IHO mrsteste - share your "get baby out" old wives tales

[halfpint]

Scientifically valid or not, what have you heard will help get that baby going once his or her 40 week lease is up?  Or share your laughable, terrible suggestions.

I know I'm picking up a pineapple tonight.

No way in hell am I resorting to castor oil.  Nuh uh.  

[2curlydogs]

With B I swear walking/exercising did the trick. Like, 3+ miles each day at as brisk a pace you can manage.

I went into labor with that baby smack on his due date. I was running at the gym on the elliptical 3 days before going into labor. The day I went into labor, I took the dogs for a 3 mile walk.

[blindyswife]

OMG curly, there is NO way I could have been doing that much walking this late in the game! Kudos to you! My hips and back ache so badly after I walk through the freakin grocery store.

I've heard walking with one foot on the curb and one on the ground is supposed to help. Lol. Sounds ridic.

The night I went into labor with L, I had had some spicy HuHot for dinner earlier in the evening. But I'm skeptical and assume that was a coincidence.

[Yankees21]

Aug 14, 2013 9:41:44 GMT -5 blindyswife said:

OMG curly, there is NO way I could have been doing that much walking this late in the game! Kudos to you! My hips and back ache so badly after I walk through the freakin grocery store.

I've heard walking with one foot on the curb and one on the ground is supposed to help. Lol. Sounds ridic.

The night I went into labor with L, I had had some spicy HuHot for dinner earlier in the evening. But I'm skeptical and assume that was a coincidence.

I love Huhot!

Have sex...bounce on an exercise ball...eat eggplant parmesan.

[disappointedkittens]

I have heard the ones mentioned above, and going for a bumpy car ride!

[2curlydogs]

Aug 14, 2013 9:41:44 GMT -5 blindyswife said:

OMG curly, there is NO way I could have been doing that much walking this late in the game! Kudos to you! My hips and back ache so badly after I walk through the freakin grocery store.

I've heard walking with one foot on the curb and one on the ground is supposed to help. Lol. Sounds ridic.

The night I went into labor with L, I had had some spicy HuHot for dinner earlier in the evening. But I'm skeptical and assume that was a coincidence.

I was really, really active my whole pregnancy, so I'm sure that contributed to being able to do things like that so late.

But I'm also sure it contributed to having such an easy L&D.

[blindyswife]

Aug 14, 2013 10:10:11 GMT -5 2curlydogs said:

Aug 14, 2013 9:41:44 GMT -5 blindyswife said:

OMG curly, there is NO way I could have been doing that much walking this late in the game! Kudos to you! My hips and back ache so badly after I walk through the freakin grocery store.

I've heard walking with one foot on the curb and one on the ground is supposed to help. Lol. Sounds ridic.

The night I went into labor with L, I had had some spicy HuHot for dinner earlier in the evening. But I'm skeptical and assume that was a coincidence.

I was really, really active my whole pregnancy, so I'm sure that contributed to being able to do things like that so late.

But I'm also sure it contributed to having such an easy L&D.

Reason number 52 why I shouldn't be such a lazy bum all the time.

[cincodemayo]

i tried being active but now I still get tired (and lightning crotch!) when I walk for too long.

i gotta try this foot on the curb thing tonight. ha.

[halfpint]

FTR, I am aware that 99% of this stuff doesn't ACTUALLY work

[Cheesecake]

I know there are some pressure points that encourage your uterus to really start contracting, which might lead the body to believe labor is starting and producting the hormones needed to actually start it.

Otherwise, scientifically labor starts when baby is using up more than 15 percent of the nutrition you need. So if you eat a normal amount of calories for your body and activity type and you get less than 85% of that for you (your body makes sure your baby gets what (s)he needs first, then lets you have the rest), the body will start the eviction process, basically starting up hormones telling your baby 'dude, get out'. Baby then responds with hormones that enter your bloodstream saying 'please start contracting, it's the only way I can get out' and that gave just keeps going. (Taking pain meds stops this exchange, which is why if you take painkillers you often end up also needing pitocin if your body hadn't started doing enough yet.)

Anyways. Knowing that that's the scientific way labor starts, all I can think that might actually work, is making sure you don't get enough calories in there to sustain yourself and the baby. (now that's not based on scientific studies, but just my own weird logic.)

Also, basically, human babies are always born way too early - all other mammals have babies that can walk or at least crawl and such. The only reason humans have babies sooner is because the human head is too damn big to stay in long enough.
So if you take super good care of your body, getting enough nutrients and not using up too much energy for other activities, baby will want to stay in there as long as possible. That might be why exercising helps. You need more energy if you exercise so you have less left over after the baby takes his or her share thus setting off the hormonal exchange.

[megs68]

Oh man, I did it all with both pregnancies.  Pineapple, evening primrose oil, that oil you're supposed to smell (can't remember the name of it), nipple simulation with a breast pump, walking miles, bouncing on an exercise ball, acupressure, spicy food, but clearly nothing worked since both my babies were born via c/s at 42 weeks.  The only thing I didn't do was regular sex throughout 3rd trimester and castor oil.  I totally would have done the castor oil with #1 though if I'd known my induction would fail and I'd end up with a c/s.  hope you have better luck getting the kiddo out than I did!

[MrsAxilla]

Aug 14, 2013 11:48:20 GMT -5 Cheesecake said:

I know there are some pressure points that encourage your uterus to really start contracting, which might lead the body to believe labor is starting and producting the hormones needed to actually start it.

Otherwise, scientifically labor starts when baby is using up more than 15 percent of the nutrition you need. So if you eat a normal amount of calories for your body and activity type and you get less than 85% of that for you (your body makes sure your baby gets what (s)he needs first, then lets you have the rest), the body will start the eviction process, basically starting up hormones telling your baby 'dude, get out'. Baby then responds with hormones that enter your bloodstream saying 'please start contracting, it's the only way I can get out' and that gave just keeps going. (Taking pain meds stops this exchange, which is why if you take painkillers you often end up also needing pitocin if your body hadn't started doing enough yet.)

Anyways. Knowing that that's the scientific way labor starts, all I can think that might actually work, is making sure you don't get enough calories in there to sustain yourself and the baby. (now that's not based on scientific studies, but just my own weird logic.)

Also, basically, human babies are always born way too early - all other mammals have babies that can walk or at least crawl and such. The only reason humans have babies sooner is because the human head is too damn big to stay in long enough.
So if you take super good care of your body, getting enough nutrients and not using up too much energy for other activities, baby will want to stay in there as long as possible. That might be why exercising helps. You need more energy if you exercise so you have less left over after the baby takes his or her share thus setting off the hormonal exchange.

This just freaked me out! Do people go into preterm labor from not eating enough?

[formerlyak]

Aug 16, 2013 16:23:48 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Aug 14, 2013 11:48:20 GMT -5 Cheesecake said:

I know there are some pressure points that encourage your uterus to really start contracting, which might lead the body to believe labor is starting and producting the hormones needed to actually start it.

Otherwise, scientifically labor starts when baby is using up more than 15 percent of the nutrition you need. So if you eat a normal amount of calories for your body and activity type and you get less than 85% of that for you (your body makes sure your baby gets what (s)he needs first, then lets you have the rest), the body will start the eviction process, basically starting up hormones telling your baby 'dude, get out'. Baby then responds with hormones that enter your bloodstream saying 'please start contracting, it's the only way I can get out' and that gave just keeps going. (Taking pain meds stops this exchange, which is why if you take painkillers you often end up also needing pitocin if your body hadn't started doing enough yet.)

Anyways. Knowing that that's the scientific way labor starts, all I can think that might actually work, is making sure you don't get enough calories in there to sustain yourself and the baby. (now that's not based on scientific studies, but just my own weird logic.)

Also, basically, human babies are always born way too early - all other mammals have babies that can walk or at least crawl and such. The only reason humans have babies sooner is because the human head is too damn big to stay in long enough.
So if you take super good care of your body, getting enough nutrients and not using up too much energy for other activities, baby will want to stay in there as long as possible. That might be why exercising helps. You need more energy if you exercise so you have less left over after the baby takes his or her share thus setting off the hormonal exchange.

This just freaked me out! Do people go into preterm labor from not eating enough?

I went into preterm labor with ds and I am pretty sure I was eating plenty. I was also very active - danced 4 hours a day up until about the mid-point and then toned it down but still did barre, pilates and cardio until 33 weeks when I went into pre-term labor. Maybe I was using up too many of those calories I ate?

[littlemisschatty]

Lots of people told me walking, walking, walking. All I know is that my baby was early and I didnt expect it at all. The day before I went into labor, me and DH went for a long walk at the beach. Coincidence?

I also heard that lentil soup will help your baby come too!

[snickers]

Aug 14, 2013 10:52:39 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Let's see - I tried sex, walking, red raspberry leaf tea, spicy food, and bouncing on a yoga ball. The sex gave me non-productive contractions, the walking resulted in people staring and laughing at how huge I was, the tea and spicy food was yummy, and the yoga ball came in way more handy with the outside baby.

Nothing worked until I got pitocin and my OB broke my water, unfortunately.

That is awful!

[snickers]

Aug 16, 2013 16:43:31 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

Aug 16, 2013 16:23:48 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

This just freaked me out! Do people go into preterm labor from not eating enough?

I went into preterm labor with ds and I am pretty sure I was eating plenty. I was also very active - danced 4 hours a day up until about the mid-point and then toned it down but still did barre, pilates and cardio until 33 weeks when I went into pre-term labor. Maybe I was using up too many of those calories I ate?

wow, I did not know this.
Good to know!

[snickers]

Where do you buy castor oil? Is it as awful as it sounds?

[mandapanda18]

Aug 16, 2013 19:10:26 GMT -5 snickers said:

Where do you buy castor oil? Is it as awful as it sounds?

Don't do it! You will just end up with diarrhea and/or vomiting :/

[snickers]

Aug 16, 2013 19:43:46 GMT -5 mandapanda18 said:

Aug 16, 2013 19:10:26 GMT -5 snickers said:

Where do you buy castor oil? Is it as awful as it sounds?

Don't do it! You will just end up with diarrhea and/or vomiting :/

Enough said, thank you!

[megs68]

Aug 16, 2013 19:54:06 GMT -5 snickers said:

Aug 16, 2013 19:43:46 GMT -5 mandapanda18 said:

Don't do it! You will just end up with diarrhea and/or vomiting :/

Enough said, thank you!

Yup, I believe it is effective because the stomach cramping from the castor oil gets the contractions going.  Funny enough, my obgyn told me that he couldn't recommend it but that's what got his wife in labor.  

[snickers]

Aug 16, 2013 20:38:46 GMT -5 megs68 said:

Aug 16, 2013 19:54:06 GMT -5 snickers said:

Enough said, thank you!

Yup, I believe it is effective because the stomach cramping from the castor oil gets the contractions going.  Funny enough, my obgyn told me that he couldn't recommend it but that's what got his wife in labor.  

lol!
I'm not really into vomiting

[Deleted]

Another vote for walking. I went early with both babies (38 weeks) and I walked a ton the week before delivery both times. In my case it helped the babies drop lower and put the pressure on my cervix to dilate.

Also, just for fun...labor cake! At the very least, it's yummy

www.justmommies.com/pregnancy/labor-and-childbirth/labor-cake-chocolate-cake-to-induce-labor