Preparing for labour.

I'm no where near that stage yet but have heard evening primrose oil capsules up your fufu is suppose to soften the cervix and make dilation easier...??

i found the thing that needs the most preparation is the mind....

some people say they have had success with raspberry leaf tea etc but everyone is different. i dont think it hurts to try the tea so long as it is late enough in the prgnancy.

some swear by massage of the perenium as a better way of helping your body too...

Well ive been preparing myself mentally for quite a while...im just going to keep psyching myself up. Im actually quite excited about child-birth Oh also i got this book from the library which i have really enjoyed i recommend it to anyone! its called "JuJu Sundin's Birth Skills with Sarah Murdoch."

Oh ok, ive had alot of people tell me that perenium massage doesnt work at all. Its not something im keen to try anyway lol.

supazo wrote: Well ive been preparing myself mentally for quite a while...im just going to keep psyching myself up. Im actually quite excited about child-birth

....really ? ...thats a good attitude to have , be excited about it , there isnt anything you can do to prevent it , so you might as well embrace it ..im trying to tell myself that, except I have the down fall of previous experience...

I drank raspberry leaf tea, i think its supposed to soften the cervix ? i thought it bought labour on , anyway after 3 days of drinking it, and thinking it tasted fowl , i sold it to another pregnant girl for $ 5 ....so at least i didnt have my baby sooner, but it WAS 5 dollars richer .....

I second the Pick Kit idea! Not that I have gone through labour yet. But just reading the books gave me so much confidence about labour and birth. It is also great for involving your birth partner so they don't feel so useless. Completely changed my atttitude about the whole thing really!

I have been having the rasp. leaf tea too, I think it's just to tone the uterus? I have only been having 1-2 daily inslead of 3-4, but have noticed my BH's make my tummy much harder. This could also be because bubba is due...?

ETA I put a mint leaf in with the tea to make it taste better

Edited by Chickoin

I took 5W tablets, had a quick easy labour, but perhaps that is just a coincidence.

I took raspberry leaf -foul stuff. BUT birth one was posterior - usually a long labour - done in 4 hours. Birth two was just over two hours. ....so no idea but it can't hurt!

also they say it can bring on early labour - two weeks late and 10 days late.

Evening primrose oil is for softening the cervix, as it helps promote the production of prostaglandins (sp?), which can either be taken orally or inserted in the vagina. I personally preferred to take it orally as the reaction is virtually the same :)

Raspberry leaf tea is to help tone and strengthen the uterus (being the huge muscle that it is), and there are varying opinions as to which stage of pregnancy you should start drinking it at - I probably didn't start with it until the third trimester :)

I can't vouch for PreBirth spray or 5W though,sorry!

As for perineal massage, I don't know how much doing it in advance would actually help - but I know it can be very useful in labour when baby is low in the birth canal and then crowning / being born etc.

I would also love to try the Pink Kit the next time around too

Pearls wrote: Evening primrose oil is for softening the cervix, as it helps promote the production of prostaglandins (sp?), which can either be taken orally or inserted in the vagina. I personally preferred to take it orally

ahhh yes....but wheres the fun in that ? haha

The thing with labour, first labour , is that its not so much the pain , its the fact that for the first time in our lives , we are not in control of our bodies...right now , if i want to click my fingers i could , but when your in labour you cant control , or stop the next contraction ...thats what some women have trouble with , and tend to fight it , or try to, ...so , tho it will be a different story when your IN labour, try to remember that your body isn't really wanting to kill you ....tho it may feel like it, it has to "turn " on you , so to speak ,in order for the baby to come out , contractions aren't pleasent, but each one brings you closer to your baby ....least thats what i'll try and tell myself this time round bahahaha!


ETA..this is neither here nor there with the physically preparing , more like "mentally preparing "


And.....what the dickens is this 5 W stuff ?

Edited by caitlynsmygirl

Thanks for all the feedback keep it coming

Think i will just try everything, as some of you said even if it doesnt help it cant hurt!!

For those of you who used EPO is there a particular brand thats good??

oh and 5-W is a herb blend it has
Black Cohosh root
Squaw Vine herb
Dong Quai root
Butcher's Broom
Red Raspberry leaf

"The combined action of the herbs in this formula are directed to supporting women during the last stages of pregnancy. This herbal blend supplies nutrients supportive to the female glandular and reproductive systems. The formula contains iron for the blood and for vitality, manganese to support body tissues, and selenium to assist in healthy tissue growth."