Inducing labour

Sex, long walks

I walked back and forth along the corridor a lot (I had already been in the maternity hospital for a whole week), waiting, and nothing was happening. The girls in the ward suggested moving tables around and walking. I did all that in the morning, and by evening I felt contractions, but I wasn't overdue—it was the 39th week.

I was overdue by about a week. "Folk methods" like sex, scrubbing floors on all fours, walking up and down stairs, and active walks didn't help at all. If you're only a little overdue, don't rush. Get some good sleep while you still can ;)

A cocktail with castor oil. Ask an experienced midwife for the recipe. A friend gave birth to her second child after drinking it, she delivered within an hour. But that's an emergency case. For some, it helps on the second or third day. However, if the baby and body aren't ready, the cocktail won't do you any good. No harm either, though.

Wash the windows. Just be careful not to catch a draft. I'm serious!

I was advised to mimic movements as if mopping the floor from side to side. I tried it, and contractions started a couple of hours later. Even though my cervix wasn’t ready the day before. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or if it helped, but in the end, I gave birth naturally after my first C-section.

6+. I've heard that too.

This castor oil cocktail didn't help me at all, even though I was already at 42 weeks.

Oh, thank you. From folk remedies, I only know sex—but so far, it hasn't helped much. Guess I'll go scrub the floors now )))

It's a bit strange... I was given a referral to the maternity hospital a week before my due date. I packed my bag, and then my waters broke at night, so they took me to the nearest one. Actually, a week before, in the antenatal ward, they prepare the cervix for childbirth, carefully dilating it in a different way.

Nightmare! What does it mean to induce labour? Doctors only do this after a thorough examination and based on medical indications. What if the foetus hasn't reached the normal stage of development? Whether it's post-term or not isn't determined solely by the due date. And the onset of labour isn't just about cervical dilation. It also involves changes in the positioning of the pelvic bones. Why are you in such a hurry? You could end up harming the baby.

Author, why not go see a doctor? Nowadays, they don't allow pregnancies to go too far overdue—they'll refer you to the maternity hospital and induce labour. And trying to move things along yourself could end badly :( Go to the antenatal clinic, have an ultrasound. If the foetal maturity indicates it's time to give birth, they'll induce you, and you'll deliver calmly. Good luck!

Scattering matches and bending down to pick each one up separately. Only if the time hasn't come yet, why would you and your child need that? I gave birth three days earlier than the due date after actively scrubbing the kitchen cabinets, especially the lower ones. Though, inducing labour wasn't part of my plans.

Massaging the breasts can also induce labour. I was two weeks overdue, didn't want to be induced, and everything was fine—I gave birth.

I know that roasted peanuts should be eaten. My colleague was advised by the doctor to give birth the next day.

I read somewhere a day before my due date that you should eat lettuce leaves (I really didn't want to go overdue). On May 17th, during the day, I made a salad, ate it, then we went to wash the car—I took on washing the wheels (I had so much energy, I could have danced). On the morning of the 18th, around 1 a.m., my stomach started to ache a little... I stayed at home until 2... then went to the hospital, and when I arrived, I was already 6 cm dilated, with almost no pain. By 4:30, I had given birth... after three pushes, and without excruciating pain (no worse than a usual stomach ache). I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not, but it worked for me!

I haven't gone into labour yet, still three days to go, but I'm just utterly exhausted from this huge belly and all the joys of pregnancy. Sex doesn't help at all, no matter how much my "experienced" girlfriends praised it. I guess it's different for everyone.)) Yesterday morning, I started having proper contractions. I got excited and began getting ready... turned out to be a false alarm. Everything stopped as if nothing had happened. I went to see my doctor. She said my cervix is already about 2 cm dilated, but the baby's head is still high up, hasn't descended yet. She advised me to walk in a semi-squat and do more squats. So last evening, I waddled around the apartment like a duck in a semi-squat, and this morning I sent my husband off to work and have been walking and squatting ever since. I'm a bit scared because they said they might have to do a C-section if the baby doesn't descend. This is my third pregnancy, and my first two were natural births. I really don't want a C-section! I think I'll go and wash the kitchen now...))

Author, how come you haven't given birth yet?

Oh girls, I've read so much about this. I've already tried everything, and my due date has come. I've moved wardrobes, rearranged everything in my apartment, walked around shopping centres, done belly dancing, spent at least a quarter of the day squatting, had sex several times a day (my poor husband is exhausted), nipple massage, my stomach hurts, the mucus plug came out about 10 days ago, and mucus keeps coming out (how much is there?), but still no contractions and nothing is dilating. The doctor says to keep going, but I'm really tired already.

I've been trying for 10 days now, doing everything, but nothing helps :(

In an hour, I'll go to the antenatal clinic and ask for induction...

I know that to induce labour, you need to soak your feet in hot water or take an intense shower.

Mop the floors, pick up matches? Ladies, have you lost your minds? Were doctors invented for no reason? Exactly, it's easier to harm the fetus at home on your own than to let qualified specialists break the water. Go ahead, strain yourselves and the baby before giving birth, you brilliant mothers.

Nika, you're really something... So according to you, it's fine to have your waters broken artificially, but doing simple exercises or household chores is bad. HOW???? Oh, I'm lost for words. HOW could that possibly be harmful??? Qualified specialists????????????? WHERE?????? Please show me, I'm due to give birth any day now. If I don't go into labour by the end of the 39th week, I'll be mopping floors, picking up matches, or better yet, having sex and stimulating my breasts. Nature isn't stupid; these things can genuinely help and there's no harm in them. Prejudices, on the other hand, really need to be treated. Sorry if I've offended anyone, but sometimes such NONSENSE is written on forums, such utter rubbish that it makes you sick.

And by the way, an acquaintance of mine had her waters broken to speed up labour—she screamed so much from the pain (the baby was coming out dry) that they had to give her an epidural. It's well known that epidurals disrupt the mother-child bond and breastfeeding.

Dear girls, please think before you write something, because many people listen to and believe advice. You should listen to doctors, BUT think ten times before taking any pill. They're obliged to "treat" you, whether you need it or not.

Sorry again, it's all the hormones =) BUT still, think about it...

In my opinion, engaging in light labour is far more natural than rushing and bursting the bubble. Our grandmothers gave birth in the fields and everything was fine because they were occupied with work. But sitting at home on the internet all day... that's not natural.

Thank you, girls, for the advice. I'm 39 weeks and don't know what to do—my due date falls on New Year's. I really don't want to give birth with drunk doctors. I'm mopping the floors in every room three times, and I've started having pains in my lower abdomen. I so want to give birth normally before New Year's.

38 weeks... the fear never leaves me. 10 years ago, there was a difficult birth; I was losing consciousness for a week, at home I could barely get out of bed for two weeks, I barely recovered. How will it go now? I'm hoping for the best.

I'm 39 weeks pregnant, and tomorrow is my husband's birthday. I'd love to give him a gift =) but I can't... Do you have any tips on how to speed up labour?

38 weeks, large baby, plus they saw that he has a cord wrap. I'm really worried that if I go to term, there will be even more weight gain, and what if I can't deliver naturally or there will be serious harm to the baby.

When people write about fields, it shocks me!!! Can you imagine what it's like to give birth in a field, have you ever been present at such births???????? And then men say the same thing... Don't talk nonsense about fields!!! The mortality rate was enormous! Both for mothers and babies. Look into how many times your great-grandmother was pregnant, how many births she had, and how many of her children survived...... Out of 8 births, only 3 of my great-grandmother's children lived to reproductive age!

My sister is 40-41 weeks pregnant and was admitted to the hospital. They said she needs to use suppositories, but they aren't helping. What should we do?

I'm now at 39 weeks and I'm already tired of walking. My belly has dropped very low. During the day, I walk and feel fine, but as soon as I lie down to sleep, it starts and lasts—this has been going on for two weeks now. I can't sleep; I wander around at night like a sleepwalker. I don't know what to do anymore. This is my second birth; with the first, it was easier to walk, but giving birth was agony—16 hours of suffering, and I gave birth to a 3.5kg baby. But now I think it will be worse; the baby is very large. I really want to give birth soon; my due date is set for June 19th, which is in 9 days.

What haven't I read? I've already tried EVERYTHING possible: I drank castor oil with vegetable oil, took laxatives, had sex, washed windows, squatted every evening, took contrast showers, vacuumed the floors. And what do you think? Not a peep! And my due date was June 13th (!!!!!!!!). I'm afraid to go in for induction. I've read/heard too many scary things. But I also have a hereditary tendency to go overdue. My mother's due date was set for May 9th, and I was born on June 9th. My grandmother also went about a month overdue with my mother, and with her brother, she was supposed to give birth in mid-April, but ended up having him on June 6th.

We'll see when I finally bring my little one into the world!

Forgot to mention, my belly was sticking out and still is. It hasn't dropped a single millimetre!

They gave me a due date of July 12-13, but I'm still walking around. Tomorrow they're admitting me to the hospital, and I really don't want to go. They said the baby is big, and I might not be able to give birth naturally. I'm scared...

I've been having contractions for 3 days now, and I've tried everything. How can I tell if the cervix has dilated at home?

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Наташа, я полностью тебя поддерживаю. Я тоже пока не могу родить, уже 40 недель. Мой врач сам сказал, что нужно стимулировать роды дома теми способами, которые ты описала. Прокалывать пузырь — это уже крайняя мера, когда других вариантов нет. С ребёнком ничего не случится, зато роды будут считаться естественными. Ладно, пошла стимулировать. Пожелайте мне удачи.

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A paediatrician with extensive experience told me that you shouldn't raise your hands above your head because the baby's umbilical cord might be short—and that could harm the baby.

Hello everyone!!! Girls, I don't know what to do anymore.... It's the fifth day of terrible stomach aches, lower back pain..... And last night, my stomach and lower back hurt so much that I couldn't sleep until 4:30. I went to the doctor, they said I'm dilated to one finger, the cervix is ready... Soft and short, but they said there are no contractions...... So I went back home. I'm 40 weeks pregnant, what should I do? I really want to give birth this year((((((

I have 7 days left until my due date, but I have no energy left at all! Honestly, my opinion is that everyone's experience is different! I mop the floors, walk every day, and quite a lot, drink roasted sunflower seed oil, and don't forget about sex, but somehow nothing's happening(((
It would be easier if my stomach hadn't been pulling like crazy for the second week..... The doctors checked and said that if I don't go into labour in the next few weeks, they'll induce on February 17th. BUT, February 17th is my birthday!!! It's a bummer, honestly. So don't rely on what worked for others; there's no guarantee that method will help you.....

Hello everyone!!! I've just reached week 38, my belly has dropped (but not too much), everything hurts—my back, lower back, pelvis... I can't sleep, lying down or sitting isn't comfortable either... and now there are slight swellings too... I reeeally don't want the baby to be overdue. If labour doesn't start on its own by week 40—I've decided I'll be picking up matches and washing floors—no labour induction!!! So I'm gathering info...

By the way, girls who were due to give birth in the coming days—write about how it went, what helped... how did labour start??? Terribly interesting... :)

Better to take a hot bath. I have a friend who's a medic and she did that to avoid being in the delivery room over New Year's.

Our little boy was born on 16 February, but by caesarean section! Everything was fine, but at the last moment complications arose. It's not certain they were caused by the induction, but I will now warn everyone against it!!!

I am 40 weeks pregnant. My due date is set for March 18th, and today is already the 12th—I’m really anxious. They say it’s better to give birth earlier than to go past the due date. I’ve heard that dark chocolate helps with cervical dilation and can speed up labour—has anyone tried it?

Chocolate actually slows things down!!! And absolutely no hot baths! What are you thinking!

My due date is today)) I really want to give birth to my little one in the coming days!! We've tried sex and walks, next up is cleaning the floors))))

Girls, I'm now at 40 weeks. I had contractions but they've stopped, and now there are no signs of labour at all. I'm worried and don't want to go overdue. Any advice on natural ways to induce labour???????

Drink a laxative: it's the same muscles, which is why they give an enema before childbirth.