My third bub had to be induced two days shy of 42 weeks ... the first two arrived spontaneously before their due dates though, so go figure!

I tried EVERYTHING in the final weeks of my third pregnancy to bring on DS3's arrival. By everything I mean weekly acupuncture and daily acupressure massage, RLT, long walks, visualisation and talking to bub (yep, seriously), clary sage oil, peppermint oil (in burner), curry, EPO, DTD ... you name it. I tried castor oil the day before I was induced and it did absolutely nothing, no hurried visits to the loo and no baby. Early the morning of my scheduled induction I had another dose (... what was I thinking!!!!!) and it gave me the runs, but fortunately only briefly and it cleared up several hours before I was induced. Nevertheless, it didn't start labour, so think very seriously before you take it. And if you do, be conservative

I did most of the above - except for castor oil - with my first two children ... and they DID arrive on time. So who knows what works/what doesn't with each baby! It really seems that each pregnancy/labour is different.

So I ended up being induced with gels, and bub arrived rather quickly a few hours afterwards. I had a good labour and didn't require further intervention.

My advice is the same as others - relax. Bub WILL be born, that is a certainty. I know what it feels like to be "over it" but, if you can, keep trying to rest up before bub arrives - stockpile it for later. And if your attempts at natural induction don't work, then please don't do what I initially did, which was to blame myself for bub not arriving earlier. We really don't have much control over it. Mind you, having a good sook was kind of theraputic, but all it really gave me was a snotty nose.

I approached induction with a slowly-slowly attitude. Gels first (7.30pm at night), then I consented to having my waters broken the next morning at 6am if there was no action happening. I was absolutely clear with all concerned there would be NO synto for several hours after that. Fortunately for me though, the gels got my labour going and I didn't need anything further. I feel it's your baby, your birth, your call.

Good luck hun - you're almost there. Keep doing what you're doing as it just might work, and if it doesn't then you get to choose when you're induced and how.