Membrance sweeping works. They did it with my first child and I was in labor two days later.

Sex worked for me for #2. Stripping membranes didn’t do a thing for #’s 3 or 4. Trying to pamper myself towards the end, since I always go over dates (2 weeks average). Good luck mama! I was preggers for two years in a row. 80 weeks of pregnancy was horrible. But each time, I had to remember that NO woman is pregnant forever, lol ~ even though it felt like it.

Evening primrose oil as recommended by my midwife. A little horizontal tango always helps tooo :)

HA! Great post. I knew about some of these but not all of them. I have a group of friends that swear by eggplant (or Eggplant Parmesan).

I was majorly craving pineapple when I was about 8 months along… I ate about 1/2 a pineapple, and it certainly gave me contractions!

I had two boys while living in Finland, my first was two weeks late and the doctors at the hospital recommended short spurts of time in a sauna and also drinking pineapple juice.

For my first pregnancy I walked almost 6 miles in the July Texas heat (looking back now I realize how stupid I was) needles to say I went into labor that afternoon like two hours after I finished the walk. For the second pregnancy I tried the Castor Oil…was sick as a dog for two days. Unfortunately that didn’t work and I finally had to be induced (my daughter is a stubborn soul). For my third pregnancy I let nature do its thing and baby came on due date and arrived less than 10 minutes after I got to the hospital (he is still an on the go boy and when he decides it’s time to move he wastes no time)

We got them out the same way we put them in ;) Worked every time! Good luck!

I would suggest anyone consult with their doctor before they use Castor Oil for anything. It can be poisonous and produce really bad side effects.

Feeding large amounts of castor oil to prisoners was a part of a form of torture used in medieval Europe…

It does induce smooth muscle contraction, (the muscle in the uterus is smooth muscle), but I am not sure I would want to risk it…

For the record, I am NOT a tea drinker either (give me coffee any day of the week), but I’m drinking raspberry leaf tea as recommended by my doula. I actually really like it with a little bit of honey! I was very surprised!

Also, it isn’t supposed to start contractions, but rather prepare the uterus to work more efficiently when labor does start on its own!

I don’t like tea but I took the RRL by capsule :)

I danced with my toddler and bounced on a ball the night our baby was born :)

I work and walked up until 2 days before my due date and then continued walking after I stopped working. My son was born a week late. I didn’t bother trying anything to hurry things along though.

I had 6 kids and although weeks late with two of them and NOT having my days mixed up at all…I definitely remember thinking I HAD to do something. With my daughter the second late one, I wanted to try castor oil…something my mom had done 30 years earlier for my brother. I could not even think of swallowing that stuff. So just waited it out both times.

BUT, I have a daughter who a few months ago started searching for ways to start labor. Her health plan was changing and they were so hoping to have their baby before the New Year. The health insurance change would cost them well over a grand besides leaving a glitch in her time off for maternity leave/vacation with pay too. Her date was anytime from Dec. 29 to Jan 12, so she thought the last week after Christmas she would enlist the help of some if not most of these natural induction ideas. Unfortunately, she ended up having her little guy 11 weeks early and only at 1 lb 15 oz due to complications. She feels now that no matter what, she would wish he would have had more time. He is now 5 weeks old and just over 3 lbs. Be careful what you wish for:)

ACUPUNCTURE! The best induction method available! Sex, bouncing on a ball walking, sweeping of membranes, spicy foods, bumpy car rides, etc etc…tried them all with my first but went into labor after doing NOTHING, just watching a movie! I had given up. With our second, I was a week overdue with a very large baby & had a friend do some acupuncture. I had contractions while the needles were in & they didn’t stop. I had the baby within 24 hours. Have known several people for which acupuncture helps to balance the chi & restore what is needed to swiftly move into labor. Acupuncture also aided in giving birth to our 10 pound 9 ounce 24 inch-long son naturally. Highly recommended!

I was due June 26 2010. I went to the doctor that Wednesday and had my membrane swept. I lost my mucus plug Thursday morning and had my daughter Friday. One day before I was due.

We tried loads and none worked. We ended up with an emergency c section with our first. My wife and child nearly. Very scary. The second just never got started and once again Anna had a c. She felt useless and a failure. Thankfully through encouragement and support she now sees things differently. Guys whatever works, do it for your best friend and if it doesn’t be there for them.

I wish I had known about acupuncture, maybe it would have helped!
I had my son in June 2011 – induction at 42 weeks! I waited and waited, trusting Nature would do her part. I was so huge when I went for long walks that the ranger in the park was following to make sure I was not going into labor LOL. I tried dancing, labor tincture, primerose oil, spicy food, sex, nipple stimulation, membrane sweeping. Nothing worked. Didn’t try eggplant nor pineapple though. Castor oil seemed too brutal for me. My son was big, 9 lbs 10 oz, why didn’t he come naturally? Nature has its ways… But you should give these methods a try, you never know!