I'm officially ready now...well, the bag isn't completely packed and I still need to order my diaper bag and a sling (maybe I'll do that next). Really, I'm officially TIRED OF WAITING!!! On the other hand, the possibility exists that earlier labor may have caused some anxiety (fear of the unknown and all that). Now I'm fairly confident that labor will be met mostly with relief...especially if it starts before Thursday night when my doctor wants me to check into the hospital for some cervix ripening treatment followed by petocin sometime Friday morning. On the advise of my doula (who was similarly advised by her midwife), I'm taking a tincture of black & blue cohosh and will be making an appointment with an acupunturist on Monday.
Posted by jfer at October 3, 2004 7:14 PMYou might also try foot massage; we were taught in school to not massage pg women's feet as it w/could cause contractions.
Posted by: Blue-eyed Blonde on October 4, 2004 10:59 AMDon't know how to make the above site into an actual clickable link within the message. Instructions appreciated.
Posted by: Blue-eyed blonde on October 4, 2004 11:10 AMI assume, since you don't say otherwise, that you have no reservations about an induction with Pitocin. Would you mind finding out what she plans to use to force your cervix to open--and make sure it's not Cytotec (http://archive.salon.com/health/feature/2000/07/11/cytotec/print.html)?
Good luck with everything and let me know if there's anything I can do. Am happy to massage feet if necessary! Remember that the two things shown to help best get labor started are acupuncture--and hypnosis, which you paid for when you took the classes from Jan. (I had to look into all of this when I went past 40 wks with Kayleigh--I would have done anything to avoid hitting 42 wks and having to go to a hospital for delivery--and I looked into the acupuncture, moxibustion, hypnosis, etc.)
Posted by: Elizabeth on October 4, 2004 1:19 PMJen--I recently learned foot massage techniques at school and would be happy to practice on you, if you'd like. It will help us both out!
Posted by: Meredith O. on October 4, 2004 9:35 PM