i thought I would try giving this a shot in about a week to see if it helps at the advice of my midwife to prevent going overdue. However, I don't know where to find it. Do I have to do to a health food store? I looked at the grocery store and just found raspberry tea. Thanks!
A HFS or anyone who sells loose herbs might have it. You might also try looking for places online that sell loose herbs, if you get on it now you could have it mailed to you in a week or so. Good luck! Happy, timely labor vibes comin your way from down here!
Rasberry Leaf tea *might* work. Look at HFSs or online. You should be able to find some. It won't probably do anything if your baby's not ready to come, but it will help tone your uterus, and helps keep you hydrated! Yay!
Red raspberry leaf is found at the health food store, also called "pregnancy tea" by some companies. Traditional Medicinals makes a good one. It is not to be confused with raspberry tea, which is just black tea flavoured with red raspberries. RRL tea will not keep you from going overdue...it's a nutrative and tonifier, which is good, excellent, even. It helps keeps uterine muscles strong and is very nourishing for you. But it won't help you go into labour sooner. I suggest ladies drink it after the first trimester, as much as they want, hot or cold, but I don't recommend it for preventing post-dates. Why is there a concern about going post-dates, at 37 weeks? Were you late with your first? How late? Was she truly post-term, or just post-dates? (There's a huge difference between "post-dates" and "post-term") If there's a true concern, such as a history of post-term babies, and even legal restricitions on your midwife being able to attend you if you go past 42 weeks, there are other herbal formulas that prepare your body much better for going into labor. But I think at 37 weeks, you really don't have to worry about going post-dates. Even if a vaginal exam showed you to be not dilated at all, with second and more babies, that can change within hours. I've checked ladies who were thick, closed and anterior, sent them home, only for them to call a few hours later in active labour, and I've had ladies who were 4 cms for weeks go a week or two past their due date. Definately go to a your local health food store, and start drinking the RRL right away. It's so nourishing, it will give you a boost and help you be stronger for birth and after. (While you're there, get some Mother's Milk tea for after the birth, too!)
oh boy brighid, lots of questions to answer, lol Yeah, I did go over due with Leane (about 41.5 or 41.6 weeks when I had her, so almost 2 weeks) We do our prenatal appointments in groups with women who are all due the same month as us, and 2 weeks ago was our appointment that we talked about what the midwives do at this hospital in case of going over due. They gave us a sheet titled, "post pregnancy," which they defined as anyone who goes past 40 weeks. Their procedure is: At 41 weeks, the midwife offers to sweep the membranes and offers an induction. A couple days later, another induction is offered and then fetal monotoring every day. If nothing still, another induction is offered before 42 weeks. If you turn that down, then you are transfered to care with an OB in the city before 42 weeks. So, understandably, I am really stressed about going overdue, and they are trying to tell us everything we can do that ***might*** help, which they told us to start doing at the latest, 38 weeks. I know the RRL tea won't put me into labour, I just have heard many times that it might help. I have been doing everything they suggested just because I am so worried that I'm going to have to go to that awful city again, away from the place that I have planned my birth around and am so comfortable in.
So, statistically, the majority of first time moms go 10 days "late", and only a small percentage of them go on to have late babies in subsequent pregnancies. White women of Northern European descent tend to have 42+ week pregnancies, (and women of African descent have shorter pregnancies, averaging 37 weeks) and I think that genetically, women who descend from colder climates go later because they need to have bigger, fatter babies that are "insulated" from the colder weather. Was Leane scored as post-dates? Was there very little or no vernix? Was her skin peeling? Did she have a lot of creases on the soles of her feet, or very little creasing? What kind of induction are they offering you? Is attempting castor oil an option if you pass the "magic" number of 41 weeks? (If you do choose to try castor oil, get hexane-free, organic castor oil from the health food store. I found there is less painful cramping and nausea than the store brands.) But my advice to you is, don't stress out about it. Visualize yourself giving birth "on time". Stress stalls labor, any mammal will not give birth if they are feeling stressed and unsafe. Talk to your baby about being born and being in your arms. Walk lots! Eat spicy foods, have all the sex you can handle. You will have your baby in your arms soon!
thanks for all the advice brighid! About Leane~I don't know if she was scored as post dates or not. Should this be something that I need to find out from the OB who delivered her? I'm not sure about the vernix...I didn't even get to see her until a half hour after she was out cuz they were stitching up that god awful episiotomy, and refused to let me see her. I know her skin wasn't peeling, though. I don't remember there being any creases on the bottoms of her feet, either. I looked at her feet a lot cuz they were so big, lol, and I really don't remember anything about creases. I asked the midwives about the castor oil, but they all said that since it causes different reactions in different women, they don't recommend it to anyone...but that I could try it if I wanted to. I found the handouts they gave us the other day at our appointment, and it's titled, "Post-Term Pregnancy." They explain in it why they are worried about women going over due, for things like an inadequate placenta, meconium, c-section, newborn seizures, large babies, and death. There is a list of stuff here that they say you can do after 38 weeks: -long walks and hot baths -sex and nipple stimulation -evening primrose oil (can't remember what that is...) -birth tincture (can't remember what this is, either...) -as midwife to sweep membranes (i thought that this was done at 40 weeks, I guess it's 38) This is the protocol for what they do for post-term pregnancy (I was a little off in my days with my post above): -At 10 days overdue, a non stress test and induction offer -At 10-14 days, non stress tests every second day -At 14 days, referal to an Obstetrician Methods of induction depend on dialation of cervix and how many babies you have had (brighid, could ou explain this to me...what does having kids already change about the methods of induction? I tried to ask this in my appiontment but was never heard). Their methods of induction include, and are only done if the cervix is less than 3 cm dilated and the membranes are intact: -artificial rupture of the membranes -vaginal prostin gel or cervidil With the cervidil, they hook you up to a fetal monitor and you stay in bed for an hour. They send you home after 2 hours if you're not in labor. You remove the tampon containing the prostin if you are not in labor within 24 hours and return for assessment and prostin gel. With the prostin gel, they hook you up to fetal monitoring for about 30-60 minutes and you stay in bed for 2 hours. Then you can go home and return when you're in labor. They can repeat it 3 times every 6 hours. After 3 cm dilation or rupture of membranes, they will use oxytoin. In this case, it's given continuously until 4 hours after birth and you are hooked up to fetal monitoring while dosages are being increased.
The definition of post term pregnancy is a peregnancy that goes over 42 weeks. Then she wasn't truly post-term..... The only reactions I've seen is diarrhea, lol! And it either works to get the baby out, or it doesn't. The percentage of true post-term babies is only 2%. The rest are miscalculated due dates. While true post term (which is not post-dates) pregnancies do carry some increased risk of these things, it is very rare. Due dates are based on a 28 day cycle, women who have longer cycles will have later due dates. Non-stress tests are good, but a bio-physical profile will tell you (and them) more, including placental grade, (if it's losing function), amniotic fluid index (a good indicator of placental function, lots of water means a good, healthy placenta) baby's breathing movements (a good indicator of babys well-being), as well as heart rate and variablity. Nothing but puttng the baby on a scale is a good guess regarding baby's size. Ultra-sounds are notoriuosly inaccurate, by +/- 2 pounds. The cervix of someone who has never birthed is different than a woman who has birthed already. The cervical opening of a woman who has not birthed looks like dimple, if a woman has had a baby, it looks like a smile. A woman who has birthed will have a cervix that is open a little bit, and a little softer. Plus, because it has already done the job, it's a bit more accepting of induction methods, cellular memory and all that. Do NOT, ever, in any circumstances, consent to artifical rupture of membranes at 3 cms dilation or less! The standard of practice for AROM is at least 4 cms, with a good contraction pattern of 4 minutes apart or less, and a fetal head well applied to the cervix. AROM has many risks, including increased risk of infection (the longer the membranes are broken, the more likely bacteria can work it's way into the uterus, especially with multiple vaginal exams), cord prolapse, fetal distress, failure to progress ending in induction or c-section, and on and on. Make sure you know your bishop's score before you consent to any induction procedures. http://www.mother-care.ca/bishop.htm Most likely, though, you will go into labour on your own before you're considered late, and all this worry will be for nothing!
wow, i didn't know that so many things were essential for a successful induction. It bothers me that women can't just wait until their baby is good and ready. They did give us some statistics about death rates, that it's 2.5/1000 babies for term, as opposed to 4.5/1000 babies for babies born after 42 weeks...and that the reason for this is lack of oxygen during labor and meconium inhilation. In no way would I want to increase the chances of harming my baby, but at the same time, that is such a small increase. And it's not that often that women go past 42 weeks anyway. They did include something in our handouts about the biophysical profile, but other than telling us what it is, they don't mention anything about when they would use it. Anyhow, I really do hope that all this worrying is for nothing, lol. With Leane, I went into labour 1 day before my induction date, so I am a little worried that it's going to be right down to the cruncher again this time. I just want to go into labor on my own. I have been focusing on this baby being born in the next 3 weeks, no longer. One of the midwives said that if we treat ourselves/act as punctual people, or if we ARE punctual people, chances are, our babies will come out when they should. My due date was given to me during an ultrasound, since i had no idea about when my last period had started before i got pregnant. The date I guessed was only about 3 days off, but if worse comes to worse, I'm going to play that up if I do go over due. That buys me another 3 days. Thanks for all the help Muchly appreciated!!!!!!
