How can I naturally induce labour at 39 weeks?

Question

Okay so I'm booked for an elective c-section in 4 days time if I don't go into labour naturally before then. For the last 2 days I've been taking a horrible tasting labour tonic I got made by a natropath, still no sign of labour... today I started with EPO capsules inserted up my fifi. Is there anything else I can try?

Not keen on nipple stimuation or castor oil, I dont want to risk harming my baby. I'd just like to try bring my labour on naturally to avoid a planned c-section if I can. 6 weeks recovery is a very long time.

Answer 1

question is why do you have a cesarean section scheduled? Overdue according to AGOG is not until 42 weeks. Baby comes when they are ready most first time mothers go into labor at 41 weeks or a little later, and that includes women that are having a VBAC.

Castor oil is not worth the risks, nipple stimulation releases oxytocin which can trigger labor but more helps labor that has already started. Most natural solutions to inducing labor will happen after your estimated due date. As a women that has had 2 cesarean sections and now have a lot of scar tissue and pain during menstruation I do not recommend one, especially if you can avoid the first cesarean section. Have you talked with your healthcare provider to let them know you do not want and elective cesarean section?



my first cesarean was because my son was breech and it was safer for him to be born via planned cesarean section, but my second was unnecessary she was head down and I was a perfect VBAC candidate but the hospital did not allow them. Even though I declined a repeat they treated my poorly until I agreed but even then I screamed and cried no do not do a cesarean section but it was still done. Even though my son needed to be born via cesarean section it did not sit well with me emotionally.

Answer 2

Walking and jumping jacks. Hubby and I moved into a new place so we had to go to walmart and get all kinds of shopping done for the new place. We walked around for about 3 hours, and I started getting so much pressure that I said we had to leave. (This was on March 16th and I wasnt due until March 27th). Well I had a drs appt the next morning so I just went home, did my 20 jumping jacks I usually always did before bed, and went to sleep. Woke up for my drs appt, did 20 more jumping jacks, went to the dr and found out I was 5 cm dilated when the week before I was barely even 1 cm dilated!



Also my friend just had her baby on sunday. It was exactly her due date. Well that morning I had her walk to the gas station with me to try to "walk the baby out of her". (This was at about 9 pm) then we went back to her house and she made dinner and cleaned her house up and I went home at about 11 pm. Then at 730 am the next day I got a call from the hospital and it was my friend saying she was in labor and has been at the hospital since 3 am. (she wasnt dilated AT ALL on the thursday before her due date, and when she went to the hospital sunday morning she was 4 cm dilated and had her baby 12 hours later.

Answer 3

I've heard that being very active/walking, having sex, taking castor oil (though you don't like, don't blame you) are supposed to work ....I think all this stuff is trying to mimic the nesting instinct, the body's cleansing before birth, don't know. I have a friend who swore the castor oil worked for all four of her pregnancies. Congrats!

Answer 4

They say to eat hot foods... Go for a long walk... But most effective is having sex but most people won't do that during pregnancy, good luck! X