natural products to help ripen

[Danielle]

Hi there!

I have been reading some things about evening primrose oil, raspberry leaf tea, and apparently pineapple???? lol with getting the cervix ready for labour.

Just wondering if taking any of these would have any increase on the percentage of uterine rupture for VBAC. Cause I know ya cant be induced cause it increases, so taking these natural products to help get things going, would that be the same... or would they be perfectly safe to start taking... also from how many weeks would be safe for the primrose and raspberry leaf tea?

Anyone know of anything else that supposably works as well?

thanks!

[Eternalbear]

hi Danielle with my VBA2C I took Evening primrose and red raspberry leaf tablets from 34 weeks. I can't tell you if they actually worked or not but I went into labour on my due date only laboured for 6ish hours and only took 21 mins to push Quinn out.
I will be taking them again in future pregnancies.

Melissa

[Jo+3]

Hey Danielle,
I used raspberry leaf tea (apparently stronger than the tablets) from about 36 weeks with VBAC 1 and 2. It's supposed to tone your uterus. Gave me very strong braxton Hicks. Both my bubs were born a week earlier and both labours were 1hr 45mins.

[cindyb]

With both of mine i had EPO - I was taking 2 tabs a day in the mornings and then at night inserting 2 next to my cervix and i have had 2 really good labours where i have not pushed AT ALL! and they were nice and fast and managed without drugs- I am not claiming that the EPO would have been the reason for all the above but if it helped at all..... I think it was worth the sticky mess eery morning. Oh yeah and i only took it from about 34 weeks

[blue daisy]

hey Danielle

RLT tones the uterus, as Jo posted, allowing your uterus to work more effectively in labor and dilate the cervix. It does not ripen the cervix

EPO is not a safely proven method of softening the cerivx, and can (as some research suggests) increase infection rates for mother and baby

pineapple does not do anything

reflexology
acupuncture
homeopathics and some herbs
yoga and positioning
meditation and imagery
hypnosis and relaxation
sex

are all things that can help the body for labor and birth...but ultimatley it all comes down to when your baby is ready, and even with a VBAC you have up to 42 weeks

x

[Niamh75]

I drank raspberry leaf tea from about 35 weeks i went over my due date so i spoke to a friend who does acupuncture and he said he could work on certain points to bring on labour they wont do it on less you are over your due date but i had my appointment that Thursday he did a sweep and said i would be back before i knew it and i was fridayay i went in to labour.

Ive also heard and have seen a program on telly of a birth center were they use breast pumps 15 minutes on each breast every hour be warned it can bring on very strong contraction it releases hormones that help the cervix dilatet and bring on Labour it worked for that girl

i used homeopathic remedies as well found them great