Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Some of the suggestions we've heard....

Now that Heather is overdue by 6 days, we've been hearing lots of great comments and suggestions around why the baby is late, the state of the baby, what other people's experiences have been and suggestions on how to bring on labor faster. A few are below. Would love to hear any others too!

  1. She's very comfortable in there
  2. She's going to be well baked
  3. The full moon induces labor
  4. If you eat chicken Parmesan from a specific restaurant in Brooklyn it induces labor within 30 minutes [that seems a bit risky to me]
  5. Sex will induce labor
  6. Hiking will induce labor
  7. Turns out that lots and lots of people were "late". [Which makes me wonder, if so many people are late, does that mean that really other people are early?]
  8. Don't listen to the doctors
  9. Listen to the doctors
  10. Take a hot shower, or get into a bath.
  11. Girls are always late
  12. Girls are always early
  13. Using the breast pump will start labor / stimulate the nipples
  14. Jump on a trampoline
  15. Ride on a bumpy road
  16. Drink castor oil [yuck!]
  17. Drink raspberry leaf tea
  18. Drink rose hips tea
  19. You're going to have to be induced
  20. You won't have to be induced

The doctor said it's a complex interplay of hormones between the mother, the placenta and the baby. They all have to work together to start labor. Needless to say, while informative, that does nothing to help with getting the ball rolling.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

i personally think she's holding out to be a gemini. because we're the coolest sign, but also because O&K are both taurus, right? imagine 3! :)

Anonymous said...

Well, for whatever it's worth, I swam 20 plus laps just before I went into labor with you, Braydon. But that was mid-August and it was hot, very hot.

Mom

Anonymous said...

Nipple stimulation is a technique midwives use. I suggest the pump because even if your husband thinks it will be fun to help, he will lose interest and it needs to be constant. Thus the pump. It should help all those chemicals and hormones do their thing like your doctor said they would.

Anonymous said...

As long as the baby is still moving around, everything is fine. Studies show that sex does not induce labor, and, while fun to normal people, I cannot imagine being remotely interested at 41 weeks. Wasn't there some debate with the doctors at the beginning, where you told them when you conceived, and that said, no, it had to be this other time because of the baby's measurements? Maybe you were right all along and you're not overdue at tall...

This Mama said...

I was overdue for all three of my kids. 2 weeks for each. It was the minute the hospital staff started talking about induction that my body sprung into gear. All three were born super healthy and I had great experiances. The most important thing is that you always do what is comfortable for you :)
(I know - more advice! but I guess at times I felt that so many other people felt they knew what was best, but truth be told every birth experiance is as differant as the individual and I feel as a Mother you should be in charge of what that experience will be).
Take care
Mandy

Anonymous said...

I know for sure that numbers 6, 16 3, and 5 all work. . .for boys.

or girls-Well, my baby girl started her journey when I was least expecting it. . .and it was really NOT a good time, so, I suggest tearing up the junk drawer or some other task that requires a dismantle/reassemble action. . .if she is like my baby girl, just as you begin to reassemble. . .

and the mess was STILL there when I got home with her! Sigh

She is probably mad at you for not having a vacay all planned for her to go on right away. . .prima donnas:)

Michele

Anonymous said...

i love reading your blog, and i am so thrilled for your daughter's impending arrival! after three kids of my own (and watching countless friends go through this), i would say keep hanging in there and do your best not to induce with pitocin. babies come when they are ready, and the more naturally they can do that, the better the labor usually goes. it seems like the more intervention from the start, the more intervention is needed all along.

that being said, with my second child i had tremendous nerve pain down my leg and decided to induce with castor oil. instead of drinking it, you put a tablespoon in peanut butter and spread it on toast. it is not unbearable by any means. my girl was born just a few hours later! it was a fast, furious birth, though.

one other thing--my doctor here in Los Angeles is a big natural childbirth guy, and he does not induce with pitocin. he induces by putting patients on the breast pump. i haven't done it, but he says it is effective and easier on your body than pitocin.

anyway, you've heard it all, i am sure. enjoy those boys, and hang in there. each day beyond the due date feels like a YEAR, doesn't it??

Jenn said...

The red raspberry leaf tea is more for increasing the tone of the uterine muscles, hence making contractions more effective. It won't actually induce labor. Most women start drinking it around 37 weeks.

Don't drink the castor oil! When we say "push" we prefer to only have a baby greet us :-)

Sex and nipple stimulation do help, but if the body and the baby are not ready, it won't do much.

Mark and Sarah said...

I've heard that getting on your hands and knees (like you're scrubbing the floor) and rocking helps open up the pelvis and get the baby into position...even if it doesn't start labor, it's supposed to make labor lots shorter. I know...all this advice is of no help because she'll come out when she's good and ready to!

Laura said...

From my girlfriend who was nine days late with her first and tried everything under the sun - I think maybe everything on your list and it still didn't help - her advice is REST WHILE YOU CAN! (as much as you can while 9-10 months pregnant and 4 year old twins!)

Carmen said...

I have been lurking for a long time. I used the breast pump twice(last two children) because my water broke, and my body did not go into labor. It is extremely effective. I also had pitocin twice (first two children) because of my water breaking and no labor. The breast pump works so much more quickly than pitocin, and natural labor is so much more manageable than pitocin induced labor. Good Luck.

kirbmom said...

I was so desperate with my first child who was overdue. I tried virtually all of the suggestions Braydon listed--except the Parm from Brooklyn, we were on the other side of the country. I can tell you that none of them work.

From my experience, all of the sex in the world did nothing. Neither did scrubbing the floor or castor oil. I walked my dogs 5 miles per day. You name it, I tried it. I even moved all of our living room furniture around by myself. Nothing worked.

Babies come when they're ready. With my first child, I was 4 days away from being induced which I really didn't want. Lucky for me, she arrived just in time.

My doctors were certain that I would make it to 38/39 weeks with my twins. They made their grand entrance at 32 weeks. She will get here when she's ready. She is such a lucky little girl having so many people waiting anxiously to meet her!

Anonymous said...

I wasn't late but I WAS ready for my little one to be born last July. I went for a 4 mile hilly walk and went into labor that night. For the entire walk I "curb-walked." One foot on the curb, the other on the street. I also had a black bean burger and red snow cone for dinner... so who knows. I think I agree with the doctor... the baby will come when she is ready. It never hurts to have suggests though. Keeps your mind occupied! Best of luck.

Life in Fitzville said...

6 kids... all 1-2 weeks late. I gave up on all the advice and listened to the one true thing my doctor told me... no ones ever been pregnant forever :)

Although I'm sure it must seem like it at the moment!