside. That got labor started nicely... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Hugs and hang in there mama. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Cervidil and pitocin for me, all three times. But maybe something from here will serve for distraction? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2Five Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Cleaning has been the only thing to ever make me go into labor. Well, that and a crazy trip to the zoo in a tornado warning. Clean, clean, clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Cleaning has been the only thing to ever make me go into labor. Well, that and a crazy trip to the zoo in a tornado warning. Clean, clean, clean. I had a cleaning lady come and scrub my whole house! I thought that would do it. Ugh! My house looks great though... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 With #4 we went swimming. I believe a combination of water slides and bad nachos brought her here 😀 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Cervidil and pitocin for me, all three times. But maybe something from here will serve for distraction? I'm planning a homebirth so it's going to have to be a natural induction. And I know I'm still a little early but I'm so so done. And I'm usually not ever overdue so I'm hopeful that it will be soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 With #4 we went swimming. I believe a combination of water slides and bad nachos brought her here 😀[/quote That sounds kind of terrible! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Best of luck. I still have six weeks to go, and I swear this has been the longest pregnancy known to man. And my first was 2 weeks late, so.... My midwife said pretty much the only thing that works at all is TeA, but at 39+ weeks that's never my favorite activity. Crossing my fingers that baby decides to put in an appearance ASAP! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 My midwife suggested what got one into that condition in the first place. Prostaglandins? I tried that and acupuncture and spicy things and walking and...nada. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 My babies come eight days late, but somehow as soon as I hit 37 weeks, I can't let go of the thought, " Any day now!" So, the last wekk of pregnancy, I get my hair done, I get a massage, I go out to eat with my husband sans rugrats, I avoid "natural induction" techniques that make me miserable (but indulge in ones like spicy food, pineapple, and TeA because I enjoy them: no way to castor oil or disgusting herbal concoctions), I baby the baby about to be dethroned, I feed my frrezer, I go out with girlfriends who don't have babies, I ignore anyone who asks, "Have you had that baby yet?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 So Pitocin probably isn't the answer you're looking for... Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 What put me into labor: Baby #1: peanut butter fudge while I walked around the mall Baby#2: hibachi steakhouse The rest are just a blur... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 TeA doesn't sound so appealing right now...lol I've done spicy food and pineapple. I've been walking a lot and doing stairs. I've been bouncing on my medicine ball. I refuse to do castor oil. Gross. And yes, I'm so frustrated with people commenting that I apparently have not had the baby yet. As if that isn't obvious either my giant belly and my slow waddle. Why must people ask that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 My first was 10 days late and my second was 14 days late. I never had more kids, but I always told myself that if I was pregnant again, that I would add 14 days to any "due date" so that I wouldn't have to slog through 3 weeks of "any day now" misery. My advice: Tack on 14 days to the due date and don't expect anything until then. Get it out of your head that it'll be "any day now." Save your sanity! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 My doc told me I could apply evening primrose oil vaginally. I woke up late that night, feeling like I'd put too much on and was leaking. But no, my water had broken. This was in 1999. I have NO IDEA if this is considered a good idea anymore. Or even if it ever was. It worked for me, but I am not a doctor, nurse, or midwife so check with yours if you think you might want to try it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonsong Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 breast pumping? that often works. I wouldn't try it without talking to your midwife first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Spicy Chinese dinner :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnE-girl Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 My boys needed pitocin (yeah, preeclampsia and PIH). I started early labor with dd within 48 hours of DH doing the acupressure on my ankle. It was about 36 hours from the first slightly real feeling contraction to baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Stretch and sweep? But I actually regret doing it, baby #4 wasn't in the best position (posterior, born sunny side up) and labour was the worst of all 4. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Kids 1 and 2...sleeping. (I woke up as usual in the morning and felt my first contraction soon after.)Kid 3...I laid down in bed to go to sleep and a couple minutes later my water broke. Of course, contractions didn't start for 2 more days. This was absolutely mentally and emotionally exhausting. Of course, when labor started it was strange. I had short, far apart contractions. After a couple hours of that, I had the worst contraction ever. And 2 contractions later I was holding baby.Thank goodness for my amazing homebirth midwife.I hope for a safe delivery for you and baby very soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 2 words-- Nipple Stimulation. Best done by dh. Midwife turned out the lights for us in the hospital. It was one of our funniest memories. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Didn't another boardie garden all day and then she went into labor? Do you like gardening? :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 At 5 days late, and 9 days late, both my girls came following a meal at our favorite Indian restaurant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 With dd #2 we spent half the day at the zoo walking around. My water broke when we got home and I was holding her less than two hours later. I had preterm labor with first dd so everything I did then was to keep her in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 In my case, it was because my OB said, 'You aren't having this baby for at least a week, probably not for two weeks. And you're in luck because I'm going to be on duty throughout this holiday weekend, except for Friday (It was Wednesday when she said this), so I'll even be your doctor if you do go into labor. But you won't. You're shut up tight. It won't be for at least another week. Unless you want me to induce.' DD heard this and punched a hole in the water bag on Friday, just to be onery and show the doctor who exactly was boss. Then, of course, I did not go into labor for 10 hours so they had to use pit. With a strange doctor from the practice, who was pretty grouchy. Ugh. Luckily I had a great nurse. And I am completely clear on who engineered that little experience. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 Y'all are funny! I'm terrible with plants and I do hate gardening. I'm going to ask my midwife about the other suggestions. I think I should get a massage as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I'm planning a homebirth so it's going to have to be a natural induction. And I know I'm still a little early but I'm so so done. And I'm usually not ever overdue so I'm hopeful that it will be soon! Honestly, I bet you are close. I think when you hit that miserable point it means labor is about to start. But otherwise, sorry, no induction ideas. It has been proven that baby is the one to trigger labor, not mom, so if baby hasn't done that yet than it's not time. Sorry. (I had my son around 38 weeks, and my next two at 41 weeks 5 days. I was nearly a MONTH more pregnant, and it was NOT fun. But, later babies are easier..they breastfeed better and sleep longer.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 (edited) I have more than one friend who visited a chiropractor to induce. :0) It has something to do with working on the feet, not the spine, that does it. Edited March 23, 2016 by Tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 (edited) Why do people try to get babies to be born before the body does it on its own? Is it because if they stay in too long things can go badly? I know that most midwives/ob's get very, very nervous at the 42 week mark (which is where I was with #2.). I think things can go downhill fast at that point. But up until then, shouldn't the baby/your body know when to start labor? Sorry if this is coming across as negative. I don't mean for it to. I just figure that there's no reason to try to force labor unless there actually IS a reason to force labor--distress of some sort. ETA: and with one baby born at 41.3 weeks and the other at 42 weeks, I know all about the misery of those last 3 weeks. I was SO DONE with being pregnant. Edited March 22, 2016 by Garga 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 (edited) I've had 6 babies and I've never gone longer than 6 days early. Four of my babies were 2 weeks early or more. I think I might just be really efficient at growing babies. jk. Sex always brings on strong contractions for me. Several of my babies were born within a few hours of tEa. Just saying. Nipple stimulation. Very helpful in combination with the above. For one of my babies I developed a slow amniotic leak during the night but I wasn't having any contractions. So I sat down with my manual breast pumps and watched a couple episodes of Call the Midwife and within about 90 minutes we were rushing to the birth center with hard contractions. Baby was born a couple hours later. For baby #6 I cried and cried and cried to my midwife bc DH was preparing to be deployed and I just needed that baby out so I could get on the road to recovery already. At 38 weeks she stripped my membranes. (It was a lot of blood...I was not prepared for that.) About 24 hours after she stripped my membranes I was giving up all hope of going into labor ever (I was an emotional mess), but made one last attempt and sat down with the breast pumps again. Contractions got started and baby was born within a few hours. I am such a believer in the nip stim. Edited March 22, 2016 by DesertBlossom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Discomfort. Black cohosh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 But up until then, shouldn't the baby/your body know when to start labor? Sorry if this is coming across as negative. I don't mean for it to. I just figure that there's no reason to try to force labor unless there actually IS a reason to force labor--distress of some sort. Well, for me, preeclampsia twice and pregnancy-induced hypertension once. But assuming you're taking about natural inductions rather than medical ones, I think a lot of it is just attempts to help things get started if they're teetering on the edge. My understanding is that most of the natural induction methods won't actually work unless things are close to starting anyway. (Medical inductions don't work as well if the body isn't ready, either. My induction at 37 weeks was awful, because my body wasn't ready, but we kept at it to avoid a c-section.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Why do people try to get babies to be born before the body does it on its own? Is it because if they stay in too long things can go badly? I know that most midwives/ob's get very, very nervous at the 42 week mark (which is where I was with #2.). I think things can go downhill fast at that point. But up until then, shouldn't the baby/your body know when to start labor? Sorry if this is coming across as negative. I don't mean for it to. I just figure that there's no reason to try to force labor unless there actually IS a reason to force labor--distress of some sort. ETA: and with one baby born at 41.3 weeks and the other at 42 weeks, I know all about the misery of those last 3 weeks. I was SO DONE with being pregnant. Because I just can't take it anymore. Everything hurts. It hurts to walk. I can't roll over. I can't sleep. And I also have big babies. Three of my babies were born at roughly 2 weeks early at each were already 8.5 to 9.5 pounds. I'm so glad they weren't bigger. With the exception of my preemie, all were wonderful nursers. My last baby was the only one I was "induced" for, if you consider stripping membranes being induced. With my others (except the preemie) we just got busy and figured if it happened,it happened. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I started a big project I couldn't possibly finish. The quilt pieces are probably still sitting in a drawer around here somewhere. :laugh: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Reiterating suggestions above: - nipple stimulation, absolutely - membrane stripping by someone who "means business" as my midwife said it - walking uphill - and while out of favor, castor oil makes my 24+ hour labor go lickity-split (discovered on baby 5, always will return to this) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Best of luck. I still have six weeks to go, and I swear this has been the longest pregnancy known to man. And my first was 2 weeks late, so.... My midwife said pretty much the only thing that works at all is TeA, but at 39+ weeks that's never my favorite activity. Crossing my fingers that baby decides to put in an appearance ASAP! Yes, TeA. Or peanut buster parfaits from Dairy Queen. Which I never really liked, so TeA it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 2 words-- Nipple Stimulation. Best done by dh. Midwife turned out the lights for us in the hospital. It was one of our funniest memories. Oh my. My image of you has for ever changed. So so funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I am sorry you are miserable. My doc examined me and it hurt so I suspect he did something....I went into labor that evening. I was full term but not ready. I loved being pregnant so much. I actually missed him being inside my body! I know I am weird. I hope,baby comes today for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I had my midwife do a stretch and sweep of my membranes at 10 days past due date for both my kids. I went into labor several hours later both times. I wanted very much to deliver at the birthing center and they had strict rules about eligibility, including must be 14 days or less past due date, so I was getting very nervous. Nothing else more gentle worked, but that did the trick. (I never tried the castor oil, yuck.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 Thanks everyone! My midwife won't strip membranes until I'm past due. Which is fine by me. I'm just trying to think of other things to try. My kids head out today for a week at camp grandma. I've been to the chiro. I have a prenatal massage scheduled for tomorrow. I'm eating spicy food and pineapple. Today I'm cleaning and organizing the house. I know she'll come when she's ready I'm just so ready to meet her. I'm trying to stay busy so I don't lose my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theelfqueen Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Homebirther over here, too :) Nipple Stim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 But otherwise, sorry, no induction ideas. It has been proven that baby is the one to trigger labor, not mom, so if baby hasn't done that yet than it's not time. See, I KNEW it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Why do people try to get babies to be born before the body does it on its own? Is it because if they stay in too long things can go badly? I know that most midwives/ob's get very, very nervous at the 42 week mark (which is where I was with #2.). I think things can go downhill fast at that point. But up until then, shouldn't the baby/your body know when to start labor? Sorry if this is coming across as negative. I don't mean for it to. I just figure that there's no reason to try to force labor unless there actually IS a reason to force labor--distress of some sort. ETA: and with one baby born at 41.3 weeks and the other at 42 weeks, I know all about the misery of those last 3 weeks. I was SO DONE with being pregnant. I was desperate at 10 days overdue (certain conception date) with a 10+ lb baby and HG. Then with my second, I really wanted a VBAC, but because of the history with #1, I couldn't go over due. VBAC was not in the cards. Pregnancy can be utterly miserable for people. My best friend had HG that made mine look like a picnic. I would've been sacrificing small animals to get those babies out! There's also the feeling of powerlessness. You have zero control over your own body, and if having sex or eating spicy food makes you feel like you're doing SOMETHING, what harm is there in it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I was desperate at 10 days overdue (certain conception date) with a 10+ lb baby and HG. Then with my second, I really wanted a VBAC, but because of the history with #1, I couldn't go over due. VBAC was not in the cards. Pregnancy can be utterly miserable for people. My best friend had HG that made mine look like a picnic. I would've been sacrificing small animals to get those babies out! There's also the feeling of powerlessness. You have zero control over your own body, and if having sex or eating spicy food makes you feel like you're doing SOMETHING, what harm is there in it? Yes, I see those points. But I would say that you did *need* to get the baby out for health reasons. And I most certainly understand the misery of being very, very pregnant (remember--I was both 10 days and 14 days past the due date for my babies.). I go back and forth on this. If the baby is just finishing up whatever he/she needs to finish up, then I think it's best to let nature take its course. But if something is starting to go wrong, then trying to jumpstart things makes sense. P.S. I was a miserable pregnant person, so I do understand OP that you are DONE. The times when I were pregnant were a constant barage of pain and misery. I hate being pregnant. I understand that you want this over with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowlark Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 I was 4 days overdue with one of mine. Then I said "this ought to do it" and ran up and down a hill a few times. Literally, 3 hours later, BAM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 And yes, it is very true that it's hard to feel powerless when it's your own body. And then everyone is constantly asking if you've had the baby yet. And relatives are trying to plan a time to visit you. And your hubby is trying to figure out his work schedule. And your kids are dying to hold the baby so they ask you every 5 seconds if the baby is coming soon. It is hard to have no control and no idea how to plan for anything. It's just a strange and kind of crazy feeling to not know what to expect. So, if I eat some pineapple and walk up and down my stairs and that gives me a sense of accomplishment and makes me feel slightly less out of control, then yes, I am going to do those things. I just need to feel like I'm doing something other than sitting here going crazy. Nothing I'm doing is unsafe and all of it has been cleared with my midwife. So those are the kinds of things I'm talking about. I'm not trying to evict the baby before she's ready because I know that I can't do that without medical intervention. I'm just trying to do something so I don't feel completely powerless. And quite frankly, Mexican food and pineapple smoothies sound yummy right now. So I'll happily indulge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Ah, for me I found trying to do something and having it "not work" made me more anxious that just giving up and waiting. When my 2nd child went overdue I was frantic, as she was a planned homebirth and I knew they'd transfer my care at 42 weeks, plus my first had been 2 weeks early, so it was so weird to be late. I did walking, stairs, chiropractic, sex, weird foods, and had my membranes stripped several times, oh...and some herbal tincture that tasted horrid. Cotton root bark I think. Nothing worked. I finally gave up and she came at 41 weeks 5 days. With the third I did none of that. I just wasn't going to bother. And he came at 41 weeks 5 days. In my experience doing stuff didn't help at all, and just made me crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateMomster Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 1st - Moving House 2nd - Nothing, he came on due date 3rd - 2 weeks late, finally got things started with litres of fresh pineapple juice and clary sage (aromatherapy) 4th - 1 week early, red raspberry leaf tea and clary sage. Good luck, I'll be in your position in a couple weeks time. It's hard!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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