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Chris V
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... my forum search option isn't working properly, and I'm sure that this topic has come up a hundred times, but I need some advice ... and soon!
I went into my doctor's office again today, there's been no change in my elevated blood pressure, and although my doctor is very concerned, he's giving me the next two to three days to do into labor on my own rather than having me induced at the hospital. His nurse and I were coming up with some good ways in which I can do this, but since I've never needed to induce my own labor before (my three girls all came around 38 weeks), I would really appreciate any and all help I can get. I need some ideas! Talk to me, ladies 
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Chris
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JodieLyn
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One thing that really does help is marital relations with your dh. Along these lines, n!pple stimulation is generally more intense but can have good results of stimulating contractions.. you'd want to look it up.. I think you alternate sides but don't recall how long or anything.
My midwife claims that if you take castor oil and don't go into labor you won't for at least 3 days.
It works more or less the same as less extreme options which is eating something (like spicy food) that causes the intestines to be irritated which transfers to the uterus since they're in close proximity.
Then there is the cohashes.. those can cause actual uterine contractions and so have quite a few warnings on them.
But you might choose to look up taking castor oil I don't recall amounts and you don't want to go overboard.
And you might look up the black and blue cohash for info on using those.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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stellamaris
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I had heard the spinach and licorice both have an ingredient similar to oxytocin (used to induce labor). My sister was told not to eat either one in the third trimester. Wonder if a big spinach salad might help? Well, it couldn't hurt! At least you'd be high in iron!
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Nique
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Chris, climbing up and down stairs got my contractions going with my twins!!
Try it!
It really works 
And I'm praying for the three of you 
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Claire F
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I drank red raspberry leaf tea in the final days of my pregnancies. You're probably familiar with it already. It doesn't actually cause contractions, but seems to help get things ready to go.
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Chris V
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JodieLyn wrote:
| One thing that really does help is marital relations with your dh. Along these lines, n!pple stimulation is generally more intense but can have good results of stimulating contractions.. you'd want to look it up.. I think you alternate sides but don't recall how long or anything. |
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These are on the *list* 
jodielyn wrote:
My midwife claims that if you take castor oil and don't go into labor you won't for at least 3 days.
It works more or less the same as less extreme options which is eating something (like spicy food) that causes the intestines to be irritated which transfers to the uterus since they're in close proximity. |
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The notion of castor oil makes me feel  ... I'm thinking that might be my last resort 
jodielyn wrote:
Then there is the cohashes.. those can cause actual uterine contractions and so have quite a few warnings on them.
But you might choose to look up taking castor oil I don't recall amounts and you don't want to go overboard.
And you might look up the black and blue cohash for info on using those. |
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Yes! I have both blue and black cohosh (in homeopathic form, not the tinctures). My homeopath has got me on Cimicifuga 30C (black cohosh) taken 3X per day, if by tomorrow afternoon I've not had any progression, we will move onto Pulsatilla 200C. She was telling me that Caulophylum (blue cohosh) is best used once labor begins (to help keep up the momentum). ... I spent quite a bit of time this afternoon reading about this and there seems to be some mixed ideas regarding this premise. There are a lot of women who say that is was blue cohosh that got things going for them. Since I don't have any experience with how my body responds to them, I'll stick with her recommendation and see how things progress.
... but gosh, back to the castor oil ... won't that just have me spend too much time in the bathroom?
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Chris
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Chris V
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stellamaris wrote:
| I had heard the spinach and licorice both have an ingredient similar to oxytocin (used to induce labor). My sister was told not to eat either one in the third trimester. Wonder if a big spinach salad might help? Well, it couldn't hurt! At least you'd be high in iron! |
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I've never heard this! ... I eat either a hot or cold spinach salad about 4 times a week and have for years! 
I've heard that about fennel seed (which is similar to anise). I'll read up on this. Thank you
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Chris
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JodieLyn
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Chris V wrote:
| ... but gosh, back to the castor oil ... won't that just have me spend too much time in the bathroom? |
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yes that's pretty much how it works... it's the irritation(contractions) in the intestines/bowel that transmit to the uterus often causing uterine contractions. My midwife only gives a single dose.. maybe a second dose if the first seems to start to work but needs another boost.. it's not something to keep taking.. more just a jump start.. so you'd only spend that extra time in the bathroom right at first until it clears your system.. not keep taking it and be dealing with labor and extra bathroom runs.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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Chris V
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Nique wrote:
Chris, climbing up and down stairs got my contractions going with my twins!!
Try it!
It really works
And I'm praying for the three of you |
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Thank you! ... although I think (due to my blood pressure), I would give my doctor a heart attack if he knew I was climbing up and down the stairs 
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Chris
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Chris V
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Claire F wrote:
I drank red raspberry leaf tea in the final days of my pregnancies. You're probably familiar with it already. It doesn't actually cause contractions, but seems to help get things ready to go.
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Thank you, Claire! Yes, been drinking it for a while
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Chris
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Aagot
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I went to an acupuncturist at 4:00 pm on a Friday afternoon and was in labor by 6 am. It worked great! It was not painful at all. My midwife was really impressed. I highly recommend it.
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JodieLyn
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I've heard chiropractors also might be able to jumpstart labor.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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St. Ann
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I gave birth to my oldest in Munich, Germany. The midwife gave me a mixture of castor oil and good ol' german beer! and then called it a cocktail  It certainly did clean me out.
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Mimip
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Um, I second the marital relations with the DH.
My first 3 had to be induced and I really did not want to go through that again if possible so we scheduled a nice date night and date morning too My son was born at 6 pm that evening.
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*Lindsey*
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I used castor oil when I was pg with the twins and facing induction. I was already dilated to a 5, though, and had the doctor strip my membranes first.
These last two times, I went to the chiropractor and went into labor 8-10 hour later.
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SaraP
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Ah this is a topic near and dear to my heart! I *much* prefer to deliver at a birth center, but to do so I have to start labor by 42 weeks . . . and a 'normal' pregnancy for me seems to take just about 42 weeks.
I've tried walking stairs and marital relations and castor oil and accupuncture and none of those have worked for me.
What has worked has been having the midwife strip the membranes (which means that she does an internal exam and sort of lifts or pushes the amniotic sac away from the opening of the cervix for a few seconds - this is supposed to irritate the cervix a bit and can trigger labor if you are close already) followed by a labor tincture of black and blue cohash once an hour over the next several hours and then caulophyllum and cimicifuga once labor starts. 4 times this has started labor within 24 hours and baby had been born within 48 hours. Stripping the membranes is uncomfortable, but I wouldn't call it painful.
The remaining time, with by second baby, when the above didn't work, the midwife did a prostaglandin induction. I went to the hospital and they gave me a prostaglandin pessary which is usually used to prepare the cervix for a Pitocin induction, but instead of getting Pitocin I just went home. Normal (ie not extra painful like it is with pitocin) labor started later that day and baby was born the next day.
Praying for you and those little ones!
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Chris V
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So at my appointment this morning my blood pressure had come down (but only by a little bit), however the protein levels in my urine have gone up. My doctor is getting a bit worried about my progressing condition with pre-eclampsia (but there's no worries with my babies - they are still growing, thriving, healthy, safe).
I'm scheduled to go in tomorrow morning to be induced. My doctor is really hoping that I'm able to go into labor on my own within the next 12 to 18 hours because obviously, he agrees that it's better to let me do this on my own .
So as of now, I've done several of the above recommendations, and my doctor has stripped my membranes this morning. The Cimicifuga 30C didn't help me progress so we've moved onto Pulsatilla 200C (I work with a Classical Homeopath and have for years). She's being a bit more aggressive with the frequency of the doses in the hopes that things will get moving quickly.
I've just sent my Mom off to the store for some Castor Oil, which I'm inclined to try this afternoon. Can anyone help me with the dosing for the Castor Oil? How much do I take?
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Chris
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Betsy
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No answers, but I am storming heaven for you! Good luck!
ETA: It's the Feast Day of St. John of the Cross. I am sure he will help!!!!!!
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JennGM
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Praying Chris! So exciting!
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JodieLyn
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There's lots of info Here Chris.. it's archives from midwives sharing.. and I think there's some on castor oil.
But because it's more like one of our boards here.. you have to read all the way down to find all the info.. it's not all collected in nice neat categories.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady of Good Remedy and Care
Topic: Naturally Inducing Labor
