Here are some suggestions for "encouraging" contractions to help the birth process move right along:
inducing labor at home:
natural methods to induce contractions:
walking
emptying your bladder once an hour
nipple stimulation (breastpump or manually)
sex (or other methods) to cause orgasm
herbal/homeopathic treatments to encourage childbirth:
blue & black cohosh go here:
http://www.Herbnet.Com/ask the herbali
st/asktheherbalist_questions on pregna
ncy_nursing.Htm
castor oil (3 teaspoons -- with juice or you'll gag yourself, trust me! By the way, this is the vegetable oil castor oil, not the motor oil called castrol oil -- don't mistake the two!)
enemas (as with castor oil, both stimulate the bowels and produce prostaglandins, which might help to induce labor.)
tea made from parsley or cumin seeds
go here:
http://pregnancytoday.Com/experts/cpm-natu
ralinduction.Htm
acupressure/acupuncture (http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives/natin
duc.Html#acupressure)
borage oil, flaxseed oil, black currant seed or evening primrose oils (inserted vaginally onto the cervix to help ripen it -- 3-6 capsules, taken orally, everyday and/or rubbed directly on the cervix if bag of waters is intact, after 37 weeks.) (http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives/natin
duc.Html#ripening)
goldenseal (apparently, this is very potent and shouldn't be used before you are definitely overdue -- read the link). (http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives/natin
duc.Html#goldenseal)
caulophyllum 200 - 1 tab 1/4 hourly for 1 hour then 1 tab hourly for another 4 hours.
Things your doctor can do to help baby come sooner:
stripping the membranes (done before signs of labor in the doctor's office -- it's very painful, from I hear. Also can only be done if cervix is ripe already. Possible link to longer labor.)
oxytocin/pitocin (to induce labor via iv in the hospital. Some say it causes harder contractions, but it didn't seem to affect my contractions when I had it.)
prostaglandin gel or suppoository (rubbed internally to ripen the cervix and ready you for labor).
Artificially rupturing the membranes (bag of waters) that surround the fetus (done when cervix is ripe and you are in the hospital.)
foley cathetr/balloon (inserted vaginally). (http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives/natin
duc.Html#foley)
cervical massage: 2 o'clock spot on cervix, rub for as long as 30 min. Slowly and gently.
Other "wierd" things that we've read that might help with labor self-induction at home:
pineapples.
Visualization
spicy food (i don't know if this is an old wives' tale or not, it might just give you unbearable heartburn)
fasting/dehydration & no bathing for 12 hours.(http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives
/natinduc.Html#dehydration)
tens unit to induce labor.(http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives
/natinduc.Html#tens)
oral sex to induce labor (umm, you'll just have to go read this one.)
(http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives/natin
duc.Html#oral)
one thing to keep in mind is that there is a higher rate of c-sections associated with inducing labor. Also some treatments to induce labor can actually cause hyperstimulation of the uterus and cause problems with your delivery or the baby.
Test to see if you are ready to be induced:
http://www.Parentsplace.Com/pregnancy/labo
r/articles/0,,239068_575234,00.Html?Arriva
lsa=1&cobrandref=0&arrival_freqcap
=2
here's a good read on self-induction using herbs:
http://www.Gentlebirth.Org/archives/natind
uc.Html
-kristin