Why your natural induction induced nothing but frustration

You are tired, so tired and sore. Your feet are swollen, your back aches and you're pretty sure that if you take one more step, your sweet baby may very well just fall out in front of you. If one more person offers you (well meaning) advice, suggests a day to have this baby or *tries* to be funny and you may very well end up shooting steam out of your ears. You have been pregnant for 37 long weeks, Thats long enough, right? (no). That's what you've heard. You're done. It's time to get this sweet little parasite (said with love) out into the world. Eviction notice served! So what can you do to get this party started? Turning to google..... or more likely pinterest, you search "natural induction:" inundated with lists, blogs and graphics about sex, herbs, oils, exercises and recipes. You start to feel like maybe you have some control over this! 
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Off to the store, list in hand. It's time to get this baby out of your womb and into your arms! You get home, take a looooooong walk and meet your fella at the door with your motor running! "Come on, babe! Lets make some magic!"

Stuffing your face with larabars and jalapenos, applying your oils and trying to massage both your ankles and the webbing between your thumb and pointer at the same time prove to be exhausting. So you hop on your yoga ball for some hip circles before you take a shower and hit the sack with sure knowledge that you will be awoken at 2am in labor........

Here is the thing. It won't matter what you do. You can use Castor oil, you can hit the birth prep, but if your body is NOT READY to go into labor then none of this will work. It will simply wear you out, irritate your bowels and give you heartburn as a cherry on top. 

​Now, what do we mean by "ready?" 

• Ready means your baby is developmentally ready to greet the world, strong enough to tolerate labor and birth, mature enough to transition to life outside the womb, and able to thrive in your arms without intervention and challenge.
•  Ready means your body's hormonal cocktail is balanced in such a way that your cervix is ready to open, your uterus is ready to contract, and you will have the most efficient labor possible in your circumstances.

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Bishop Score Formula

Natural or medical, induction is far less likely to be successful if your body is not ready. That is why it is so important to talk to your care provider about your Bishop Score when the subject of induction is brought up. The higher your score, the less likely the induction will be to end in a disappointing trip back home or an unplanned Cesarean Section

As I often say to clients, if you wear yourself out chasing this baby, you will be less likely to have the energy needed to do the work required to bring them to your arms. I know this feeling. This done, a million weeks pregnant, over it feeling and I am more than happy to listen to you vent, but before you reach for the laxative let me remind you of patience. Patience in your final weeks of pregnancy is very challenging. You've waited 9 months (longer, if conception has been a challenging journey). A few more weeks so that your baby, your body and your mind are ready and perfectly primed for an efficient labor will be well worth it. Hang in there, for your own well-being and that of your sweet baby.

Now don't get me wrong, there is some science behind these "natural induction methods" and IF your body is READY then they may work..... but then your body was ready...so it was about to happen anyway. 

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