I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the use of acupuncture to help start labour?

I am now a week overdue and have had 2 sweeps which have not been successful. The baby has now also turned posterior and so i am doing plenty to try and turn him round again. I had planned to have my baby in the local birth centre but if i have to be induced i will have to go to a larger hospital, which i would like to avoid. I also don't want to be induced.

I have attended some active birth classes and have been recommended to try a few homeopathic remedies to help turn the baby and some acupuncture to help kick start labour so i might be able to avoid induction.

Does anyone know any success stories? Shall i give it a go?

I haven't tried it hun, so no advice there! But just wanted to say, as the mother of 3 boys, all of whom were induced, it's not that bad at all. So if you do end up being induced don't worry too much My youngest was also back-to-back & I tried the usual positioning to try & turn him (on hands & knees a lot etc) but it didn't work.

If you are open minded to this kind of thing & you would prefer not to be induced then I'd say it can't hurt having a go! Have you tried drinking Raspberry leaf tea? I did this with my 2nd & 3rd babies & personally felt it did prepare my uterus better for the birth. I wouldn't say it helps to speed anything up but I felt it did help the contractions to be more productive during labour.

Good luck & I hope you manage to go into labour naturally

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well.....

The acupuncture session was booked and my mind completely open! Booked for 9am last Tuesday morning but on the Monday at 10am my waters broke and had first contraction at 3pm. They were irregular until 8pm and then came more regularly throughout the night. So acupuncture not needed!

however - as baby was back to back the contractions were unbearable, tried TENS etc. He wouldnt shift round and so went all of monday in hospital - not the birth centre i intended as they can only have 1 lady delivering at a time so had to go to hospital. by 4.30pm i was knackered and only 7cm dilated.

cut a long and horrible story short - he wouldnt shift round, they needed to put me on drip to aid contractions and dilation so had to have epidural but contractions slowed down to 12 minutes despite the drip and they couldnt find heart rate with monitors for over an hour (!!!!) so called in registars to ventousse him into the world.

arrived 20.16 on the Tuesday!

Dont fancy doing it all again!!

So with regard o acupuncture starting labour - i still havent got a CLUE!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS! I bet you're glad that's all over! Enjoy your baby now.

Wow! That sounds like quite an ordeal!

Congratulations to you on the birth of your baby boy! Here's wishing you a speedy recovery!

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Aww congratulations hun & welcome to the world little one!

My 3rd son, Zac, was back to back & didn't turn either. It was defo the most painful out of all my labours & had he been the first I think it would have put me off any more too! But no 3 of my births have been the same, so try not to be put off! You'll probably find your next will be different

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