VBAC SUPPORT

Oh, and I forgot one of the most powerful tools to help baby engage!

Visualize it!!!! See it happening while you sway your hips, feel it happening, tell it to happen, you'd be amazed!! Add to that the control room (for HB moms) and visualize your body releasing relaxin, the hormone that helps your ligaments relax so that your pelvis can open up and let baby in.

Elamsmom how are you doing today? Send me a mail if you need some help / advice.

Rasberry leaf extract / tea helps to tone the uterus muscles like Marijke said. Its not going to start labor at all. It just helps your uterus work better during labor.

EPO softens the cervix but also doesn't start labor. A soft cervix can mean an easier labor when it happens.

There are different pressure points that you can use, one good one on your calf helps to soften and ripen the cervix. Again, it doesn't start labor, it helps make it easier when it does start. The other commonly used one is between your thumb and index finger, this one can cause contractions, so I wouldn't use it before you are sure that your cervix is soft and ripe or else it could lead to uncomfortable contractions before your body is ready for labor.

Joy baby, what do you mean there isn't much you can do to help baby engage?? Come on girl, squat squat squat!!! Ball sitting and rolling back and forth and sideways, hopping. Walk, walk, walk. Belly dance, with knees bent and swaying hips. You can do it!!!!! All these things could help baby move down as they loosen up your pelvis and helps baby go down into the opening.

While sitting on the ball, be aware of practice surges (contractions) starting after rolling forward and back again, if this happens, it means that baby's head touched the cervix and is thus "in" for that moment. When something pushes on the cervix from the inside, the brain releases oxytocin thus causing a tightening of the uterus.

The more time you spend in a squat position or on the ball the more baby will be helped down. But I really would not worry about this before 40 / 41 weeks, so i would be a bit skeptical about your gynie if I where you. But please don't take this the wrong way, you know your body and you will make the right decisions.

Good luck with the last couple of weeks ladies!!!

Joybaby, I'm getting the feeling that your gynae isn't as supportive of this as you might have thought because he would know that a large percentage of babies only engage during labour with the contractions pushing them down, so using that as a deciding factor.... especially since he's only willing to wait till 39 weeks.

Raspberry leaf tea as I understand it, conditions the uterus muscles so that it works more efficiently during each contraction.

Evening primrose oil, like sperm, contains prostaglandins which is also produced by the body to soften the cervix so that it is ripe to begin dilation and effacement (of course keep in mind that if your body/baby isn't ready then it's not going to do anything, but if you are perhaps on the verge it might speed things up a bit or get them moving along quicker)

Can't say that loads of movement means anything, from what I've read movement tends to decrease as babies engage because they can't squirm around that much, still kick and punch etc

Hi girls.

Elamsmom hope you are hanging in there! I know its hard but your body wont come unless she is ready! You dont want to force enduction early (via natural means or stretch and sweep) if she isn't ready. You could face a long labour that ends in an emergency csec if she isnt ready to come.
I know your doc doesnt want to see you past term (40w) but maybe speak to him about taking it 1 day at a time.

Kiewiet you sound like me. My LG was 2.83 at birth (38w3d) and this one was already 2.9 at 36 weeks. We are due together. I was 36w on Saturday!
And today I am feeling how you did yesterday! My tummy is so tight that I cant imagine her growing even better.
But added to that, my everything feels squashed and am experiencing a lot of shortness of breath
I am STILL working too! Think that I'm gonna call it a day after tomorrow though. I cope okay during the day, but am exhausted at night and I need a little time to rest, as life is really busy and wont get any easier once baby is here.

Can I ask a naive question? What does the rasberry tea leaf and primrose oil do?
If baby is not engaged yet, surely whether cervix is ripe or not wont help me in this case, as gynae wants her engaged to allow vbac?

She has been sooo busy this evening. Keep wondering if part of it is her trying to move downwards *hopefull*.

Elamsmom, have you tried pressure points? Google debra betts pressure points for labor induction. You can also go for reflexology and there is a dr Graham (google it...) in Braynston area who does acupuncture for labor induction. Go girl!! You can do it!

Elamsmom, hang in there! Do you know at least if your baby is engaged? You HAVE to try and relax - stressing out can cause you not to go into labor. I'm 100% sure that's what happened to me the first time! Try and do some walking even if you feel tired. Don't know if you did the hypnobirthing, but if you can still get a hold of a practitioner, go for a de-stress session so it can eliminate your fears and help you relax. Try reflexology and get those evening primrose capsules and drink the maximum - I think 3x daily. If you are comfortable with it, apparently it works really well to use it internally as well. Have a look on Google! Chin up girl! xx

I'm 36wks this week and seeing my gynae again on Tuesday next week. Last night I thought I won't make it to next WEEKEND even because I had constant pressure on my bladder and my whole pregnancy I actually haven't needed to pee more than normal, except for at night. This time I don't feel that my lunges and my stomach are squashed either - last time I couldn't even finish a slice of pizza at the end! I have a big garden and do a good bit of walking to get around to seeing everything as it's still in the process of being set up and put together, and this morning I had a good walk in the veld to get my horses in - I have a mare that's due the same time as me! I get the period pain cramps almost daily - don't know if they're worth anything, and I got my raspberry leaf extract yesterday. Taking one of them daily and 2x evening primrose capsules, but will up the dosage next week after my gynae said everything is good with the baby. He feels strong though. Just don't want to rush things too much as my girl was 2.96kg @ 40wks and want to make sure that the birth weight will be ok. When I saw my gynae last @ 31wks the prediction was that this one should be bigger.

REALLY hope things work out for everyone - I'll be thinking of you all!

Hugs!

Elamsmom, some babies are only really due at 41 or 42 weeks. Is it detrimental to your chances of a VBAC if you carry her a little longer?