Yesterday we were a week and a day after the estimated due date. Which is actually the average birth date for babies of first-time moms (in my socio-economic, w. world, well-fed, healthy bracket of ladies). So, as I reminded my mother and sister and doula and midwife and baby daddy, we COULDN'T go into labor yesterday, for fear of having being average. Today would be good tho!
While I've had a blast retrieving tips (mostly from facebook) about how to induce, or rather, stories of what folks ate or did the day the became a laboring mom, I have to admit, I haven't really gone whole hog on any of them. Let's review the suggestions I have received:
From Linda: "Eat an entire pineapple. My friend did this and the baby practically fell out while I was watching."
Status: I ate 3/4 of a pineapple, while surrounded by babies at a baby pic nic.
Result: I felt some cervical zingers, and had a very easy to move bowel movement later that day.
More from Linda: Tropical fruits such as kiwi, mango and pineapple contain an enzyme that may cause mild contractions. Red raspberry leaf tea is also good at toning the cervix and wonderful for women at any stage of their reproductive cycle. You should be able to find it in the health food section of the grocery store. Remember to read the ingredients to make sure you’re not allergic to any of them.
Status: Several tall glasses of papaya juice in one day, mango salad last night
Result: I am one healthy mama-to-be, and a very regular one at that
Note: With all of the fruit suggestions, I could eat more in one sitting
To do: make a fruit salad tonight
From Andrea (woman, I love this story!!!)
My water broke while drinking a double chocolate shake at Fenton's. Seriously. I was sitting in the middle section, so the feet of everyone sitting at tables about me got soaked in amniotic fluid. They had four servers cleaning it up. Over the cell phone my midwife told me to check the color and smell, and then informed me I could finish my meal. I immediately went home, sopping wet and mortified. Go to Fenton's! It also worked for a friend of mine.
Status: Ross and I have an ice cream date this evening... before the fruit salad
From Carla and Erica:
My mom ate half a pizza with everything on it after a long day of early Christmas shopping. She woke up in the middle of the night with what she thought was heartburn. Nope, just Carla staging her final internal parade.
And: I second the eating advice. My friend spent all day shoving food in her mouth and her baby girl was born the next day. *(Erica has two blogs
Status: I. Eat. A. Lot. Every day. I will certainly up the amount if my body wants me to, but I don't think that simply eating her out will work. 'Cause I think the midnight burger fests followed by half a carton of yogurt would have done the trick.
From Laurel: I ate pesto pizza for dinner and threw it all up in my doula's face a few hours later when I was in transition. I kept apologizing, but she was totally cool with it.
Status: HA HA HA HA. That is all.
From Chandra: I was allegedly born early due to heavy Thanksgiving dining + leftovers + champagne.... My mom was in labor a long time, but I was born 3 weeks early.
Status: I forgot about the bubbly.
To do: Get a bottle of bubbly!!!
From Cherlyn: there was an article on the SF gate POOP blog site about eating lobster to induce labor - and have you heard of the prego pizza that helps induce labor?? http://www.skipolinispizza.com/prego.php?text=Legend_of_the_Prego_Pizza it's here in the east bay!
Status: I have not yet tried the pizza. I'll save this for tomorrow. I did, however, over indulge at Lanesplitters
To do: make a reservation for Thursday.
From Keith: "Find a place where babies are crying, and hang out there. You are evolved to cue to that sound by lactating which results in oxytocin (the natural hormone which pitocin mimics) release which can induce labor. Failing that, download mp3s of crying babies and listen to them loud."
Status: So, he baby picnic with happy, sleeping or slurping babies was a bust because they were happy, sleeping and slurping babies!
Result: As I said above, zingers. But no labor.
To do: I will be downloading shortly!!!!
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