Yesterday, Bill and I were going for a walk. Fritz was lying on the couch engrossed in some Netflix video on the Kindle. “Ready, honey?” I called to my husband in the hallway.
“OK, Mom, see you,” mumbled Fritz without looking up.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I laughed.
“Love you, too,” he responded.
I guess it’s better than him thinking I’m yelling at him all the time.
*******
Peter asked me, “Mom, can you do anything you want to do?”
Naturally, my mind turned to the limits of both God’s laws and the laws of our governments.
“Nope,” I said. “You can’t.” And then I heard the song from Blue’s Clues playing in the other room: “…you can do anything that you want to do…”
“I didn’t think so,” said my child who has officially reached the age of reason now.
“Yes, it’s all a lie,” I said, and looked over at him just in time to catch my husband’s eye who was looking at me in horror.
“That’s right, just dash the kids hopes and dreams,” he said.
It’s a cruel world…and it starts at home.
*******
The midwife stripped my membranes today…something I’ve never had done before. Not comfortable. She also sent me away with a long list of home remedies to try to get this baby to come out. I had been subjected to a 20 minute monitoring and an ultrasound to look at amniotic fluid – all perfectly fine, of course. Our household goods are being delivered next Monday, so I am eager for the baby, who has been very cooperative with my timeline thus far, to make his or her debut.
So, home remedies I’ve tried/known about:
walking
spicy food
peanut butter cups, lots of them
castor oil
marital relations
using the breast pump
evening primrose oil
Anything else?
Reit This Way 
actually, my midwife just shared new research about how EPO leads to premature rupture of membranes, so she no longer recommends that. also, castor oil GAH!! only if you're desperate!!!! :-p
under midwife supervision, black and blue cohosh are options, but they are for real uterine stimulants (used for “herbal” abortions in 1st trimester), so i would never use them without them being prescribed.
instead of regular walking, try squatting, lunging and stairs.
and maybe jumprope :-p
ack, that last one was me – didn't sign out of my business account sorry!
Castor oil doesn't work! I thought that it did with my first two since that plus my midwife stripping my membranes resulted in a baby 7-9 hours later. With our last baby my membranes were stripped week after week until there was nothing left to strip, and the castor oil was tried three times with the last time resulting in a huge lime and oily mess for my poor husband to clean up all over the kitchen (I simply couldn't swallow that horrid stuff again). I'm now convinced that babies come when they're ready to come and that's all there is to it. We tried so many old wives tales for getting our last one to arrive and she held on until I was exactly 41 weeks along. I spent three weeks trying in vain to get her to arrive sooner (my older two were born at 38 weeks on the nose).
Go bowling! Worst score of my life, but went into labor within 24 hours both times I tried it!
blue and black cohosh drops (used them for both of my girls, and still waited, but I guess it works for some?)
caster oil (never tried it, but I've heard it can make you feel like you've been hit by a freight train, maybe this one is for the desperate only.
I've also heard relaxing can help, so a warm bath and a glass of wine?
Can't wait! Prayers for you!
Birthing ball and breast pump, also drink lots of water. Being well hydrated helps your body do what it needs to do. You can also see an acupuncturist.
http://themaysdays.blogspot.com/2008/03/over-40.html
Loved that Mike Foss said Jack and Coke. Didn't do a thing, but I enjoyed it.
(BTW, What really *stopped* labor for me was my husband asking if I was really going to have the baby because he didn't want to come all the way home if I wasn't. Do you remember that?!)
Other than eating half a BBQ chicken, which my aunt swears starts labor — even premature, I would rather stay pregnant than do almost any of those at 41 weeks (sorry, even marital relations at 41 weeks is out of the question). If you can tolerate large amounts of chocolate, try the peanut butter cups, but on the off chance that it works I wouldn't want to be vomiting peanut butter cups during contractions (I have a low tolerance for lots of chocolate). I guess using the breast pump would be relatively benign.
PS Walking does not work. I walked miles with third boy — 41 weeks and he was 9 pounds. Nothing.
My understanding from the md and midwife was that the pump alternated w heating pad over several hours gets the natural oxytocin going. Personal experience was that getting the braxton or other contractions going w the pump…five to ten min sessions followed by heating pad back to back over several hours was the trick. Heating pad might be advisable to leave off in this heat. My youngest dd showed up on the scene one july evening when I got so frustrated that I finally followed the doc's instructions and stuck with the pump for long stretches of the five to 10 min periods. Pain from natural oxytocin sure beats the pitocin. Will say some hail marys…cant beat a great mama like her prayin for ya! rootin for you from NC
Sorry love, I'm with Karen. I'm convinced they come when they are good and ready and that all the old wives tales are merely the results of happy coincidences. I tried everything with my two and they were 42 and 41 1/2 weeks. The second one was a full 10 pounds and I was DESPERATE to give birth.
http://www.scalinis.com/Bambino.htm
Worked for me- had baby that night (all 9 pounds of him :).
If it doesn't work, it's not nearly as unpleasant as castor oil!
http://www.scalinis.com/Bambino.htm
Worked for me- had baby that night (all 9 pounds of him :).
If it doesn't work, it's not nearly as unpleasant as castor oil!