Today I’m sharing 5 things I did to get into labor with my first pregnancy.
Well, probably.
Let me start off by saying that it would be impossible for me to credit even one of these things with kickstarting the labor process. It might have been one of them, or all of them, or none!
Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional or doctor. Nothing on this post or blog should be interpreted as medical advice and should not be used as substitution for medical care. Consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your health, baby, or pregnancy. This post serves as my personal experience and opinions.
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A baby’s birth is truly one of life’s greatest mysteries.
I remember having so many questions.
When would it start? How long would it be? Would my water break? Will I know what contractions feel like? Will I need an emergency C-section? How long will I push?
The list goes on and on.
I went into labor at 39+5
Although I found it brutally frustrating at the time, I will always remember everything after 37 weeks being an anticipatory blur.
Every ache and pain had me asking “is this it?”. My husband and I googled each and every physically feeling I had. If you read enough BabyCenter and Reddit forums, anything could be a sign of labor.
Like most moms, I was DONE at the end. I can’t explain it – if you know, you know. I was just done.
I was desperate to hold my baby in my arms. She was due close to a major holiday, so I wanted her to come before or after that date.
Again, I’m not sure any of the following techniques worked, but they gave me some feeling of control over the situation.
1. “Troubling” Foods
Point blank: I ate foods that made me poop. These no other way to put it. I guess it gets things going down there… Spicy foods made me throw up throughout my whole pregnancy, but I heard that those are an old wives tale that allegedly work too!
2. Bouncing
Nothing beats that bouncy ball! I had this one. I was a bouncin’ and a swayin’ on that thing every single day starting at 37 weeks. I would turn on the TV and very gently just sway back and forth.
3. Dates & Pineapple
I heard that eating dates and pineapple would help, so in desperation I ate (probably too many) of them! Apparently there’s an enzyme in them that helps with labor. Either way, they’re delicious!
4. Walking
I went to the doctor at 39+5 thinking I was going to get to schedule my induction for the next week. Instead, she told me I was 0cm dilated with no signs of labor and to just come back in a week and we could then pick a day to induce. I cried in the parking lot. Her only suggestion was to walk. So, I went home and I walked. I walked for an hour up and down my road, until a neighbor brought to my attention that I was pretty much invisible in my black coat at night. So, I did laps in my backyard. Looking back, I wouldn’t have walked for quite so long – I had a very long labor and I think this contributed to my exhaustion.
5. Leaving my house a mess
Okay, maybe this one is just my own superstitions. At the end of my pregnancy, I kept my house spotless in anticipation of having to rush to the hospital. One night, I was just so over being pregnant. I started crying to my husband how I just wanted my daughter to be here already and I wanted to feel better. We ate a hearty dinner of slow-cooked chicken, sweet potatoes, and green beans. And then I left it all out. I left the dirty plates on the table, pots and pans on stove, and went to bed. My water broke a few hours later! I’m convinced that leaving things a mess and just letting go is what got my labor going!
What did you do to help labor start? How far along did you get in your pregnancy?
Let me know below!
O.
