How to Induce Labor

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I wanted to avoid being induced all 3 times. I read and researched and tried all of the things!

Here are things friends suggested and things I read online:

1. Sex. You have all heard it, I know. So I thought I would just go ahead and get that one out of the way. Apparently there is something in semen that is similar to the medicine used to soften the cervix.
2. Walking . Lots and lots of walking. The weekend before I was induced with Caleb, we walked so many miles. Sadly, it didn’t seem to help all that much.
   
3. Primrose Oil. You can take this orally or vaginally. I did both with Ethan starting at 37 weeks.
4. Pumping . To make things easier, use my favorite Hands Free Pumping Bra I got when I had to pump for Caleb beginning at 5 months. A friend that is a L&D nurse recommended this suggestion for inducing labor to me. Apparently nursing (or nipple stimulation in general) can help the body create oxytocin. I pumped each night for the week before I was set to be induced. **I will add here that the Lactation Consultant who came to see me in the hospital got so upset when I told her. She sternly asked, “who told you to do that?” And she reprimanded me for doing so because she said it can lead to contractions that can last longer than normal and possibly put the baby in distress. Needless to say, I was incredibly emotional, exhausted and hormonal after a birth that did not go as planned and I was really upset when she rudely relayed the information. She also treated me like I had no idea what I was doing, and I didn’t receive that well as I had nursed 2 other babies previously. I just mention this as a word of caution. Some may not agree with this advice.
   
5. Bouncing on a labor or Exercise Ball/ Rolling on the ball to engage the baby into your pelvis. Every nap time, I would sit on the ball and bounce and drink my labor-inducing smoothie. I would roll my hips and bounce while pumping in the evening. I was so determined to do anything I could to move my baby along.
6. Chiropractor care. I sought this out with our first and last. This last time, I went to a chiropractor twice a week for the last 4-5 weeks or so. Perhaps I should have started sooner, but I think if nothing else it helped me have a lot less back pain the 3rd time around. I was able to sleep more soundly.
7. Acupuncture/acupressure. With Caleb, the chiropractor we saw showed Bryan some acupressure points to press. With our last, since I was attempting a VBAC and was really wanting to avoid being induced, I even looked up acupuncturists and called a few in the end but they didn’t have any openings the Saturday before we were supposed to go in to get induced.
8. Pedicure/foot massage. Similar to the reasoning above, there are thought to be points on the sole of the foot (reflexology) that can help get things started.
9. Spicy food. We tried Thai food, Mexican food, all sorts of spicy food.
10. Eggplant Parmesan (from Olive Garden) I heard from a few that this was the last meal they had before going into labor. So we got some the Thursday before I was supposed to go in to the hospital. If nothing else, you get to enjoy a great meal before the baby comes!
11. Dates. This one has medical research behind it. I began eating 6 dates a day beginning at 36 weeks.
12. Pineapple. I love pineapple so this wasn’t hard for me to do.
13. Pineapple Date Smoothie I read about this on another blog. It’s just a great way to combine suggestions 11 and 12.
14. Hypnosis. Y’all. I am a skeptic of this for sure, but I figured what could it hurt? I downloaded a podcast and listened to it nightly.
15. Membranes stripped. You can ask your doctor about this one. I asked mine at my 38 week appointment, but I wasn’t really dilated at all and my doctor didn’t feel comfortable doing what needed to be done in front of my 1 and 3 year old who I brought along to all of my appointments.
    
16. Pregnancy Tea. This is supposed to help prepare your uterus for labor. I read a little bit about it possibly increasing bleeding, so I was hesitant to drink it.

Remember, I am NOT A DOCTOR. Please seek out medical advice and PLEASE do not try to induce labor before you are full term, no matter how miserable you are. These are just tips from one very pregnant mama to another.

Sadly, I didn’t get to have my dream of going into labor naturally any of the 3 times I wanted to do so. The first two times I tried most of these things and wasn’t dilated at all when I went in at 40 weeks (with C) and 39.3 weeks (with D). With E I was actually 3 cm! So who knows, maybe adding in numbers 3, 4, 6, 10 and 11-14 helped some. In the end, I really believe there is only so much you can do. It may help or it may not, but babies come when they want to come unless the doctors decide it’s best to force them out.

Although I didn’t get to achieve my “goal” of not having to be induced, in the end, God gave us 3 healthy boys, and so I cannot really complain that much. If you want to read their dramatic birth stories you can find them here (C), here (D) and here (E).

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