Natural remedies...

[jcooksy]

I am 37w5d and have been in the beginning (I suppose you would call it that) stages of labor for about 5 to 6 weeks now.  Contractions started out irregular/infrequent and are now becoming more frequent and regular (mostly been around 10 - 20 minutes apart and only a few here and there are lasting around a minute long), as of 4 weeks ago my OB told me that (after a check) my cervix was still closed, I wasn't effacing yet, but my lil guy was head down (and my OB could just start to feel the head), as of 3 weeks ago my OB told me that I was 60% effaced, wasn't dilating yet, and the baby's head seemed to have dropped down a little more, as of 2 weeks ago my OB told me that I wasn't going to make it to my July 5th due date, I was still at 60% effacement, now dilated 1cm, and baby's head had definitely dropped down more. I go to see my OB for my next appointment tomorrow morning, and I am hoping to hear that I have dilated more, (it's not that I want to deliver early, more that my baby boy is very impatient and doesn't seem to want to wait much longer).  I lost a decent chunk of my mucus plug over the weekend and since then it seems like the contractions have started regulating in time between and how often I get them, I have been taking Evening Primrose Oil since 36 weeks to help with delivery, I have bought a bottle of Castor Oil to try but after reading about it *could* cause baby to pass stool in utero or in-transit I am scared to try it, someone told me to try Karo Syrup but I haven't really been able to find anything useful on that, I walk up and down stairs a TON everyday (I currently live in a 2-story house) and have been (in general) walking more as well, also me and my fiancee have been having sex every weekend (he works nights Mon. - Frid. at a factory and doesn't get home til at least 3:45am, if they aren't working overtime that is).  Is there ANYTHING else that I can try to help *move things along*?  With my first pregnancy I was in beginning stages of labor for 3 - 4 weeks before I had started to dilate and even then I wouldn't dilate more than 1.5cm, until the doctor broke my water (my water wouldn't break on its own for some reason) but after they broke my water I started dilating fairly quickly and we all know what happens after you hit 10cm.  I am kind of worried (and I know not every pregnancy is the same) that something like that is going to happen again, the not dilating past a certain point and my water not breaking on its own.   If anyone can give me any tip/opinions/advice on to what I might be able to try next or can do now I would greatly appreciate it and I thank everyone in advance (in case I forget to later).  

[stacey10]

I start having contractions that wake me up from around 7 months and they generally get closer together as well, it can be abit of a pain, but I always go straight into active labour and it sounds like you may do this as well :)

[jcooksy]

Thank you for that, I've just had so many issues with this pregnancy and then starting labor early has been nerve-wrecking cause my first was born ON his due date and this pregnancy has been SO much harder on my body than the first one so I really appreciate the input.  

[stacey10]

I would def stay away from the castor oil, its way to risky, your body seems to be doing everything right by itself, I would just let things to continue to progress naturally, labour tends to be quicker the second time round as your body has already done it once, I also wouldnt worry about your waters breaking either, alot of the time they dont break  until your well into established labour, doctors usually break them to help speed labour up as they tend to cushion the head so theri isnt as much pressure on the cervix, when they are broken, its babies head straight on the cervix, by the sounds of how everything is going so far, I would say that you really have little to worry about :)