That said, I'll admit that I wasn't in a rush to go into labor with my last baby. I knew I had to have a hysterectomy a few months later for health reasons and I was really relishing the last moments of my pregnancy. It is magical feeling them move around in there and I miss that! Don't get me wrong, I was miserably uncomfortable, but I just didn't want it to be over...I loved being pregnant and it was the end of a very special time in my life. Regardless of your comfort level, what mom isn't excited to finally meet that tiny person who has dictated most of her decisions for the past 10 months (and longer if getting pregnant was a struggle)? And even if you are hoping to avoid medical induction and have completely convinced yourself that you will patiently wait for your baby to pick his own birthday, once you've experienced some convincing labor signs, I swear it's like sitting down to pee and then having to jump up to replace the toilet paper roll first. You suddenly have a one track mind, everyone else's baby is a tease, every twitch and cramp is a tease, your baby's new home is staring you back in the face and taunting you...once you get it in your head that NOW is the time, it's like torture having to wait any longer. You've reached the point of no return and distracting yourself is a joke.
My first baby held out to 41 and a half weeks, so induction was looming over my head. I had already decided to try for an unmedicated labor and I was desperate to get things going naturally. I tried walking, acupressure, sex, foot massage, nipple stimulation, bouncing on my birthing ball, evening primrose oil, pineapple, eggplant parmesan, spicy foods, you name it. I heard horror stories about castor oil and that sounded like it could get dangerous if done wrong, so I didn't play that card. But really, I think that any of the other natural remedies that are considered completely safe to try for a full term pregnancy are better than having to face off with the Pit. I also don't think any of those natural induction remedies will do a darn thing unless your body and your baby are ready to roll. Pitocin, on the other hand, CAN get things going when your baby isn't ready and that can be dangerous for her. If your body isn't quite ready for the big game, you're facing increased risks of failure to progress and a possible c-section, so you really have to weigh the pros and cons and talk to your care providers. Pitocin was contraindicated for my 2nd and 3rd birth due to further increased risks of uterine rupture since I was trying for a VBAC. So, for those two births, I wasn't being faced with medical induction if I went too late, I was up against a forced c-section. Fortunately, both of my girls started their lives with a level of cooperation that I have yet to see again! Both labors started early on the morning of their due dates and both births ended up being beautiful experiences. Yay for my VBAC babies!
