Still Cooking . . .

Little Mason is still happy as can be in his little momma's womb. We have been checked twice by the doctor now and still have no progress towards labor even though Mason is situated just right. Chris and I are in no hurry to rush mother nature, but since we have measured ahead of schedule, our doctor has penciled us in for induction next Thursday on April 7th. This really doesn't mean a whole lot to us. It doesn't mean we are going to have a big baby or any of that, but our doctor has a strong opinion that the placenta does not function well post 40 weeks, so she is leaning towards gently nudging Mason out... or at least that is the way I heard it. :)

I have been reluctant to be induced all along. There is just something to be said for letting things happen when they are suppose to happen. That being said I want to do what's best for our baby. So we have one more appointment next Monday where we will make a decision, to induce or not to induce. In the meantime, I would not be opposed to making some progress towards delivery. And even though I don't honestly believe any "special action" will bring labor on, it is still entertaining to consider or try some of them, can't hurt right?

I borrowed these suggestions from The Pregnant Chicken, here is a PG version, but for the unedited version visit her blog:

Walking: I had to laugh at this one because it kind of implies that you haven't been upright until this point. It may be worth a try to waddle around the block a couple times maybe you could go for ice cream just don't walk so far that you have to give birth squatting in a far off field somewhere, you know, unless that's what you were going for.

Dancing: Nothing says "Work it, Hooker!" like a desperate, overdue pregnant woman busting a move on the dance floor.

Going up stairs two at a time: Yes, because I can remember what a specimen of fine cardiovascular health I was at 41 weeks pregnant. I wasn't great at climbing stairs before I was pregnant so unless the idea was for me to collapse from exhaustion then "bounce" the baby out of me while I tumbled down the stairs, then I doubt it would have worked for me but you may be in better shape.

Bounce on an exercise ball: Well, at least it's not climbing stairs and you can watch t.v. while doing it. You're supposed sit on the ball with your legs apart so your pelvis is open. I suggest you do this one when people are over and you want them to leave.

Pineapple: Pineapple, papaya and mango, all contain an enzyme called bromelain which might help soften your cervix. Bromelain breaks down during the canning process so eat the fresh stuff. Although, it seems these fruits don't contain very large amounts of bromelain so you'd have to consume more than half-a-dozen of them to make a dent. It's not like eating six pineapples wouldn't do anything weird to your digestive system or anything.

Evening primrose oil: Evening primrose oil is a source of prostaglandins which is supposed to soften up your cervix for labour. You can take it orally (3-4, 500mg capsules daily) or apply it directly to your cervix by inserting an entire capsule before bed so it works its magic over night. Personally, I'm not sure if this kind of tinkering should be done at home but it's mentioned a number of times online so I've included it here.

Red raspberry leaf tea: It sounds like red raspberry leaf tea doesn't kick start labour as much as it tones your uterus for it. I also found when I was researching herbal tea, the people that seemed to know what they were talking about recommended it throughout pregnancy and it was the conservative, mainstream sites that told you to stay away from it because it can induce labour. I drank a swimming pool worth of this stuff when I was trying to go into labour with my first son and it didn't work. Although, I had a really fast recovery which one of the things this stuff is supposed to help with so maybe it did do the job.

Black and Blue Cohosh: Blue cohosh (papoose root) and black cohosh (snakeroot) are roots from two separate plants. It's recommended that cohosh only be used with the assistance of a trained health care provider like a midwife or a doula. I mean it's called "snakeroot" for christssake, you just know this stuff isn't playing around.

Castor oil: Let's see, the theory behind this one is that consuming castor oil causes diarrhea and the cramps from the diarrhea cause sympathetic cramping in your uterus. You know, because labour isn't challenging enough without adding an assplosion to it. I'm going to go ahead and say "no" on this one.

Eating Certain Foods: There's no science behind this one but I can certainly get behind this one more than castor oil (at least if you end up on the toilet, you had a good time getting there). There are pizzas, eggplant parmesans and pasta sauces that all claim to start labour. Most of them contain basil and oregano, both of which have properties that are thought to start labour although, they don't sound like no snakeroot.

Accupressure: This is based on the same ideas as acupuncture but uses finger pressure instead of needles. Ideally you get somebody that knows where all the "buttons" are but I did find a ton of stuff where they showed you how to do it yourself. It's non-invasive and there are a lot of people that swear by it.

There you have it. From the Pregnant Chicken herself, a commentated version of "How to go into Labor." Hopefully you thought it was entertaining at least. Almost all of these remedies have people that swear they work but let me know if you've heard of anything else that worked for you or someone you know. Have you tried any of these yourself? Did they work?

Stay tuned, we will keep everyone posted if/when little Mason decides to face the world.