Does anyone here have any experience with acupuncture for induction purposes?
I'm late at this point, and I'd really rather not have to go in for the whole cervidil/pitocin treatment. One of my midwives suggested that I try acupuncture before I get to that point. I've gone ahead and made an appointment, but I'm worried about the cost of it and wondering if it's really worth it. If any of you have experiences/advice/thoughts regarding pre-natal acupuncture, and especially acupuncture for induction, I'd love to hear them.
I was suggested to use accupuncture to flip blake when he was breach but the cost detured me.
I would suggest you try Evening primrose oil, insert 1 vaginally, and take 1 orally. Also lots of sex, while it isn't the easiest thing to do when you are huge, it will help.
Do you live in or near a big city? I have no experience with acupuncture, but I do know that where I live there is a *free* acupuncture clinic. I hear it's common for larger cities (particularly ones with schools that teach acupuncture) to offer significantly reduced cost acupuncture. Maybe try asking here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=7 (pick your geographic area)?
Also: You said you were due in the very beginning of September, so you're not two weeks past your due date yet. Relax.
I do live near a big city. The link isn't working for me, but I'm definitely going to google search and see if I can find some reduced cost acupuncture. Thanks for the tip!
Even though I'm not yet post-term, I had to have an induction with my first son and I want to look into avoiding it this time around. When I say I made an appointment, I didn't make it for today. I was kind of assuming that their slots would fill up in advance. (I've actually cancelled the appointment now b/c I really don't think I can afford it).
I was late with my son, and they stretch my cervix out a bit at an exam....and I was in labour by that night. I got to avoid Pitocin for induction...(however, near the end they wanted to "speed" my labour along, so I got it in an IV). Would she consider doing that? Also, sex, and lots of walking worked for me.
I don't know about accupuncture. The needles scare me!
Sorry, no idea about the acupuncture. What about trying castor oil and nipple stimulation? I've read where nipple stimulation can make contractions stronger though, so maybe that should wait until nothing else is working, but at the same time it's gotta be better than a pitocin induction, right?
How long are they going to let you go overdue before they want an induction?
Good luck! I had an induction with my first as well and also want to avoid it at all costs this time.
Okay, this might be unsolicited advice, so if you're sure you want to induce for post-dates, ignore the rest. However...
Do you know exactly when you ovulated? How long are your cycles normally? Are you sure you would want to induce because you're postdate? Is this date based on an ultrasound?
Particularly if you have longer cycles and your due date is based on your LMP OR is based on an ultrasound (the later the ultrasound, the worst the EDD accuracy will be), you might face caregiver-caused prematurity. There are also many other risks of induction (a harder labor since induction often causes uterine hyperstimulation which is harder on the baby as well as the mother plus induction often includes breaking the bags of water, which allow contractions to squeeze the umbilical cord, plus you will require constant electronic fetal monitoring, making it so you can't get up and move around, increasing the likelihood you will need an epidural, and in general leading to a much greater risk of needing more intervention including c-section), which is why I'm guessing you want to avoid it. If you want to avoid induction for postdates, there are two ways you can handle it: you can do periodic tests to assess the fetus and only induce if the tests indicate that there may be a problem. These do have a high false-positive rate (if you do this route and get a positive result, I'd recommend that you insist that the test is repeated or a different test is done before agreeing to induction), but it can be reassuring to go past-date and have a test tell you that the fetus is fine. Another option is simply to wait. I'll state my bias that if I had a post-date baby, this is the option I'd pick.
"plus you will require constant electronic fetal monitoring, making it so you can't get up and move around,"
This isn't true. I had an induction with my first pregnancy, and I moved around plenty (though I probably spent most of my labor in the bathtub).
I did want to add, though, in case it wasn't clear in my other post (I'm kind of grumpy about this issue, so it might not have been), that I really appreciate how much information/advice you bring to the table. I like how your posts are always intended to help. So, thanks! :)
Thanks for all the info and advice, guys.
Boigrrl - I do know the exact date when this guy was conceived, and my due date was based on that rather than the first-day-of-your-last-menstural-cycle rule. I'm not actually thinking about induction yet, either, as I said before (I'm not yet terribly far past my due date), I'm just thinking about ways to avoid it. I will probably choose to induce, though, if this baby goes too too late. With F, that was about 3 weeks post-date (just w/cervidil, no pitocin). I'll probably start thinking about that decision around the same time with this baby, but I'm really hoping that I don't have to. Trust me when I say that I do understand a lot of the possible complications that can result from induction, as well as the possible complications that might lead one to induce. A lot of the reason I am thinking so much about strategies for getting my body ready for labor is that my labor was induced last time, and I don't want to do it again.
Sex/nipple stimulation/walks I've been doing. I'd definitely consider primrose oil, spikeyhairchick, since, from what I've read, it doesn't actually jumpstart labor if you're not ready, but rather helps ready you for labor(same reason I'm comfortable w/ rasberry leaf tea and, potentially, acupuncture, although I'd like to hear more from mamas who have had it before I dish out that much money). I'm not so comfortable with the idea of castor oil, momnipotent, especially not yet, but thanks for the suggestion :).
I've never used acupuncture to induce labor, but I've used it for other reasons, and it's wonderful! I would try it.
Just to update (in case anyone else is curious about prenatal acupuncture, either for induction or for other reasons) ...
I had an acupuncture treatment today. I scheduled it this afternoon after seeing my midwife (who was able to recommend a less expensive practitioner that was also trained as a midwife), and just got home from it.
The acupuncture was supposed to help ease my back pain, tiredness, etc., as well as to encourage labor.
It was . . . nice. It definitely helped with the back pain (I felt the results of that almost immediately) and I had a few contractions while there - we'll see if I go into labor soon.
Basically, we talked for a while about my health conditions, how my pregnancy was going, any concerns I had, etc., then she had me lie on my left side. She put three needles in my right ear, then some in my lower back, then just above my ankles, and then my hands. I had told her I was nervous, so I think she did a slightly abbreviated treatment. It didn't hurt, though some areas were definitely more sensitive than others. Next, she dimmed the lights, and I, essentially, took a nap. When she came back, she took out the needles - though she gave the ankle ones a few twists - and asked how I was feeling. She offered me some "tacks" that I could leave in until labor began, but I didn't want them, and she didn't think I needed them anyway. I had heard from other practitioners I had talked to that it usually takes 2-3 appointments to get things moving, but I didn't schedule a follow up appointment and she didn't suggest that we schedule one. She didn't give any indication that she thought I would need further acupuncture, and I think one appointment was plenty for me anyway.
Overall, I'm glad I went. Also, I have been reading about how this kind of acupuncture can sometimes help to make labor smoother/easier. We'll see I guess!
Oh cool! Can't wait to hear if you think it helped.