I don’t know if I’d go as far as some of these women did.
I was 41 weeks pregnant with my first son when I decided to take matters in to my own hands.
Feeling like a swollen hippo I commenced some solid Google time to decipher the tried and true labour induction methods employed by women around the world.
I started running. Up and down my stairs at home. Continuously.
Nothing happened.
I started dancing around the house, wiggling my hips and bum shaking like no ones business.
Still nothing.
I read that pineapple was thought to bring on labour in some women so I ate two whole pineapples and spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch with a furry tongue and some serious heart burn.
In the end, nuthin' was getting that kid out of there. He had no eviction plans of his own and I ended up with an emergency c-section after failed induction after failed induction.
According to a study conducted by the Ohio State University, over half of women 37 weeks or more admitted to trying to kick start their labour so it seems I'm not alone.
It did make me laugh though reading the lengths some women go to when they reach that point in pregnancy when you're just so 'over it' and want that baby out. STAT.
These are the funniest I came across in my research.
Walking.
I know walking itself doesn't sound all that funny but the recommendation is specifically to walk with one foot on the curb and one foot on the road. Apparently this encourages bub to move further down the birth canal but all I could think of is how much these pregnant women would have looked like drunken sailors after a big night on the turps.
There was also mention of walking downstairs like a crab. Much the same way someone does when they have wee'd their pants I guess. I'm thinking the theory is of a similar nature to the curb walking as it focuses on spreading the hips?
Food.
We've all heard the old wives tale about certain foods being beneficial to women wanting to bring on labour; especially hot and spicy foods. I bet you haven't heard of the magical ability of eggplant parmigiana though?
Scalini's restaurant in the U.S.A is so confident in its specialty dish that it has dedicated an entire wall to photos of babies born as a result of their mothers eating eggplant parmie. They claim over 300 patrons (one would assume the pregnant ones) have gone into labour with 48 hours of consuming the dish.
Do they ship internationally?
The Park.
According to some mothers, a trip to the local park was the key to getting things started in baby town. (Well, hopefully not the actual start, but the birth part).
One mother posting in an online forum singing the praises of the seesaw and slide (apparently it was the combination and she couldn't give the credit to one over the other). Her park time saw her end up in the delivery suite that night. I'm thinking that realistically the bumping motion of the seesaw may have encouraged baby to make its way south but I do still find the thought of a pregnant women bopping away on a child's see saw kinda funny. Especially if she had no other children with her at the time.
Coffee Beans.
The recommendation, as far as I'm aware, is for one caffeinated drink per day. What's the rule though on steaming your lady garden with it? Yes, you read that right.
According to some people, a bag of coffee steam got things moving in the right direction.
In case you're interested, you put a small plastic bowl in the toilet, add some Nescafe and hot water and hang out over the porcelain pool for around 20 minutes. So maybe the caffeine has some effect being a stimulant and all but one must consider the mind set of the first women to have ever tried this? C'mon someone had to go first for this to be a thing.
Pedicure.
When I had my second son I swelled up like a balloon. I no longer had feet. I had hooves.
A pedicure was a godsend because a stranger massaged my feet and made them pretty (even though I lost sight of them long before). Some mums report that a pedicure at the salon had more of an effect on their pregnancy than just relaxation.
Perhaps it's something to do with the pressure points on the feet, or maybe it was natures way of not wanting you to get too used to pampering given what was about to happen to your life.
Mowing The Lawn.
Now this one I am convinced has come from a opportunistic husband who figured he may as well delegate some chores while waiting for his child to arrive. If you're keen though, my backyard is seriously neglected and the kid I usually pay $10 to mow is on holidays.
Sex.
This is another one commonly reported as being a contributing factor for labour induction (it's said that the prostaglandin in semen can help ripen the cervix - biology fact of the day for you).
What they don't tell you, however, is the amount of times you need to get jiggy for it to actually work. Apparently this is not a wham, bam, here's your baby ma'am situation. For sex to influence labour, you need to have at least six sexy sessions in one night. Who the hell has that kind of stamina!?
Butterfly Positions.
Sitting with your legs apart can help loosen the pelvis and encourage the baby to head south but if you're anywhere near as big as I was, all feeling would have been lost in your legs and you'd be left yelling for assistance to get off the floor.
Galloping Like A Horse.
This is another one that made me laugh out loud but yet, I totally understand it. When you are way past your due date and feeling as though you're going to be pregnant forever you get to the point where you will try anything to get that baby outta there.
If you're in this situation, galloping like a horse around your house (or the nearest paddock) might be the answer you're looking for. Just don't stop to nibble on the grass. People might give you strange looks.
Blowing Up Balloons.
Exceptionally handy if you've got a family birthday you'd like baby to attend, blowing up balloons is said (by one woman online) to encourage contractions and kick start the fun stuff. Or maybe, it's like a baby roulette game, who will be the first to pop?
Evening Primrose Oil
It's said that Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) can naturally induce labour. One of the chemicals within a capsule is apparently converted to prostiglanin (the same stuff that's found in semen) and will help prepare the women's cervix for birth.
The trick is however, you need to insert said capsule right up where the sun don't shine, in order for it to touch the cervix and have an effect. Oh lordy! The first time might feel a bit strange but once you've been on a hospital bed for countless hours having strangers stick their hands up your bits nothing is new. Think of it as pre-game training.
Did you try anything out of the ordinary to kick start labour?
Want more? Try:
This woman is doing HARDCORE exercise. And she’s 33 weeks pregnant
The ‘after’ photos the fitness industry refused to publish.
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