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Good luck! The end sucks. I bounced on my yoga ball alot and got a membrane sweep, but I think it really just depends when baby is ready unfortunately

I walked three miles and had sex the night before my daughter was born. I have no clue if that's what caused it but she was born fast and furious at 38.5 weeks.

Multiple really hot baths and lots of walking turned my prodromal Labor into real labor

There’s actually evidence (vs just anecdotes) that pumping works! But it never worked instantly for me and who knows if it was a factor. So I’d say having your water broken

Acupuncture. Labor started within ten hours. I think eating dates might have helped too.

Castor oil. I did the gentle method so although I did go to the bathroom a few times I didn't experience any cramping or vomiting. Put one full tablespoon in 2 or 3 ounces of cold OJ, shake vigorously then drunk fast. Start in the late morning and repeat the dose every three hours until in labor. I started mid day so I got several doses in, then fell asleep at 10pm and woke up in labor at 1 am.

Two rounds of acupuncture, an aggressive membrane sweep, and lots of walking. @pinkb: My midwife told me it was aggressive when I called her about bleeding...haha. I had a few sweeps with my first kid that amounted to nothing and two with this kid before my last one, but the last one was what did something.

With my first I tried a castor oil shake and it caused a few minor contractions that amounted to nothing and I was induced at 42 weeks.

@Foodnerd81: my second came one day before my due date. I went into labour with my water breaking spontaneously two days before the due date and I was incredibly shocked because I was induced at 42 weeks with my first and never had a contraction or anything or bh with either pregnancy. Everyone expected me to go late the second time and my midwives hadn't discussed some critical information regarding gbs yet because they thought there was more time.

Having a huge meal worked for me.

Sex worked for me. We were doing it frequently in the last couple of weeks but nothing started until baby was ready. I woke up with milk cramping 4 days late and after it stalled out we had sex that night and it started for real 2 hours later.

I stayed pretty active during both of my previous pregnancies but on the day/day before I went into labor, I cranked up my activity level. I walked 10 miles the day I went into labor with my daughter. With my son, I did a really intense, steep speed walk on my treadmill for a couple of hours. Went into labor that night. I'm a big believer in "walking that baby out". But who really knows! With both I was 39 + 3. Good luck!!

DW bounced on a yoga ball and took long walks with the dog but nothing worked until she had ‘the membrane sweep of the century’ on a Tuesday aft. Thursday morning we dropped our son at kindergarten for his first day and she started having contractions right after. DS2 born early Friday morn. I think it was the emotions of that day and the sweep! She was 40+3.

@muffinsmuffins: omg, I cringe even thinking about the membrane sweep of the century congrats to you both though!

I think it just happens when it happens, but being consistently very active helps. Like not a walk, but being active all day long kind of thing. Pretty sure that's how my younger two were born a little earlier. I think some of the tricks would just give me stomachaches and a slight chance of labor by upsetting my stomach enough.
Also, I vote staying away from mommy groups. HB is great but honestly I find that mommy groups tend to foster this expectation that babies come early! I think by the end everyone is just uncomfortable to miserable and the beginning of the month group has given birth already (the month before) it just starts to feel like you're behind. So I think staying away from that at least mentally feels a little better. Hb might not be too bad because it's smaller but I'm looking at you, thebump and the like. This is so physically demanding but also a special time you'll probably look back on, so if you can even just have a few great snapshot moments to focus on hopefully that will get you through!

Good luck, hoping you don't wait much longer.

I was at 40+5 days for my daughter and was doing many of these things listed. The last thing I did before bed the night before going into labor was have a really long good hard cry. No clue if the two were actually related but it felt like I might have been holding in the emotional side of waiting for labor. Releasing all that tension was cathartic either way.

And of course, it could be that I cried because hormones were shifting and labor was imminent.. so hard to tell!

The very best thing was (TMI) the enema. My water had already broken but my contractions didn’t start on their own. The hospital midwife suggested an enema and the contractions started within half an hour. The 2nd best thing for me, which worked with both pregnancies, was the yoga ball. I didn’t really bounce on it, but more of a rolling/swaying motion to open up the pelvis.

Sex (2 nights before, started having contractions really soon after and they were on and off for a day before real labor started), raspberry leaf tea (drank extra the day before), and walking around the zoo all day holding my 2.5 year old half the time (day before).

A bikini wax! I’ve heard this from others as well!