Get This Baby Out Of Me!!!!!

[brubeck]

Okay, I'm huge, I've been waddling like a duck for weeks now and I want to give birth already. I'm willing to try just about anything. I've already tried the nipple stimulation and intercourse methods, and spicy foods just make me ill.

Any REAL ways to do this? :-)

[Rachels]

Actually, the fact that you're feeling that way probably means you're very close. Getting absolutely disgusted with pregnancy seems to be nature's way of preparing you for birth. There ARE labor inducers (black cohosh, castor oil, acupuncture), but you should only use these under supervision of a doctor or midwife. They can be risky if used improperly. Hang in there! I PROMISE you will have this baby!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[Momof3Labs]

I went to breastfeeding class two Thursdays in a row, and Colin was rockin' and rollin' through both. I guess that he thought that breastmilk sounded a LOT better than blechy amniotic fluid. 7 hours after the second class ended, my water broke. He arrived exactly two weeks early!

So, it's very unscientific, but you can bet that I'll sign up for bf class at the end of my next pregnancy!!

Lori
mommy to Colin Daniel 9/28/02

P.S. Have you been walking??

[Shirale]

I was 2 weeks overdue with Amira and I was so totally fed up (same as you!) so I spent 4 days walking!! literally! I walked Manhatten everywhere, and after a couple days of 50 block hikes my water finally broke! I began my mission on monday and it broke thurs night...I also ate spicy food, danced around, tried everything...scrubed the house top to bottom...!!! Also- a friend of mine told me that when there is a rainstorm it causes women to go into labor- something inthe barometric pressure...I hope something helps!!

[jojo2324]

Walking definitely...My NP swore by Red Lobster, several of her pregnant friends at there towards the end and it always sent them into labor right after. DH is proud to say that intercourse worked for us... :P

[newbelly2002]

The night before Dante arrived (one week early) we tried intercourse AND spicy food AND a glass of wine (the L&D nurse at the hospital suggested it when we had a false run). And I also had been taking my little Tracker over the bumpiest roads I could find for about a week prior. Can't say what worked, but definately the crabby factor is a REALLY good sign. The day before Dante arrived, I had taken the trash to the dump and got into a heated argument with the woman running the place who told me that her DIL was 3 weeks earlier than me but carrying much lower and clearly going to go anyday. I, she said, on the other hand, would obviously run late. It took all the self-control I had not to take my icky trash bin and dump it over her head. But it's hard to look irate and be taken seriously when you get into a car that looks like a golf cart and goes "beep beep."

Hang in there, your little one will come soon.

Paula

[Rachels]

Forgot to mention that Chinese food did it for me-- and for three of my friends!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[brubeck]

I've been walking every day of the pregnancy (at least an hour) pushing my toddler in the stroller AND I've been hefting her (she's 31 pounds now) on my shelf-like belly since it popped out. I think my little guy is totally immune to these things now. Too add insult to injury, standing for long periods of time is supposed to cause issues, right? Well I teach 2 days a week and am constantly standing for 4 hours straight on those days, not to mention walking around campus at a fast clip. I'm just too active. :-( I suppose I could try standing and dancing while I type at the computer!

I did try some different (spicy) foods but they just made my stomach roll (reminiscent of the nausea I felt in my first pregnancy when taking pre-natal vitamins on an empty stomach).

I didn't go to BF class this time, but yesterday I DID pull out my PIS and clean all of the little parts so it would be ready to go to the hospital if necessary (I had to supplement my daughter from day 1 so I was pumping out the supplemental colostrum right away).

The good news is at the OB yesterday I had lost a little weight, which I guess right at the end means that you have lost a little amniotic fluid? My medical-type pregnancy book says this happens as the baby gets too big and needs a smidge more room.

I'm still on my quest, I definitely want a Thanksgiving baby!!!!!

[Shirale]

I hope we hear some good news after Thanksgiving then!!! We'll be thinking of you! Maybe the turkey will do it- LOL!

[brubeck]

Do they sell Pitocin-basted turkeys? :-)

[jojo2324]

That reminds me! Once I was working at my restaurant and I saw this woman just come rolling in. I didn't wait on her, but the other girl said she polished off a half bottle of wine. I had never heard of that before...Good to know, especially since it helps relax you and heaven knows you'll never be relaxed again! I dunno about the crabbiness, I was a royal you-know-what pretty much that whole last month. :) Beep beep! LOL

[mamahill]

I ate an entire pineapple a couple days before Ainsleigh was born. Had read that some acid in fresh pineapple helps trigger contractions. I had false labor for a week, so even though she ended up 2 1/2 weeks early, it wasn't early enough for me. And although I had read about several "home remedies" to kick-start labor, I also read that they really aren't effective unless you are going to go into labor soon (so I don't think it will work for someone in their 7th month). If that isn't the biggest disclaimer there ever was, I don't know. But I still ate the pineapple (I LOVE pineapple) and by the fifth night of contractions every 7-8 minutes we decided for the intercourse route and what do you know, those contractions sped up to every 5 minutes and 15 hours later she was born (I would have to say it was one of the "funnier" times, if you catch my drift... hold on... breathe... ok go!.. hold on... breathe...ok!). Of course, that is one part we leave out when recounting the labor story to some friends and most family ;).

Best of luck - look forward to hearing from you!

[ct]

This is probably too late to help you, but my OB said he had just attended some seminar that recommended 'stretching' of the cervix starting at 36 weeks to help ensure that the baby arrives 'on time'. At my 36.5 week visit, the doctor did this (hurt like hell!) and I ended up having my water break less than a week later (Alec was born at just over 37 weeks). It sure seemed to work!

ct
SAHM to Lilli (9/20/00) & Alec (10/21/02)

[Melanie]

I felt the same the day before my due date and Dh did acupressure he'd read about in the Birth Partner book. Next day, water broke. HOWEVER I don't recommend it b/c I have since heard that sometimes artificial methods of inducing labor can cause the baby to be stressed slightly which may explain the light meconium we had.

Just try to sleep...he can't stay forever!





Mommy to Jonah

[nigele]

I found getting mad at my husband did the trick! I was 10 days away from my due date and had contractions all day one day 6-8 minutes apart. I'd been having strong and frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions since my fifth month so I didn't know if this was the real thing. That night DH and I were in bed and the contractions went away for a whole hour. I was so upset - I was ready to have the baby already! I told my husband that if I went to the OB that week and was not dilated at all, I was going to scream. He replied "you should just be glad you are having a healthy baby." Anyway, I could not believe his nerve and was really irritated - he just didn't seem to care how miserable I was feeling. So I rolled away from him and muttered "jerk" under my breath. Two seconds later I heard a loud POP-POP, ran to the bathroom and my water broke!

[luvbeinmama]

I agree with the others, by the time you are REALLY done with the whole pregnancy thing you are usually pretty close to delivering. I remember with DS going to see my OB on Thurs and being fine with everything. On Friday I wanted to induce, and on Monday night at 12:30am my contractions started. He was born Tuesday afternoon.

A friend of ours had a novel approach, though. She lives on a very steep hill, so she walked to the top and then bounced herself very hard going down. By the time she reached her house again, she was in labor!

[brubeck]

So I'm still here and the baby is still inside. This is so depressing. I tried just about everything mentioned here (except the pitocin-based turkey LOL) and added my own unexpected kicker: Friday night I fell! I tripped on the bottom bar of the baby gate instead of stepping over it and crashed to the floor. No breaking water, no pain, no blood, baby moves as normal, nothing. At least he's okay, and I just have to keep remembering that's the important part!

To add insult to injury, I've been having cramps and minor pains in the cervix area for a week, which I guess means I'm dilating. The problem is that mentally this makes me think I am close and then of course nothing happens. I've had no uterine cramps or pains whatsoever. Sigh. My Thanksgiving Baby is destined to come at Christmas. :-)

[Rachels]

Dilating is a good thing! You're on your way. I promise promise promise your baby will come. What is your due date? If you go way over, think about acupuncture. It's pretty reliable for starting labor-- not perfect, but pretty reliable. It's also a lot more comfortable and safer than a pitocin induction.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02