What REALLY Works???

[Mel09]

Ok, I am sure that there is a thread somewhere with all the Old Wives Tales... but I want to know what you tried and what worked!

I have been told quite a few, but am very interested in what has worked in the past...

I really want to go into labour at least 1 week early... 2 would be great, I realise that bub's has to be ready... but there aint no harm in trying!!!!

Looking forward in hearing your experiences.... I think it'll be interesting!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I believe pineapple is supposed to kick-start labour, so much so that it's on the "don't eat" list for newly pregnant women before the 35-36w mark. I don't have any experience of it, but good luck!

[*Belle*]

Mel - my friend Anna made a pineapple cake I swear it sent her into labour! Also massaging your nipples in preparation for breastfeeding and eating chilli or hot food..

I can tell you that my midwife at my antenatal class told us that the nipple thing works and also sex.... the only thing I have done is the nipple thing and also using the fitball to get bubs in correct position, the fitball is a blessing.

Bel
xxx

[chocolatecatty]

OH! I eat HEAPS of pineapple! Haven't had bubs yet though.....so I'll probably continue eating it!

[hannanat]

I drank 1L of Pineapple juice yesterday and instead of a baby just got heartburn, lol...

Ive done nipple stimulation with my other pg and get contrax which just fade away.

Ive had acupuncture which didnt work.

And if DH thinks that I'm letting him near me with the intention of anything but a platonic massage he's got another thing coming

[christy]

There's also an article on the main site on natural induction methods which may have some ideas too.

I tried spicy food, sex, pinapple, walks, nipple stimulation, even thought seriously about caster oil... but nah, nothing worked for me.

[MummaBear79]

hi guys,

You can also try the naturopath. I have a client who went to her naturopath and got a remedy for inducing labour. Cant harm hey?? It worked for her!!

oh, and just do you know, most induction methods wont work unless your body is ready

[JustJack]

I tried them all, pineapple, spicy food, long walk using the gutter, blowing up balloons??? and then blowing up balloons whilst squatting (nearly peed myself then so stopped that) even went to my last resort.....sex. But Matthew came 7 days overdue missing both my parents who went back to brisbane 12 hours before he was born. So I believe that it is purely coincidental. But good luck anyways!!!!

[Beckibee]

Nipple stimulation/massage worked for me....did that in a warm bath and 2 hours later my waters broke. That said, I was 2 days over when that happened, so maybe it was just co-incidental.

[Inanna]

I have had 2 post dates babies - it seemed tortuous at the time! I tried acupuncture and I do believe it worked, I used homeopathics, sex, using an epo as a pessarie a couple of times a day (acts as a prostaglandin), curry, walking up and down the stairs (only served to exhaust me!) I even caved and did the castor oil - I wouldn't recommend that to ANYONE I was pooing through the eye of a needle all night and no baby!
Basically as you know, natural induction methods (and often artificial ones!) don't work until you and your baby are ready. Try some visualisations, talk to your baby...
I haven't been much help, sorry!

[Mel09]

True Em, but hey it's worth a try... I am WAY too impatient...

Thanks guys... I also heard that reflexology works???

[Melbo]

I tend to agree with Emma - I think some of the methods appear to work because the baby was ready to come anyway. I was overdue - spent a lot of time cleaning, walking, tweaking my nipples but to no avail!

My sister warned me off the castor oil treatment too Flowerchild!

[Mel09]

Of course, bub's and your body have to be ready... hence why medical inductions fail...

I reckon it's worth a try... you just never know... it's all a bit of fun, just like the old wives tales for gender prediction!

[Naomi]

I tried everything when i was overdue with Nick
Walking, curry, pineapple, nipple stimulation, hot baths and my last resort was castor oil (YUK!) and none of it worked for me

[julesy]

I LOVE pineapple and have been eating all through the pregnancy! Unlike you Mel, I want to be OVERDUE as my DH is not in the country (and may not be on the due date...), so maybe I'll give the pineapple I bought the other day to my neighbour!!!

[cathybutterfly]

Okay, I don't know what really worked, as I was trying lots of things, but I feel the contributing factors were: lots and lots of sex and nipple stimulation, and the curried soup I ate the night labour started

Goodluck, hope bubs comes early for you

Edited to Add: I should say, I managed Lucy to arrive 9 days early, went into labour 11 days before her due date.

[Anna**]

I'm not sure what did it for us! I had been prepping my nipples since about 36 weeks (guess that's counts as stimming), DH and I had sex two nights before I went into labour... and the night before I ate about a third of a pineapple & carrot cake that I made (I never heard about the pineapple thing before). Oh and I also ate a hot curry 2 night prior.

Weird tho, as I wasn't even trying to induce labour at the time!!! I just felt like pineapple, sex and hot curry! ROFL

Edited to add: I went into labour a 37+ 3days