Old wives tales??

[Vics128]

Does anyone know if hot bath, sex, curries actually has benefits on getting labor to start!! and does any one know if rasberry leaf tea helps either...!!!
Im only 38 weeks, but getting inpatient already!!!

[coweyes30]

Nothing worked for me! And i went 10 days over with the last 2, Just be patiant and enjoy the time you have left to yourself pamper yourself now while you have the time.

[natalie_1982]

I used raspberry leaf (in capsule form, the tea tasted horrible) four times a day from 36 weeks - I had my baby at 41+3!! So, no, raspberry leaf didn't help me, although I believe it is supposed to strengthen contractions as opposed to encourage labour anyway.

I ate a pineapple a day and had two chillis in my evening meal every evening from 39 weeks, plus sex occassionally and none of this seemed to help me.

Pleasuring your man orally is supposed to work as the enzyme that is supposed to encourage labour through sex is actually better absorbed in the gut ,apparently.

This didn't work for me either.

I had a stretch and sweep and went into labour within 36hours - good luck! xx

P.S. Another regular on this section recommends nipple tweaking but I didn't have the patience as you have to do it for 15minutes at a time throughout the day

[taichiperson]

Raspberry leaf tea is disgusting!! I was late with my first - I resorted to chopping wood the day before I went into labour as I was sick of being told to take it easy with borderline high blood pressure. 38 weeks? I went to 41!! Good luck, try everything you mentioned, they shouldn't do any harm.....
BTW If you have any cobbled streets nearby, drive up and down them when you get really fed up!!

[Psychick]

Many of the old wives tales for getting labour have been tried and tested by a lot of the ladies here on AB (well, not literally here but you know what I mean lol), Im not sure how well they worked, if at all. I firmly believe baby will come when its ready no matter what you do. My four month old arrived two weeks early before I even needed to give anything a go.

As for the raspberry leaf tea, I had the capsules from 36 weeks (as I didnt like the tea). I cant say for certain if it was due to the raspberry leaf or not, but I literally went from dull aches to very painful contractions close together and baby was born in less than 5 minutes after only 4 pushes! I never got past 3 cm and the midwife told me that established labour started when the babys head came out! lol

Just keep reminding yourself, there really isnt long to go now and if you want to try the old wives tales, go for it!

Good luck and let us know when bubs arrives :)

[redcrx]

with my first i took RLT from 36 weeks, i went way overdue (17 days) but my labour was 6 hours. I assumed this was down to RLT.

I didnt taker it this time around and only went 4 days over with a lobour of 1hr 50mins. I did eat a chinese curry (it has to be chinese apparently) just 3 hours before labour started though

[naflharrison]

as said before your baby will come when it is ready, my midwife made me stop work 10 wks early with my second baby as she was convinced i was going to go early as i was so big, but alas 8 days over my due date and labour started 4 hrs later my son weighed in at 10lb 10ozs, i tried everything both times and they didnt work including castor oil, bad move the only thing that started was vomiting and the worst imaginable toilet trauma!!! really just enjoy your last few wks!!

[Goodsoulette]

I found that curries gave me awful indigestion, sex was uncomfortable and undignified, and hot baths just made me dizzy!

[andrea81]

Nat LOL, what an itinerary you had, you poor thing!

Hi Vics, I can't help either as I had 2 sections, but my sister had two of hers a week early and what worked for both her was going out for a long drive to the beach and walking for a good while. she was very tired but went to sleep early and woke up twice with her waters breaking!

Might have been coinsidence, but worth a try!

Good luck x x x

[natalie_1982]

Andrea I was desperate!

Naflharrison, I know two people who had exactly the same experience with castor oil. I's amazinger how desperate you can get, and now I have a 7 week old I think I wouldn't mind putting her back in there for an hour or so a day! LOL