40 weeks on sat - help me bring it on!

[shellbear]

I am 40 weeks this Sat and wanting to be on the front foot about bringing this one on. My previous was an emergency c-section after going to 42+3 and being induced (double contracting, no breaks argh). No induction allowed this time though. I have some acupuncture booked this week - which I did try before but trying again. Eating pineapple,drinking raspberry leaf tea. Have this balloon thing booked at the hospital, plus usual sweeps. Can anyone recommend a good reflexologist? Or any other tips?!

[karter]

My missus did everything too and ate LOADS of pineapple. She saw Monica at Dulwich therapy rooms on LL for reflexology. We were amazed to see the baby move each time she massaged along the ankle.

[Yak]

I went 11 days overdue and tried most things but in the end I think the most effective things were the sweeps and good old Father Time. I don't know if it helps start contractions, but if you want a good way to keep them going, try walking crabwise down stairs - it opens up the pelvis amazingly and got me from 2cm to 7cm+ in an hour....

Amy at The Dulwich Touch (aloued I think is her forum name) does great pregnancy massages including massages tailored for overdue ladies.

What is the balloon thing at the hospital? My interest is piqued!

[Gussy]

Hi I went nearly 2 weeks overdue and I tried everything going!!! I think in the end it was about letting go (I was very anxious about the birth) but also I swear that the reflexology I had 2 days before the birth helped. I actually had a contraction while the reflexologist was pressing on a certain point on my foot! Spooky! x

[Gussy]

BTW reflexologist was a lady called Susy Ray website here

Did have to travel to Covent Garden to see her though (a very uncomfortable taxi journey!!).

[Smiler]

Packing up to move house, trekking around London with a toddler, manic cleaning and lugging a hoover along Lordship Lane on moving day did it for me (a few weeks early!)

[Ruth_Baldock]

There's this indian restaurant, Safa, on church St se5 which has amazing curries that are very very hot. I always gr strong, regular bh after eating there and two friends have gone into labour after eating there. They deliver to se22.

Sex? This will be my last resort too tbh, the very IDEA at this point is ludicrous...

[crystal7]

Clary sage oil in bath and on bump (mix with bio oil or similar) if you can bear the smell. Lots of walking and sex as last resort...

[ryedalema]

I was line dancing the day b4 my first - she came the next morning 2 weeks early.

Not saying it's linked :) but worth a try?

... 5,6,7,8 !!

Doh, ci, doh and around you go :))

Good luck xx

[shellbear]

haha. yes got the clary sage. yak - the balloon thing I think is this http://www.rcm.org.uk/midwives/reviews/cervical-ripening-balloon/ - lewisham hosp are doing a trial of it so thought i'd give it a go but will find out more on weds..

[Vickster]

Acupuncture with Dan Bevan at the Dulwich Therapy Rooms. I also had a curry from the new veggie Indian - Indian Mischief - and went into labour 5 hours later.

[supergolden88]

I was a week overdue with my second. Sex did not bring on labour, neither did Rasp leaf tea or clary sage.

In the end I was given a sweep the day before induction. I was so determined to avoid the induction that I went for a VERY brisk walk around the block that night. I was like a woman possessed. I also tried nipple stimulation and pinneapple and started having strong contractions before falling asleep. Next morning contractions started up again when I got up at 7am and got stronger and more frequent. We had time to drop daughter at nursery before making our way to Kings around 9am.

Good luck!

[Olga]

I ate at tandoori nights the night before I went into labour with both my girls and they were both exactly a week early. I also ate lots of pineapple, drank buckets of raspberry leaf tea, had plenty of sex and walked a mile a day. I was desperate to get things going!! In the end my waters broke with both I think they were fed up with the abuse and kicked open the door. Good luck

[BellendenBear]

I think it was the sweeps that worked for me. 10 days overdue with 2nd baby having being nearly 3 weeks early with 1st. According to my midwife the most recent research shows that sweeps on 3 consecutive days is the most effective way. I went in to labour on the 3rd night as did another woman having sweeps on the same days.

Raspberry leaf tea doesn't bring on labour, but it is supposed to make labour easier when it occurs. And according to baby centre you have to eat something like 7 pineapples to bring on a contraction! Clary sage oil made me have really strong braxton-hicks, so much so that I thought I was in labour 3 times before the event, even shipping toddler off to stay at relatives for the night 3 weeks before the actual birth. I wonder if it did make labour easier though by preparing things in some way.

If all else fails, there's always castor oil...

[mrs f]

I tried absoulutly everything listed here, lots of long walks, clary sage, raspberry leaf tea, loads of pineapple, lots of curry, sex, sideways walking upstairs, driving fast over speed bumps, laughing hard, crying, 3 sweeps and lots of acupuncture... Sadly I think the thing that worked for me was waiting! 13 days late the little bugger but he came in the end when I'd given up trying to get him out. I was lucky that I convinced kings to let me go to 14 days so avoided induction... Some people just need longer before the babies are ready to come out... Good luck!

[Fuschia]

I agree they come when they are ready

If no health issues with mum or baby them patience will be enough, in the end

Ds1 41+4 after acu walking 3 sweeps etc

Twins 38+3 induced as one stopped growing - bishops score was 10 and twin 1 born 3h after waters broken

Latest baby i developed High bp at 40 weeks odd

Acupuncture clary sage walking ... Made no difference

It then took several days of gel pessary AROM but nothing worked in the end except drip

Baby wasn't in a good position

[jollybaby]

Nothing worked for me either . . . I ate a whole pineapple and had awful wind but no sign of labour! It's easy to spend so much money on this too. I had 2 sessions if acupuncture and the acupuncturist was keen to do a couple more. The one thing I wish I had done though was to be more mobile at the end of my pregnancy .. I ignored that bit of my antenatal class, spent a lot of time lazing around and ended up with an OP baby (back to back).

[Dullyy]

Same here, tried everything from spicy food to pineapple etc. but nothing. Like so many have said here I too think time is simply the best medicine here. But I know, when the situation is on, you just want to try everything. :)

[ClaireClaire]

Sorry to add evidence that you probably don't want to hear... but I also tried everything. Eventually I went in to St Thomas's for an induction at 42+1. After it had gotten started with pessaries etc, I went out walking for 3 hours all around the embankments, going up and down every set of stairs I could find, on a last-ditch effort to get things moving. My husband still talks about how far we walked that day and how sore his legs were. But I have no recollection of fatigue, only desperation. Like someone else said above, I too was like a woman possessed. Unfortunately it was to no avail and it all ended in an emergency cs the following day.

I had a similar situation with my second child, and my conclusion is the same as others' above, which is that babies come when they're ready!

I hope this doesn't seem negative, and I do wish you the very best and that you go into labour naturally. In an ideal world, we would all be tranquil and serene and ready to deal with whatever unpredictable circumstances arise, but I know only too well how agonising it is to sit there waiting as the days tick by.

I will have my fingers crossed for you for a peaceful birth and healthy baby. xx

[Fuschia]

I do think as long as your bp etc stay good and the baby is ok on monitoring then no need to worry, just wait

I wouldn't have accepted induction just on dates if there had been no actual concerns

[KateW]

Sweep did nothing for me; I did loads of step-ups on the stairs one afternoon and went into labour that evening, 5 days overdue!

[Gussy]

Shoot me now, but I have to say I'm passionate about waiting for baby to come when they are ready. Due dates are only estimates at the end of the day. I had a horrid birth and labour with sweeps and inductions with my first but I didn't know all the information or all of my choices. For my second I held off induction for 13 days, and instead opted for continual monitoring (went to hospital each day for bp, bloods and scan). This is your right and is in the NICE guidelines but you won't be told this by the health professionals! Found this website very interesting too: 10 month mamas

Of course there are risks in going 'overdue' but as long as you are informed and make the decision that is right for you along with your doctor then that's fine too!

[jennyh]

Oh I wish I had had the patience to wait without fretting!! I remember so well how anxious I was and however hard I tried to relax and just let it be I couldnt. I had 3 sweeps in a week, the midwife said that it was more effective having a day between each sweep, on the other days I had acupuncture with 3 sessions in total. At my first sweep the midwife said that my cervix was favourable etc and I was 1cm dilated so I dont think that I was that far off anyway to be honest. I did however feel the effects of each acupuncture session, lots of low cramping and the baby kicked a lot. She arrived the day before my induction and I went into labour 1 day after the last acupuncture. I do wonder whether because I had the 3 sweeps and the 3 acupuncture and eaten curry and all the rest I got to the point where I had tried it all and had no more options so just had to grin and bear it, and then she came...albeit with her hands on her head, still not keen on making an entrance!

Good luck! Let us know how you get on!

[shellbear]

gawd I know you can spend a fortune and I agree they come when they are ready - but because of my previous emergency c/s then they won't induce me - I will just get booked in for a planned c/s - I think at about 41+4. I also think they have my dates wrong - by a week too early - I have raised this several times but the size on the graph from the scan says this sat so there you go...had some back pain in the garden this morning... come on!!

[Fuschia]

sb you dont have to accept the cs though till you are convinced its needed