17 different women, 36 crazy children, 0 babies in utero
Adventures, Advice and Questions from a group of Mormon women who met in Queens, NY and have now scattered all over the place.
 

Friday, April 04, 2008

My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready to Go

Tomorrow is my official "due date." The problem is that it's lookin' like nobody told the little boy who has made his home in my uterus for the last 9 months. It seems he feels pretty comfortable there (despite my double dutch jump roping this past week) and isn't making plans to vacate anytime soon.

After getting "checked" today, being pregnant for like FOREVER is looking like a real possibility. When the midwife asked me to please make another appointment for next week, I almost lost it.

I am getting dangerously close to the crazy place. You know, the place where I am 3 weeks overdue and end up having to push out a small child instead of a tiny little newborn (which almost kills me) who I then have squish into the cute little "going home" outfit which make him look like a stuffed sausage in all his first photos. I don't like the crazy place. Please don't make me go there.

So I am determined to try a considerable amount of "put-you-into-labor-old-wives-tales" this weekend in an effort to trick myself into thinking I can somehow coax this baby into the world before my new "everyone will-have-to-look-at-my-feet-soon-pre-labor-pedicure" completely chips away. The faint silver lining is that thanks to General Conference, I won't have to face everyone at church this Sunday with their I-know-you're-well-intentioned-yet-I-still -might-have-to-kill-you "What are you still doing here? and "Are you still pregnant?" comments.

Here's the list so far: Red Rasberry Leaf Tea, Evening Primose Oil, a possible trip to this LA eatery for "the salad", sex, bumpy roads, long walks, stairstepper, and (at the suggestion of Melissa) sex while driving over speed bumps after walking up stairs.

Any other suggestions? BTW, I am nowhere near desperate enough for the old castor-oil-labor-inducing-colon-cleansing. I've heard way too many horror stories.

posted by This is Carrie @ 4/04/2008 08:27:00 PM   add to kirtsy


27 Comments:

  • No real suggestions, just an I'm sorry. I'm starting the craziness, and my official due date isn't until April 30. I'm pretty sure I will have completely lost it if this baby doesn't show up before then.

    Luckily neither I nor my doctor think I'm going to acutally last til my due date (and neither of my other 2 have), so that's good. But starting next week I'm going to be walking a lot, going up and down stairs a lot, and picking up my two boys and hauling them all over the place. (Those are the things that have most consistently brought on contractions for the last 8 weeks, even if most of them were just Braxton Hicks, so I'm going to try more of the same.) Oh, and maybe I'll stop objecting when my boys throw their basketballs at my stomach.
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 4/04/2008 10:37:00 PM  



  • My mom swears that eating a large helping of beef stroganoff put her into labor for three of her six pregnancies.

    But, yeah, sex works too. :D
    posted by Blogger The Sauls Family at 4/05/2008 04:22:00 AM  



  • I've heard that eggplant is the magic potion.
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 4/05/2008 06:58:00 AM  



  • hope this doesn't bring weird googlers--but--nipple stimulation. i swear up and down it put me into labor. i just sat and pinched and rubbed until i started having contractions, and then i kept doing it as they got stronger until i couldn't take it anymore. it was actually suggested to me when i posted on my own blog desperate for suggestions and a blogger-friend recommended it. it worked for me! granted i was 9 days overdue. and also i had a 24-hour labor. but anyway. the end result was a baby! my mom also told me that she did this too, to restart a stalled labor. i recommend it to anyone i talk to who is desperate and serious about getting things going.

    also i can't verify this personally but i will probably try it when i am ready for #2 to come (in about 6 months): Jump-Start-Your-Labor Cookies

    hang in there, before you know it you'll be holding him in your arms!
    posted by Blogger Eliza at 4/05/2008 07:17:00 AM  



  • Good ol' sex did the trick for us...just make sure you have an O.
    posted by Blogger Miggy at 4/05/2008 07:19:00 AM  



  • forgot to mention what you probably already know: the logic behind that is the release of oxytocin. i've also had friends use a breast pump. for some reason that seems weirder to me, not sure why!
    posted by Blogger Eliza at 4/05/2008 07:24:00 AM  



  • Vacuuming the entire house after sex brought on #2 and #4 for me.
    posted by Blogger Joyful at 4/05/2008 08:22:00 AM  



  • Nothing to add, except my sympathies and understanding! I know it's supposed to work, but I could just never bring myself to desperate enough to let my husband touch me when I'm that preggo and, well, frankly, crazy.

    The sex + vacuum the whole house gets my vote. I was always too scared to try the castor oil too.

    Come soon, little boy! You have a rockin' Mama who want's to meet you!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 4/05/2008 08:30:00 AM  



  • I've read that Castor oil is meant to be harmful to you and the baby. I vote for sex and maybe some vacuuming.
    posted by Blogger Nancy Ross at 4/05/2008 08:34:00 AM  



  • I was two days overdue with my boy and ate a large helping of spicy food at PF Changs. Worked for me. Also bounced on my exercise ball, but I don't think that really helped.
    posted by Blogger Liz at 4/05/2008 09:01:00 AM  



  • My pick is sex + vacuuming - what a joyful combination! And lots of walking. Take Pumpkin to Disney again...like, everyday next week.

    I'm really sorry. You know how I feel about castor oil so I am heartened to know that even in the crazy place, you will not go there...

    And jumbalaya brought on some strong contractions with my first...but then I still had to be induced anyway...

    Maybe sex, then vacuuming, then a big helping of jumbalaya and THEN about 8 hours at Disneyland! YES! That's bound to do it!
    posted by Blogger Sara at 4/05/2008 09:09:00 AM  



  • Wish I had some advice, but sorry, none here! Just some sympathy. I know it's not a lot of fun to still be growing him inside of you, but try to enjoy the jumping, walking, vaccuming, sexing, and eating/drinking of magical substances - something is bound to work!
    posted by Blogger marian at 4/05/2008 09:40:00 AM  



  • I was going to suggest Caioti Pizza but I guess you already know about it. But did you know it is two blocks from my apartment????? We eat there all the time. (Not the salad though.... not quite ready for that). If you go, you have to call me. I have had three friends try it recently and two of them went into labor that night! I will be there all the time when my due date approaches in about 6 weeks. Supposedly the owners of the restaurant say that your body "has to be ready", whatever that means. I'm assuming maybe you're a little dialated/effaced.
    posted by Blogger Beth at 4/05/2008 09:54:00 AM  



  • Please don't shoot fiery darts at me when I saw this, but....even medical inductions fail sometimes. Meaning? The baby will come when he is ready.

    In the meantime I have an excellent suggestion. Re-runs of 30 Rock on Netflix. Or The Office. Or The Family Guy (it is only funny to me when I am desperately crazy). Or South Park (again, only funny when I am off my rocker CRAZY)!

    Good luck!!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 4/05/2008 09:57:00 AM  



  • Dang, I was going to mention the salad that I remember reading about, but I can see that in your desperation you have already found that one.

    I got nothin. Maybe the boy is just scared to meet his sisters? I did tell your hubby that you need to have 5 or 6 more boys to raise the testosterone level in the house, but I didn't whisper that to your belly. Try it.
    posted by Blogger Kathi D at 4/05/2008 10:44:00 AM  



  • I've heard Cod Liver Oil.

    And check out hulu.com for tv and movies if you're getting desperate.

    Good luck. I'm in the please-i-don't-want-to-be-nauseous-anymore stage of pregnancy. Only 30 more weeks to go! Ha.
    posted by Blogger Madame Coin at 4/05/2008 02:31:00 PM  



  • I have not had to induce my own labor, but I have heard from a few people the same as another comment of stimulating the nipples. Worth a try huh?
    best wishes
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 4/05/2008 03:05:00 PM  



  • I second the nipple stimulation, which actually should be called nipple-squeezing. Like Eliza aid, it makes the uterus contract since that's what nursing does to your uterus after the birth anyway. I was a week overdue and desperate because I was in Brasil and my MIL who had flown out to help was leaving in 4 days - so baby was coming OUT! I grabbed a good book - focused on it completely and just started squeezing and pinching. I ignored the feeling of contractions as much as I could and just kept going, and pretty soon my braxton-hicks were minute apart REAL contractions. The labor was 4 hours (the contractions started to slow in the car since I stopped doing it, so I grabbed a pillow, put it on my chest and kept squeezing. They sped right up!). Good luck!!
    posted by Blogger Rocketgirl at 4/05/2008 03:15:00 PM  



  • reva it was you who recommended that to me!
    posted by Blogger Eliza at 4/05/2008 03:25:00 PM  



  • Oh HELL. That's where you are. When I create world, gestation is going to be way shorter, and that's all I have to say about that.
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 4/05/2008 09:21:00 PM  



  • In an effort to send get-the-baby-out-vibes your way, I am going to return to NYC tomorrow and have sex. So I hope that works for you!!!
    posted by Blogger Kage at 4/05/2008 09:32:00 PM  



  • I did the salad at Caioti Pizza Cafe when pregnant with baby #2 and I still didn't have her for 9 more days. Those garlic knots are TDF though...

    Lots of walks, sex, spicy food and break out the breast pump is my advice...although I tend to agree with anonymous, as much as we want them OUT OF THERE when the 40 weeks are up, your body (and the baby) knows best and he will come when he is ready.

    If you are more than a week overdue, is your midwife willing to strip your membranes (not to be confused with breaking your water). That can help get things moving along--just a thought.

    Good luck!
    posted by Blogger dietcokegrrl at 4/06/2008 12:16:00 AM  



  • I'm with you - just a few weeks behind. #3 and #4 were both over a week overdue and it was frustrating! I walked and hiked until I was sore. Those little stinkers still have a mind of their own and do things their own way and in their own time.

    There is a Salt Lake legend about"labor inducing" chicken pizza at Trio Cafe. I tried it with #4 and had really bad cramping before we left the resturant - I was in active labor within 1 hr and had the baby 4 hrs. later. She was 9 1/2 lbs but healthy and the labor was quick and uncomplicated.

    #1, #2, and #5 all came 1-2 weeks early so you never know. I've been mentally ready for weeks for this next one but watch me go to almost May! My mom always tells me ... "well, get some rest because its a lot easier to take care of them while they are still inside". I don't know though - its 4:00 am and I'm sure not resting, just flopping around trying to get comfy.

    Hang in there - it will happen just when you get distracted and started on a new project. It will probably happen pretty soon and go quickly.

    Good Luck!
    posted by Blogger Mommymita at 4/06/2008 03:37:00 AM  



  • I agree the sex part sounds the most fun of any, and actually the only thing my midwife said would actually help. . .but I've had several friends that have taken Robitussin. Without getting too graphic, it's supposed to loosen the mucus. . .SO. . .

    good luck!!
    posted by Blogger wendysue at 4/06/2008 08:38:00 AM  



  • Don't worry anonymous, no fiery darts. Like I stated in my post - mostly I'm just trying these old wives tales to try to trick myself into thinking there is something I can actually do to get the little guy to come out.

    With that being said, I added bowling to yesterdays "labor inducing" activities. Last night Beth, Kage (who just happened to be in town) and Zinone all met me at Caioti Pizza to watch me partake of the "magical salad". A little dh seduction, some more tea and oil and I actually believe that this morning I am feeling to semi-regular contractions. Nothing big, but maybe it's a start? Now I will move onto vacuuming the whole house and maybe throw in a little "nip stim" and we'll see where it takes us!

    If I am still around tonight I might try some eggplant parm and labor cookies for dinner and wash it all down with a shot of Robitussin. :)

    And chloe- I was thinking about going back to Disneyland, but my neighbor is a fireman there and I keep having nightmares that he ight have to deliver my baby in the magic kingdom and then I will have to see him everyday in the neighborhood. Too embarrassing of a thought for me to risk it.
    posted by Blogger This is Carrie at 4/06/2008 12:34:00 PM  



  • I just looked at the article about Caioti Pizza Cafe. What is that picture? Olive oil & vinegar? So gross looking.
    posted by Blogger brenbot at 4/07/2008 02:58:00 PM  



  • We need to be friends.

    I'm nearing my 2 weeks overdue date this Wednesday with BABY #5. Aren't they supposed to fall out when you get to #5? I've tried nearly everything suggested in your lists and on the comments with barely even a contraction afterwards! Sex, nip stim, vaccuming, walking, walking, sitting with my 2 year olds while they bouncs on a trampoline, bumpy roads, more walking, beach walking, washing the car, scrubbing the baseboards, even spicy noodles at PF Changs. I'm off to make the water breaking cookies and maybe I'll eat them at my romantic rendez-vous with my hubby tonight and hope something happens.

    Your post was great...I know exactly how you feel and am freaking out about delivering a small toddler instead of a wee little baby. I have a feeling none of the 0-3 month stuff I already tore the tags off and washed is even going to fit!

    Good luck!!
    posted by Blogger Aimee at 4/07/2008 05:07:00 PM  



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