Pumping to induce labor??

[Schmoo1022]

A friend of mine who is 8 days overdue, was told by her midwife that pumping with a breast pump can help induce labor. It makes sense to me, but that is the first I ever heard of it. Anyone familiar with this?

Thanks!

[jennf83]

We actually just got a midwife recently that wrote a protocol on nipple stimulation. Of all the inductions I've seen that have used like cervidil/cooks foley balloon, nipple stimulation was enough for them to jump start labor and deliver, no pitocin involved. Just last night we had a delivery that was a post term cervidil induction during the night and then in the morning she started with nipple stim and that was all it took for her! They just did nipple stimulation or breast pumping for so long every 15 minutes. We've had quite the successful stories with that so far!

[tam2010]

I am 39 weeks and 50 % effaced. I am about 3 centimeters and my contractions have stopped completely. I tried walking, castor oil, blue and black cohosh and nothing. I have a breast pump, I'm going to try it and see. I'll leave a comment of how it turns out.

[klone, MSN, RN]

tam2010 said:

I am 39 weeks and 50 % effaced. I am about 3 centimeters and my contractions have stopped completely. I tried walking, castor oil, blue and black cohosh and nothing. I have a breast pump, I'm going to try it and see. I'll leave a comment of how it turns out.

We cannot give medical advice.

You're only 39 weeks. It sounds to me like your baby is not ready to come yet.

You need to talk to your doctor or midwife about taking potentially dangerous herbs to bring on labor. Induction should be done in a controlled setting with regular monitoring of baby's well being.

Just because they're herbs does not mean they're not potentially dangerous (and I am a former herbalist, so I'm not just speaking as a medically-minded ignoramus of all things natural).

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

klone said:

We cannot give medical advice.

You're only 39 weeks. It sounds to me like your baby is not ready to come yet.

You need to talk to your doctor or midwife about taking potentially dangerous herbs to bring on labor. Induction should be done in a controlled setting with regular monitoring of baby's well being.

Just because they're herbs does not mean they're not potentially dangerous (and I am a former herbalist, so I'm not just speaking as a medically-minded ignoramus of all things natural).

Nowhere in her post did she ASK for medical advice.

[klone, MSN, RN]

You're right, it just felt like that's where it was heading, seeing as how this is her first post here.