Ready for baby!

Disclaimer: There will be words like labor and prepping and such in the blog today... All squeamish men may want to not read further!


It's about that time where my brain starts thinking, "How can I get this baby out of me" This is the first baby that I will *Hopefully* go into labor on my own with so it's even more on my mind. I was induced at 38 weeks with my first and 39 weeks with my second.
My question for my blog lovers is what have you tried to get labor started?

With big girl I tried pineapple. Fresh pineapple is supposed to work to help get everything ready... It did nothing. I have no faith in pineapple. Also tried..uh..special quality time...... yah.. Did nothing. In fact nothing made big girl come out except pitocin, stadol, and 32 hours of such meds. Even then she wasn't happy about coming out.

With little girl I did lots of walking during that pregnancy, thanks to my platonic husband and our 3 mile death walks. I was also very active because Hubs was deployed the whole time so I was doing everything. I really didn't try many natual things because I was so busy just trying to survive daily. I will say the walking seemed to do a lot of good. I was in shape and had a much easier labor, even though I was induced. As for if it actually did anything to start labor, as I was in labor when I went in for my induction...not sure, but it did prepare my body for labor.

This pregnancy I tossed around the idea of taking an herbal supplement called Gentle Birth. It basically helps prepare the body for labor, not actually start it, but I decided against that for the sheer fact that we are so far away from any family and 30 mins away from the hospital, I didn't want to go into labor too early or not make it to the hospital as I also had two other kids to find childcare for. If I were closer to the hospital or had family close by I would have tried it, definatly. I have a feeling that this baby will be coming fast. In the end, in regards to Gentle Birth, I listened to my gut and my gut said not this time. I'm already starting to show signs of things happening when I'm up and around too much. Contractions are already starting, even though sporadic. It does keep me on edge though as I have never experienced going into labor on my own and have no clue how "MY" labors go.

I also know that this baby is a week ahead (due date wise) than what my doctor says. So it's definatly nearing, according to the doctor I'm 37 weeks this week, according to me, 38 weeks. In the next week or so I'm going to step up the walking, as much as I can, I barely made it through the mall yesterday.. I may try pineapple again, but more because I like the flavor of fresh pineapple than I think it may actually work. I've heard stairs work too, which isn't a problem thanks to our 2nd floor apartment.

Am I trying to start labor before lil man is ready? Nope. I am, however, trying to prepare my body for the easiest labor possible. I've had a hard labor and it is no fun and I do not want to be induced again. It's my experience that the easier the labors, the better the bonding with baby is. So anything I can do to prepare myself I will try.

What are some labor prepping tricks you've heard of?