https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:56:00 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-385396 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:36:57 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 385396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried it all--nothing worked BUT<br /> I did raspberry leaf capsules &amp; the tea because supposedly they strengthen your contractions and my contractions were super insane! All the nurses commented on our "powerful &amp; progressive" my contractions were. My contractions never became closer than 5min apart yet my labor was only 8h long and 3 of those hours I labored down doing nada:) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-385393 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:21:42 +0000 808love 385393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Raspberry tea...totally worked. Only thing is it speeds up start of labor but not actual delivery so I was in labor for days. Wouldn't do it again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-384684 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 17:26:12 +0000 MrsMccarthy 384684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i tried all but castor and none of it worked, cat hurt go try though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-383075 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 09:31:58 +0000 mamabolt 383075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried a lot of things - spicy food, pineapple, sex, walking, sitting on a birth ball 10 hours a day, had a membrane sweep, drank tons of red raspberry leaf tea. I still went a week overdue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-383019 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:50:31 +0000 SugarplumsMom 383019@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was really, really hoping I wouldn't go into labor when I did because I was sick with the cold and completely miserable and weak! That night DH made roasted chicken with gravy and he accidentally made it way too spicy. We now call it the "water breaking chicken" :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-382938 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:48:44 +0000 hellobeeboston 382938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ate pineapple, Chinese food and was about to make eggplant parm to try to bring on labor. Me and DH were also walking a lot....</p> <p>Non old wives tale though - on my due date I had my second membrane sweep, and was crampy off and on after and about 20 hours after the sweep my contractions started - so I think that did it for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-382933 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:30:06 +0000 Bao 382933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think the exercise thing is true. My friend would run 2-3 miles a day, and I just took walks when I had the energy throughout pregnancy and I went 5 days early, SHE went late. I do however, believe that brisk walking after being dilated already really does help move things along. I did lots of walking when I felt BH, I bounced on my ball a lot, raspberry leaf tea gave me lots of BH...all helped prepare I believe but I think the thing (ok I know the thing) that did it was my membrane strip. I had bloody show like no other after that and 48 hours later I had my baby girl! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-382916 Wed, 07 Nov 2012 04:52:14 +0000 erinpye 382916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried everything except castor oil. I went into labor that stalled every day for a week. I had 3 membrane sweeps--the last pushed me into labor that stalled again. Nothing worked and LO had to be evicted when I was a week past due. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-382560 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:46:47 +0000 winniebee 382560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was already having contractions from an early stage, but at 38++ I was ready to go. So I went on some really long walks - 2 the day I went into labor. Also tried spicy food the night before to no avail. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-382532 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:31:06 +0000 sorrycharlie 382532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjyw: I still don't know (and never will!) whether my quick labor was from family genes (my mom had a short labor and delivered me in minutes), or EPO! I started taking it maybe 1-2 weeks before, I don't remember. but not religiously..but I dilated from 3 to 10 in three hours!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-382281 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:56:55 +0000 mrsjyw 382281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've eaten pineapple, spicy food, primrose oil vitamins, bounced on.a birthing ball, got a prenatal massage, and a mani/pedi today and in the prior few days. Nothing yet... will keep you posted on any results </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-382272 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:52:09 +0000 mrsmenow 382272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried everything, even castor oil. Nothing worked. The castor oil started contractions, but once my entire system was violently cleaned out the contractions stopped. I think I might have traumatized my poor DH making him have hanky panky with me that pregnant too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381949 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:25:46 +0000 loveisstrange 381949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I literally tried every single thing except castor oil and none of it worked. lol. She took her good sweet time and wasn't coming until she was ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381926 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:17:49 +0000 lovehoneybee 381926@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sex, walking, spicy food, and bouncing on the yoga ball. I think he just came when he was ready, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381896 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:09:59 +0000 prettylizy 381896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sex... as much as I didn't love the idea of having sex at the end, orgasms release oxytocin into your system. I would have contractions afterwards for quite a while. Also, semen contains something called protugladulin (sp) which ripens the cervix. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381886 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:05:51 +0000 sorrycharlie 381886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i tried it all...she came 40 weeks on the dot. my water broke on the yoga ball, but id been on it for weeks, so i think the internal exam an hr prior was what did it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381738 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:27:33 +0000 rachiecakes 381738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: I don't know because I didn't do it personally, but I would've had my OB/midwife suggest it like hers did. I know that for her, her water was perfectly clear, no meconium at all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381692 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:12:47 +0000 PrincessBaby 381692@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes: What do you think about the meconium thing? I read that castor oil can make the baby have a bowel movement, so obviously there's meconium in there before they get out. I don't know how often that happens though, just wondering what you think and if it happened to her! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381681 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:09:03 +0000 rachiecakes 381681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: My friend did acupuncture, visited a chiropractor (to 'adjust' the baby in a perfect position to drop and start labor) and had her membranes swept twice and nothing worked. She tried the castor oil the night before she was 42 weeks pregnant. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381675 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:07:26 +0000 rachiecakes 381675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: I tried everything but castor oil and nothing worked. My best friend (@Audge10) tried everything and lastly tried castor oil and it worked like a charm, sent her straight into labor. Next time I will absolutely try the castor oil. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381630 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:54:23 +0000 PrincessBaby 381630@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: How many acu sessions did it take for you?<br /> I was thinking of doing that around 38 weeks or so...The acupuncturist I went to when we were TTC specialized in fertility, so I know I could go to see him again to try to pry her out of there, but he's $115 a pop- ARGH! I was having an anovulatory cycle following a chemical pregnancy and he did electro-acupuncture to wake my ovaries up, and one session of that totally worked and I ovulated the next day and here I sit at almost 36 weeks. So I have a fantasy that maybe he can work his magic in a singular $115 session-lol:)</p> <p>@chopsuey119: Your mom is an acupuncturist?!? Gah, so lucky!! The only thing holding me back from the acu is the $115 price tag that mine charges! Gah! I would be SO UPSET if it didn't work for that much dough! And DH would kill me! So it would have to be out of our secret girl funds so he wouldn't flip his sh*t:) Which is our clothes/shoe/etsy/excessive things we don't need to discuss with him money:) We cherish it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381615 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:43:36 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 381615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sex, walking, spicy foods, acupuncture... I delivered 10 days early to an almost 8-pound girl. Yea, she did NOT need to be there any longer... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381603 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:38:39 +0000 autumnlove 381603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sex, spicy food, eating papaya, walking, walking stairs...nothing worked for me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381568 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:23:34 +0000 pinkcupcake 381568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took a 3 mile walk the day my water broke! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381526 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:09:01 +0000 hilsy85 381526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried walking, sex, and bouncing on a ball. I also had reflexology the day before my water broke! Not sure if it was coincidence... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381416 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:32:23 +0000 tororojo 381416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a friend who swears by bouncing on a birthing ball! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381414 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:31:55 +0000 chopsuey 381414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: I'm totally a believer when it comes to acupuncture! I was 2 days past my due date though and my mom had flown in from ca so I wanted baby out! Mom's an acupuncturist so it was convenient to get poked :)</p> <p>Not sure if it was the acupuncture, but labor started fast 4 hours later.. So dunno. </p> <p>Lots of women avoid pedicures and foot massages because one of the pressure points for going into labor is on the foot. Must be some truth to it.. Right? Worth a try! :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381408 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:30:54 +0000 yoursilverlining 381408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: you can see it on an ultrasound. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381402 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:28:25 +0000 PrincessBaby 381402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: how do you know if they are practice breathing? Mine hiccups a ton, but I don't know any more than that:)</p> <p>@chopsuey119: Do you think it was bc of the acu? I actually really believe in acu and had considered it! This baby may actually be a direct result of electro-acupuncture that I did to make me ovulate- got a pos opk the next day!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-do-any-old-wives-tales-to-bring-on-labor#post-381389 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:24:31 +0000 chopsuey 381389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nothing worked for me!!<br /> I got acupuncture and went into labor 4 hours later though :) </p>