Any reliable ways of inducing labour naturally?

[Kitcameron]

Ok, I'm fed up of being pregnant now, isn't every pg woman by 38 weeks lol?

Just wondered if any of you have tried any of these mythical ways of inducing labour and found any that work?

Sex is a definite no no, think all it would induce is a lot of pain, for both me and dh. Although I might try it next week as it's half term and I'll make a deal with dh that he can get laid if I can stay in bed for the rest of the day to recover whilst he babysits.

I'm not a huge fan if pineapple, but will try if anyone thinks it actually works, although I have been told I'd probably have to eat my own body weight in pineapple to get there. Also, think it would cause acid reflux which I'd like to avoid if possible. Similar for curry, the AR anyway, I do generally like curry as long as it's not too hot.

Anyone tried raspberry leaf tea?

Any other tried and tested methods I can try?

[pimento]

Acupuncture and reflexology

[Mummyto1]

I asked similar recently and there were quite a few helpful replies:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=52901

ETA and by helpful I mean that the general consensus is that everyone is different!

[jvnt]

Nope, sorry. They're all myths. I have had a total of 30 days past 40 weeks to experiment! My advice is big to start counting at 38 weeks - the last two pregnancies I hoped it would happen before 40 weeks, this one I knew it wouldn't and it's been a lot better psychologically, otherwise if you start counting at 38 weeks and end up at 42 that's a whole month of wondering!

[StJuniper]

Sex plus nursing worked for me. But I think my body was already ready. I always had major BH after both those activities, but doing them both in a row after a was full term was a definite jump start for me.

[Binkie]

Raspberryleaf tea, a curry and a bowl of pineapple were what triggered my first labour.

[Kitcameron]

What is raspberry leaf tea anyway? Maybe if I had the curry for lunch instead of tea it'd be ok, tend to get acid reflux more in an evening when I'm lying down.

[Treeb]

I think red raspberry leaf tea is supposed to help tone your uterine muscles, and therefore make labor easier, but I'm not sure it does anything to get labor started. I drank it for a few weeks at the end of my pregnancy and can't say I noticed any effect.

[Kitcameron]

What does it taste like? Is it ok?

[Rosie_t_Riveter]

What does it taste like? Is it ok?

No. But you can buy tablets. Top tip!

[Treeb]

I don't think it was awful, but it wasn't great either. Just mildly herby I think, but I don't remember for sure.

[Brigitte]

I drank red raspberry leaf tea almost daily once I was full term. My understanding is that it just helps tone your uterine muscles and maybe causes a bit more Braxton-Hicks (which also tone your uterus), and just sort of readies your body for labour in general. It's certainly not like castor oil which is supposed to actually produce results in the immediate future.

Both my labours went very smoothly and "naturally", but I don't know whether to attribute that to my tea habit or not. I didn't mind the flavour. It's a bit bland, nothing exciting, but also not bad.

[Rahgamuffin]

Change your bedding for the whitest nicest bedding you own.

[Kitcameron]

Lol RM, that would probably work but I'd also probably end up with a home birth then too which I'm not particularly keen on, just the fact that it's not planned so think I would find it quite stressful and dh would panic lol.

DH has agreed to looking after G for a day so he can have some action lol. Had to work hard to persuade him that today was not the day for it as he had to go to work.

[scotrail]

Nothing works, sorry.. I know you said no sex.. But semen contains small doses of the same substance used medically to induce labour, so is the only thing actually worth a go.. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11406072
It worked both times for us! Two births bang on term.. He just has to be really really gentle to avoid discomfort. Spooning is cuddliest.. More fun than stair walking