Well, I think that I reached the point a few weeks ago where pregnancy no longer feels like a "magical time" and now feels like a bunch of aches, pains, and trouble.
I had my regular checkup on Tuesday (I'll be 37 weeks on Friday) and found out lots of interesting info about my baby. At first, the doctor thought that he'd turned breech, so he did an ultrasound and found out that he's still head down. So that was good. While he had the ultrasound machine out, he decided to do some measurements to get an estimate of the baby's weight.
Apparently big babies run in my hubby's family. He was a 6 pound 6 oz baby who was 6 weeks preemie. So they said if he'd been born on his due date he would have been 9-10 pounds. All of his siblings were 8-9 pounds, except one who was 11 pounds 3 oz. Our 4 year old was 9 pounds at birth and 8 days early and the doctors said he would have been easily over 10 pounds had he been born on his due date. And, my doctor said 1st babies tend to be smaller than subsequent pregnancies, so he's been closely monitoring my baby's size the whole time.
Well, on Tuesday, he discovered that my baby is already 8 pounds and that his butt, tummy, and head are measuring 2-3 weeks larger than he should be. But, his legs are measuring right on target. So, he said that means I have a short chubby baby, which makes it harder to deliver. If the baby would have been 8 pounds but tall, it wouldn't be so hard to push out (think about it.).
For the past few months, he's been talking about inducing me if the baby got too big, but now all of a sudden his plans have changed. Why? Because Wednesday was his first day of a 2 week vacation!! UGGH!!
So, he told me that I'm not yet dilated and that the baby has dropped but the head is still a little high up. He's head down, 8 pounds, and could come at any time, or it could be 3 more weeks, he doesn't know for sure. He also said that since I pushed out a 9 pounder with no problems, he now feels ok letting this one get up to 10 pounds! (I, on the other hand, do NOT feel ok with that).
So I'm trying to get this baby out of me ASAP. He said anytime after Friday is ok since that's when I'll hit 37 weeks. We've been walking 2-3 miles each night to try and get the baby's head down. I also found some accupressure info online the other night and will be trying that starting Friday and hoping to get this baby out.
Any other suggestions for how to naturally induce labor?
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Comments: 35
Short and chubby - the perfect baby! :)
Around here the men always take the pregnant ones on a rough 4x4 trip in the woods! LOL!
I"ve heard that red raspberry leaf tea works...nipple stimulation apparently does as well, although I think you have to do it for like an hour! haha!
I feel your pain. I just had my last one in October, and i was dialated 4cm for 2 weeks before he decided to make his appearance, and that only because the dr used an evening primrose suppository, which was a bit gross, but it worked.
Oh well the baby will come when ready.
I think they always say to walk because they want to keep ya busy. The baby will come when it;'s ready. HUGS
Been there I know how you feel.
I remember that feeling of just wanting the baby out. Hope everything goes well for you.
Q. I have heard that having sex close to your due date can trigger labor due to the fact that sperm contains prostaglandin. Is this actually the case, and what exactly is prostaglandin? If it does, is this a reliable trigger like nipple stimulation, or just something to try?
A. Yep, it actually works to soften the cervix. We use basically the same thing (PG gel) in the hospital to ripen the cervix. It supposedly doesn't actually stimulate labor, but we all know from our hospital experience that it does in some cases. It's only supposed to get the cervix ready. Both female orgasm (by any method) and nipple stimulation promote the production of oxytocin, the cousin of pitocin which we also use in the hospital to start labor. So yes, intercourse can stimulate labor in at least two known ways.
I was going to suggest this also.
I just suggested this. LOL Great minds think alike.
I have also heard people say that eating spicy food, or even eating a lot of pineapple worked for them. I do have to say that when I was in labor with Charles the contractions were not very regular and I ate most of a can of pineapple and drank the juice, (now I was already in labor) and it may just be coincidence, but after I did that they got to be really strong and steady for awhile. But after a little while slowed back down. My problem with him was that when I was on my feet the contractions were going good, but when I would get off of my feet they kept slowing waaaay down. They would be every 3 min on my feet, then I would sit or lay down and they would go to 10-11min apart..
I have known people to try castor oil, and do NOT recommend it at all. Everyone I know who tried it just ended up sick from it.
GOOD LUCK!! Not much longer now!!
My husband (father of 6, adopted 4, delivered 4 of the 6 he fathered) told me that while it doesn't autmoatically guarentee labour, sexual intercourse towards the end of pregnancy is a good way to hurry it up, because of the hormones released.
There's this restaurant in Atlanta (I think) that a lot of pregnant women go to get this one particular meal, which they say induces labor.
See what your Sexy Back caused. lol
that was cute!
Hope everything goes well for you.
My first baby was 6 lbs. 11 oz and 3 1/2 weeks early. Second was on due date and 9 lbs. 5 oz. Third baby was 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 2 1/2 weeks early. Fourth was 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 2 1/2 weeks early. Fifth was 9 lbs. 1 oz. and 1 1/2 weeks early. Sixth and last was a week early, 9 lbs. 10 oz. and too big for the birth canal and was my first c-section. With the last baby, the doctor let me go through about 20 hours of labor, most in the delivery room, until the baby's heart rate was going way down and I was exhausted. Even then, I had to beg him to call in a surgeon to do a c-section. The baby didn't breathe on her own for 10 minutes after birth and was in neonatal intensive care for 9 days. They should have done the c-section sooner. Good luck to you.
My first was 9lbs 5oz, so the doctors were always talking about how big my second was in utero--I ended up going 10 days overdue, and he was only 8lbs 5oz. I was actually a little disappointed :) I like fat babies.
My Son, was 8lbs. 6oz, he is now 6'7". My Daughter was 9lbs. 9oz. I delivered her au natural. She is 5'5".
my son was 9'2"!! Best of luck dear!!
Pray, I had my son 5 weeks and 2 days early. I was sick through my whole pregnancy. Nothing glowed on me. I was so happy when my water broke and I knew he was big enough. He was 6lbs 3 oz and now he is 17 years old and super tall and handsome. I wish I was able to have more. Don't worry the baby will come out sooner or later. Hopefully sooner. God Bless, Annmarie
Blessings to you!! He'll come out when he's ready and not a second sooner unless a C-section is called for. Hugs!!
Ah, I remember this part. My son was just under 9 lbs, and my daughter was 10 lbs even, so I know what you mean about them big babies!
Just remember that it's highly unlikely you'll be pregnant forever! And I wouldn't trust the u/s measurements too much. They are generally a few pounds off. They said my daughter was 8 lbs, and she was born the next morning at 10 lbs. They can be easily off 2 lbs either way.
When they did the ultrasound measurements with my 4 yr old, they said he was about 8 pounds and that was about a week before he was born at 9 pounds, so I think that was pretty accurate.
The doctor said Tues that the ultrasound measurements can be off by 10% either way, which could make his 8 pound estimate actually 8 pounds 12 ounces or 7 pounds 4 oz. My guess is that he's closer to the 8 pounds 12 ounces since he's measuring 3 weeks ahead already.
My 4 yr old who was 9 pounds and 8 days early got stuck on the way out of the birth canal and took an hour of the doctors twisting and pulling to get him out. He almost had to be delivered by c-section. So, that's why I'm concerned about this one getting too big.
I was in the delivery room 5 out of 6 times, last one was harder, they kicked me out after a while and did the c-section. was going out of my mind, didn't know what was happening because they weren't tellin me what was happening..
I hung wallpaper in my bedroom (because the carpet was coming in two days) and I had 10 foot ceilings, so up and down the ladder that many times pretty much did it for me. My baby was born 12 days early and I wasn't dialated or effaced.
LOL I remember feeling like that. I cleaned and cleaned and ate spaghetti.
Well, the doc insisted my daughter was well over 8 pounds (based on the ultrasound) and I was a week overdue....They induced me...Come to find out Angela was only 6 lbs 2 oz. She was smaller than my first one. I know a lot of people whose 2nd, 3rd, and even 5th babies were the smallest. Don't worry too much.
Hmm...we tried everything possible to get my contractions started (the docs stopped them 3 mo. before)...riding in the pick up, foods, etc...
You NEVER know for sure what sex the baby will be, the due date or the weight until that baby is actually in your arms! LOL!
I am kind of an odd ball. No part of any of my pregnancies seemed to magical to me. I had horrible morning sickeness for months with both of my pregnancies. The magical time for me was when I had those little boogers in my arms and they were out.......and I had my body back.
I understand the feeling of wanting the baby out. I tried a lot of things to induce labor, including walking and eating spicy food, but of course Mikaela came 2 days late and was 9 lbs. 13.3 oz, which was a full pound lighter than they predicted the day before she was due.
When I was late with my third baby I made Jason the happiest guy on Earth when I insisted we have sex every night. I was going crazy, especially when my first two were both 6 days early. I also ate everything spicy I could find and walked a lot the last few days. 6 days after my due date Jonas showed up. Now I don't believe that anything works!
hopefully he come soon
hee hee I am 22 weeks...good luck!
I always heard castor oil but no way was I going to try it lol
Sex!
Has the baby arrived yet? Walking was what they told me but it never did anything but wear me out! LOL