Who is responsible for labour

[rose]

Is it the baby or is it our bodies? A dr said to me today that all babies come in their own time. Now I know that babies have some/a lot to play in labour but if a mother has a history of going over, wouldn't that be partly the mothers body responsible for going into labour.

In other words, am I likely to not go early given that I have gone over with all and needed gel to ripen cervix with two of my births? Hope this makes sense.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

i would say the babies.. the lower they get into the pelvis the more they push on the cervix. Hence then allowing the cervix to open. HTH

[~clover~]

I think it's a bit of both, but more our bodies.

I went 8 days over with DD1
7 days over with DD2
But had DS 2 days early.

I refused to go over again & did everything I could to get him out! Well mostly walking & lots of house work. It worked though!

Hollye - It's usually only first babies that engage - go lower into the pelvis before labour. 2nd & others usually don't engage til labour.

[Trillian]

I believe both work together to know when the time is right. Bjrose, any baby can be engaged before labour starts, not just first babies and it isn't uncommon for first babies to not engage either. It is also not an indicator of when baby will come if they aren't engaged either. Only my second baby ever fully engaged before the birth.

[Phteven]

HTH

What Triggers Labor?

by Pattie Hughes

You know labor has started by the strong, regular contractions of the uterus that grow stronger over time. But what exactly triggers this process? With as much as doctors know about labor and birth, this remains a mystery. They don't quite understand what starts the process.

Doctors are conducting research in an attempt to better understand the process that triggers labor. In addition to better understanding the mechanism that triggers full term labor, they are hoping to better understand and prevent preterm labor.

While they still don't know for sure what causes labor to begin, there are several theories. One theory is that the mother's pituitary gland begins to secrete oxytocin when the baby is fully developed and ready to be born. Oxytocin is the hormone that stimulates contractions. Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin that is routinely used to induce labor.

For many years, it was believed that the mother's body was responsible for starting labor. Some researchers now believe that the baby actually starts labor. The baby sends a signal to the mother's body that causes labor to start. There are a few different theories about how this may work.

One theory is that the baby's lungs secrete an enzyme or chemical when they are fully developed. This causes prostaglandins to be released into the mother's system. The prostaglandins then trigger changes in the cervix and contractions. Prostaglandins are sometimes used to induce labor.

Another theory is that the baby's adrenal glands send a signal to start labor. When the baby is ready to be born, the adrenal glands produce hormones. These hormones cause hormonal changes in the mother. These changes are responsible for the process that starts labor.

While there are many theories, no one really knows what triggers labor. This process remains a mystery. As research continues, the answer to this question may soon be answered. This will increase our understanding of the birth process and possibly save thousands of babies from preterm births each year.

[rose]

Thanks Dachlostar and others. The other thing I thought was that I have a few friends that have gone early(like in the last 10 weeks early) and they have done this with all three bubs. Now this has to be their body because as everyone says, every baby IS different. And with there pg they have had to hold off contractions since 25 wks or so.

Very interesting