What To Expect During Labor & Delivery

first time. But when it comes to the process leading up to that first meet and great labor and delivery that is, you've probably got plenty of questions and concerns, maybe even a few hardcore worries that are keeping you up at night, just as you were trying to cash

in on those last months of uninterrupted sleep. Maybe it hasn't help that you've googled and seen things that you can unseee, or that you asked your girlfriends and got an earful of labor and delivery horror stories that, yeah, they clearly embellished a little more each time they told them, but still or watched a video on YouTube that was just a little too up close and personal, or you saw that film at eleven mom delivers baby in her bathroom by herself. But let's forget about all of that.

The focus for now is getting you ready for your labor and delivery, which, like every labor and delivery and every pregnancy before it and every baby that falls it will be uniquely yours. So today we're here to answer all the labor and delivery questions you have and maybe some you didn't realize you had, and if we need to to talk you off a ledger two because you've got this, Mama promise, I'm here with Emma. Hey. I remember my own labor and delivery like it was yesterday,

but I also remember yours, which was a little more recent. Yeah, well, which one my first or my second? So your first one with Lennox, I remember you called like in the middle of the night. It was. It was the middle of the night. I was I was thirty nine weeks. I was like, okay, I'm ready. I was bouncing on the ball eight the labor salad. You know. I was doing everything I possibly could to get this thing out of me. I think there was hot sauce too. I had hot sauce. I had a lot of hot sauce.

And then I was sleeping on the couch and I started having attractions and at like two am, so I started timing them, timing them. I was like, oh wait, they're getting a little closer. So I wake up my then husband and and us and you of course got alert the media and said, I think I'm having a baby. I'm not sure, but I think I'm having a baby. And then we drove to the hospital and he was literally born within like a few hours. Yeah, it was pretty fast. He was tiny. He shot right out. It

was like five pounds, you know. Okay, so let's do the second one now with Seby. I mean, the second one was a little bit more of reproduction because I had gotten bit by an octopus five weeks prior, and I had pre term labor and they had to control that at the hospital, so I was being monitored. It might have been these early as like three weeks. But then I woke up in the middle of night and I thought I went to bed and I was like, oh, I think I pete the bed. Ha ha. So my

husband I were joking around, You texted me. I texted. I was like, mom, I pete the bed, ha ha. It's so funny, cute, huh. And then you're like, wait, smell it. So I smelled it and it smelled sweet. You're like, does it smell sweet. I was like, it does smell sweet. You're like, um, you might be in labor. It's definitely a time when you smell the sheets and they smell like p then you peat yourself when you smell sweet. Then your water broke. Yeah, so I are

kind of freaking out because I was super early. My husband's like, we got to go to the hospital. I was like, I'll drive myself, but wait, first, I must make breakfast for my son. So I'm standing over the oven like holding my stomach making sausages, like crying, like probably like amniotic fluid dripping down my leg. But I was like, I can't not make him his last breakfast as a single child. So I did, and then I drove myself to the hospital. Yeah. We'll talk about that later.

The best idea you ever had. Thankfully, the hospitals like two blocks away, and I get there like and I said to them, I feel like I'm in labor. I'm not sure. Yeah, that's how it happened. Yeah, so with mine, with you, you were substantially late. I'm going to say, shocking. And finally I get some contractions. First of all, I hadn't written the book yet. I'm rolling around on the floor of our apartment and I'm rising in pain, but of course I don't scream, like I'm not crying. I'm

just like riding in pain. And after a while, Eric just like he looks at me and says, like, I've never seen labor before, but I gotta say, this looks a lot like what labor would seemed like to me because the contractions weren't regular, so I assume it was false labor. And I'm like the person saying, I don't want to go to the hospital and be the one that everybody laughs at because I'm not in labor yet

it's false labor. He almost drags me. He probably carried me actually to a taxi because it was New York City. Weading in a car. We go to the hospital and I get there and centimeters dilated Like that sounds like about right coming from here. Yeah, you're gonna end up giving birth in New York City taxi. If anyone will, it would be you. Well, yeah, except for the three and a half hours of pushing your big head out. That's another story. Well, well, you know my kids got

big heads, karma. Yes, so um, you've packed for the hospital a few times. What are your three most important items to pack? Phone charger number one. I mean, they do give you a lot of things. They give you socks. I packed cute socks, but I probably wore what the hospital gave me. What about a scrunchy for your hair. Yeah, that's great, a good scrunchy. Face wipes. Yeah, they're not gonna give you face wipes. Those are the essentials. Oh, in a long chord because you don't know where the

outlet's going to be. Yeah, So we're gonna take a quick break and when we come back, I will be answering your biggest questions about what to expect during labor. Okay, mom, So how can you tell real labor from false labor? Well, I guess say most moms do know labor when they feel it. But I'm not gonna lie because I never lie. Sometimes it isn't that easy to tell, and you just have to ask my twenty four year old self, who didn't know the difference or didn't want to know the difference.

But that's because false labor, like real labor, comes with contractions and those contractions can hurt a lot. So how about instead of calling it false labor because it's not like you're faking it. You're in actual pain. Let's call it by its medical term, which is prodromal labor. And basically, you have contractions that feel real and they're way more

intense than bracts and hicks. But though they can give your uterousal workout, and they definitely give you a workout, they don't much work on your cervix and they don't increase in intensity or frequency like real labor does. And another big difference is that if you get up, you

walk around, you change position, then they tend to ease up. Now, the really frustrating part with true prodroma labor is that the contractions can literally come on strong as can be, and then poof, they disappear for hours even days before they come back. And you might have them all night one night, and then in the morning you wake up, you know you're all packed for the hospital, and poofs

they disappear again. So real labor contractions, on the other hand, they may not fit neatly into a textbook definition like for instance, mine weren't perfectly spaced at regular intervals, but they do intensify overtime and they become more frequent overtime, and sometimes it's a long time and sometimes it's a short time. And even when you're up and about, they don't let up. They feel like really bad menstrual cramps.

So you might feel them in your lower back, in your lower abdomen, your groin, the top of your thighs, your butt. I remember feeling them really strongly in my butt. And you might feel pressured too, and oh joy, you might have nausea and indigestion and diarrhea too. But if you're not sure, I beg you, when in doubt, check that servix out. Not yourself, but go get it checked out by a doctor midwife. Oh so you can't, like watch a YouTube video, they'll like learn how to do that, right,

I would kind of why not suggest that? Okay, so what about Braxton hicks? Because I had Braxton hicks for a long time was sub ashton, like months and months and months, and I actually kind of learned to enjoy them. You know, it kind of felt like you're about to poop sometimes, right, That's like you feel like that pressure and then it yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean Braxton hicks.

It's your uterus flexing its muscles. They're just practice contractions, but they can start as early as twenty weeks, sometimes even earlier. And weirdly enough, even though their practice contractions, they're felt more tensely and earlier in moms who have popped a couple of babies before. And that's the let's are abdominal and uterine muscles talking. You feel like a tightening sensation. Your belly gets super tight and pointy. It's almost like an alien shape, right, It's very very hard.

And then the main thing is if you get up and have a glass of water, because braxton hicks can be brought on by being dehydrated. You have a glass of water, maybe two glasses of water, you take a walk around, you change your position, and then they back off. But one thing, speaking of backs, you don't feel them in your back. You feel them all up front, and that's one way that you can tell that they're bracks

and hicks. Okay, so mom, one of the best time to start timing both contractions, well, I mean, you can start any time just to see if they're getting progressively closer together, but it's really best not to become a clockwatcher because if you do, you're gonna just you know, get burnt out early on, and this this could take a while, right, And plus if if the contractions start in the middle of the night, you know, and they're pretty far apart, you want to at least try to

get some sleep. It's gonna be hard, you know, you're so excited and you're so nervous, but it's best to try to get some sleep. And of course, don't worry, because it's not like you're going to sleep through labor. Gosh know, inadvertently and end up with a baby in her bed. Wouldn't it be the coolest thing though? That would be so nice dream. I mean, ideally, wait until they're at least ten minutes apart or closer. And by the way, you do, time them just the same way

that you time newborn feedings. So from the beginning of one to the start of the next, not from the end of one to the beginning of the next. When should you call a doctor when you start feeling the contractions, Like, at what point she'd be like, hey, I gotta call a doctor. Super early labor can actually happen, start happening before you even notice it. You might dilate in a

face slowly over days or even weeks. You know a lot of moms will say, well, you know, doctor says, I'm two centimeters, so you know I'm going to go into labor any day now. Well maybe not so much, because it can be really gradual before your contractions start really coming in hot. So when to call the doctor midwife is the best to have that conversation before you go into labor ahead of time. But when in doubt, like I always say, get it checked out and let

the contractions. When you do call, let them speak for themselves. Like I tried. My heart is to be polite when I called the doctor, of course, and so I was like, I'm fine. So the doctors like, oh, it doesn't sound like anything's going on there, So yeah, don't do that. You'll probably be told to go to the hospital when they're about five minutes apart, but you might need to go sooner if you live far from the hospital or if you have traffic, because you don't want to get

stuck in traffic. And definitely call it any time if your water is broken or if you have any bright red bleeding. And for sure it's really important to call if you're having anything that seems like it could be labor and you're not yet term, like before thirty seven weeks. Really important to call and as we discuss, don't drive yourself to the hospital. That is why God invented uber. Okay for next time? Emo Okay, So not my finest moment,

not my finest moment. It all worked out. So what is the mucus plug and how do you know when it comes out? And does it have to come out before you're in labor? So I love talking mucus plugs, so let's do it. It's a gelatinous it's like son of blob. Is like a blob like barrier that keeps your cervix court during pregnancy. I cannot tell you how many moms have d m to me in the past, showing me pictures of what they lost in the toilet or in their underwear and they're wondering if it's there,

their mucus plug. And it's really it's hard to miss unless you're like a flush and rush type of gal, you know. But I would pay attention in the last week so it can come out a little at a time or in bigger chunks, and it happens, you know, usually as you start to dilate in a face. But it's not a sign that labor is about to start. You can lose it weeks ahead or not lose it at all ahead of time. I lost mine. I think it was about three weeks before my due date, and

then you were nine days late. Don't worry. Also that a lot of moms worried that if they lose it ahead of time, that the baby is not going to be protected anymore, you know, by that barrier. But your body wisely keeps producing cervical mucus to protect the cervix and your baby and keep them you know, nice and snugg and sealed off, which means, by the way, that you can still have sex if you want to, or have a bath, not after water is broken, but after

we've lost your mucus plug. I lost my mucus plug. It. Babies are us, Yes, I remember I was in the bathroom with you and you shared it with me. I did see. It's the perk of having you with you with me while I lost it. Otherwise I would have sent you a photo like the women d M. However, I gave birth twenty four hours later, so that's not I mean, it can happen. It's just not a sure thing that you're going to go into labor without twenty four hours. Okay, So what about the bloody show? So

bloody show is a different story. It does mean that it's showtime, or at least go time, or go really really really soon time. When you see the bloody show on your toilet paper and your panties, it means that labor is only a day tops two days away. And unlike the mucus plug, which is clear, it's it's a mucazee discharge that's pink tinged or brown with blood, and that means that your servix is really getting busy and

that you're starting to break capitalaries down there. But if it's bright red, you have any bright red bleeding at all, call your doctor right away, and definitely call if you have any change in your discharge and you're not yet term. Okay, And what really happens when your water breaks? You know something about this. My water didn't break either time before labor, and it happens, I would say a hundred percent of the time in movies, including the What to Expect when

You're Expecting movie. That was not my idea, but everybody's water broke in real life, your water breaks only fifteen percent of the time before labor starts. The rest of the time, your membranes ruptured during labor spontaneously or sometimes the doctor midwife will break them in order to get the contractions kickstarted, and some babies are even born with their sacks intact, which is completely safe and actually super cool to see. I love videos. Isn't that the coolest thing?

But if your water breaks, you might feel gush if you're lying down, and if you're standing up, you might only feel a trickle because baby's head is acting like a cork in a bottle. But um, it also depends on how big the rupture is and where it's located.

And usually you're going to get contractions within twelve hours of feeling that first trickle, but call your your doctor midwife right away no matter what, and if your contractions don't start on their own, then you'll be induced, definitely within twenty four hours to prevent infection, but more likely far far soon, or some doctors induced as early as six hours twelve hours, and call immediately if your If your water breaks and the fluid isn't clear, if it's

murky dark green, or you're not full term. Yet I'm not even convinced that my first labor I even broke my water, because I don't remember any sort of water at any point during my labor, or I think you would have noticed it before, but during you know, in the moment, you don't notice. And there's so many there's so many wet feelings anyway, that exactly so many sensations that you're not gonna, not necessarily going to notice. So

what's the difference between that and membrane stripping. Membrane stripping is something that doctors do routinely, Some of them do anyway to try to jump start labor when a mom's do date rolls around and there ain't nothing happening. And sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work. It's super low tech.

They just use a finger to gently separate the amniotic sack from the uterus, and the hope is that this procedure will release prostaglandins that can get the labor party started, and it might happen within a few days, or it might not. Sometimes, say repeat the procedure a couple of times, but it's not a slam dunk, doesn't hurt. It can be a little uncomfortable, but some moms really don't feel

much at all. You probably will feel some cramping afterwards, and the hope is that you're going to get the cramps that you really really want, which the labor contractions. So can I eat and drink and labor because I remember I had jello and chicken broth. I was so hungry at that point. It was literally like I was at like a Michelin star meal. It was amazing. It depends a lot on hospital policy and on doctor policy, but the research, the latest research shows that eating and

drinking actually helps speed things along. And plus, in my humble opinion, it's just playing mean not to let a mom eat or drink if she's hungry and thirsty, and also she needs her energy more than ever. So that said, they'll definitely encourage you to eat very lightly, so maybe an apple, sauce of popsicles, some jello or broth, but not a big mac, okay, even if you're super hungry, And the truth is you might only want ice chips

because you're not likely to be super hungry. Although Emma, you're an exception to every rule, right, so hungry and they want you to have something that's easy to digest since your body's already working overtime on labor, so you don't want to add the job of digesting a pepperoni pizza or anything. And plus you might have nausea or vomiting and indigestion. Not every mom does, but you might. You don't need to encourage that with a with a

good bomb. And of course, if you need a c section, your schedule for a c section, you're not going to be allowed to eat or drink. Sorry, who is always in the room during labor, Well, hopefully your partner will be there, and that's a good reason in fact, to pack in your hospital bag a lot of snacks for him. Probably stick to ones that don't have a strong link onion smell, because you're not going to be in the

mood for it even if he is. But that way he doesn't have to go scrounging for snacks in the hospital and he doesn't have to leave your side. If you have a duela, which I highly recommend you try to get, you'll have a doula and your partner and nurses come in periodically. You'll have one for each shift, and hopefully you won't have to labor through too many shifts. That's the goal, and of course the doctor or midwife comes in for the grand finale, but midwives tend to

spend more time with you. I wanted to punch my husband in the face when he was eating when I was in labor, was so jealous. I love him though, love him. I had a whole gang in there. You know, the more the merrier, like the whole family I had. My mother in law watched the birth. It was beautiful. The more than as long as they stay out the danger zone, come on in. Can I walk around during labor?

You actually can, and you should because it helps baby move down into position and helps you feel more comfortable. But you can't walk if you have an epidural, And if you have an epidural, you have to stay in bed. Even if you have what they call a walking epidural, you're not going to be very mobile and you're not gonna want to go anywhere. And when can I get

that epidural? So if you're sure there's an epidural with your name on it, Emma, like I'm no herod ask when you get to the hospital, which I'm sure you did as soon as you got to the hospital. There's no need to wait until you're a certain number of centimeters dilated. As soon as there's an anathesiologist handy, you can have one. And anyway, you're probably not going to be admitted till at least four centimeters. Some hospitals wait

until you're six centimeters so you'll be ready. You'll be ready. You know. Everyone always says, oh my gosh, and movies, especially like epidurals hurt so badly. I didn't even feel it both times. You're not supposed to. I mean, Mom's stress about it, but it's really it's pretty easy. You know. I would say, you say you're not a hero. I would say every mom is a hero, whether she has an epidural or not. And every mom has a different threshold for pain. Yours is extra extra extra low and

mine is extra extra extra high. And the other thing is it's your body. It's your business, whether you have an epidural or not. I think I meant, don't have to prove anything at that moment. You know, I'm like, you know what, I don't need to show that I am I'm stronger than I am because I'm not and I can't handle pain, and I'm about to you feel it anyway. It's not like we have an epidural like it's like a magical unicorn. No, it's you still have

to push. You're still giving birth. You just won't be as painful, but still, and some moms feel less than others do some sometimes, you know, very rarely there's still a lot of sensation, or there might be sensation on

one side. But for the most part, they work really well and you you can push with them, but it just might take a little while longer, and you you don't exactly know when the contractions are coming if you don't feel them, and that's the goal, So then somebody's gonna have to tell you when the contraction comes to you know when to push. And now is there a right way to push? I mean, basically the opposite of

how I push. Um actually the opposite of how I pushed as well, especially the first time I pushed with my face and I broke all the blood vessels in my face, so I was covered with bruises. I think my eyes were bloodshot too. That's a really ineffective way to push, and it did take me a really long time. What you need to do is relax your face, relax your neck, relax your upper body, relax your chest and your thighs, and then push as if you're pooping, pooping

out the biggest poop of your life. And those are the muscles that you want to use. Those are the muscles in your vagine, in your rectum. And if you tuck your chin to your chest and you look down past your belly, that will help remind you of where the pushing should be happening, and then you can follow the urges if you have them. Some moms have them, some moms don't. To push. You can do what comes naturally. Maybe it's going to be pushing several times during the

same contraction. Maybe it's gonna just be giving it you're all with one big push. But that's where adula can come in. A really supportive nurse, even you know your doctor and midwife can redirect you or direct you if you're having trouble with pushing, and to get into the right position too, because flat on your back isn't the best way to push. Semi sitting, semi squatting, all fours, but of course you can't do those with an epidural. Okay, So I worried about pooping. In fact, it was my

biggest fear during labor because I had just met my husband. Sure, he got me pregnant, but I remember telling the nurse, I said, I'm I can't poop in front of him. So that was my biggest fear, and I think that's part of the reason why I was so bad at pushing.

The truth is that poop happens during labor, and if you try to push while you're trying not to poop, consciously trying not to poop, then you're not going to get anywhere, and your baby's not gonna get anywhere, and you might poop a little bit anyway, And that was definitely part of your problem because you were consciously trying not to poop, and so you weren't pushing effectively. I was also super constipated, so gosh, only knew like what

was going to come out at that point. You know. Yeah, actually a lot of moms have have diarrhea in early labor, but yeah, that's a blessing. I can't even imagine having diarrhea in front of him. Are you kidding? No? No, not not, I'm not in the hospital bed. No, I'm talking when you poop during waver it's just during pushing. It's just little drops and they wipe it away so fast that you don't even notice it. And it's not like they haven't seen it before. Yeah, but what about

tearing and stretching, and everybody worries about that. The good news is that vaginas are built to take it. They're remarkably elastic, and they have these ingenious accordion like folds, so they they open up to accommodate the baby's head and then they gradually return, you know, close to original size. I mean close, not necessarily precisely the same, but it's usually not a difference that's perceptible. Paraneum's on the other and that's the area between your vagina and your rectum

aren't so stretchable. So massaging them in the last weeks of pregnancy, you you know, with a finger and a little lubrication, very clean finger, it might definitely that can help gradually stretch your paraneum and get ready for babies exit. But it only works in first pregnancies. It won't work if you're having your second or third because it's already stretched as much as it's going to stretch during labor and delivery. Using warm compresses and massage can help any mom,

and tears happen, I mean, tears are common. Most moms get a tear, usually a minor one. They're more easily repaired and recovered from then the old school of pi. Theotomy is that I had to have both times those really hurt and kegels, woman, keegels, kegels early. Often our second labor is always easier than the first, and are

they usually shorter? Well, every labor is different, so there's no such thing is always, but all other things being equal, it tends to be a little shorter, but especially the pushing phase. So that's because the situation down below is just a little more relaxed. So the first time three and a half hours for me, the second time twenty minutes. And both of you had really pretty epic size heads. So what's the likelihood that I'll give birth on my

due date? It's really low. Five percent of babies arrive on their due date. So I, of course, because I I hadn't read the book yet, I expected you to come on your due date. And we all know that you didn't. Nine days passed by. But but that's so me, so you but that's because DO date is shorthand for E D D, which is estimated DO date, and that's way more accurate because it's definitely more of an educated estimate than a short thing, unless, of course, you have

a scheduled C section. So do people really give birth in their cars? And how common is it to not get to the hospital in time? Okay, so it does happen more often on TV, really happens rarely in real life, especially if you're a first time but even if you're a second time, but it happens. I remember her mom on my Facebook page who delivered in the Lincoln Tunnel during rush hour and she had a really nice cab driver, which was a plus given the circumstances. But that's super,

super super uncommon. It's still a good case for one and out check it out. Don't wait for those contractions to be one on top of another. Yes, you want things to get real before you go to the hospital,

but not like live at eleven reel. And if you had a really fast labor the first time or in a previous purse what they call precipitous labor, then you definitely want to plan on getting to the hospital earlier in the game, maybe camping out there in the last week just in case, and when we come back, it's helped me, Hidi, and now it's time for help me, Heidi. We're all answer you're pressing pregnancy and parenting and labor and delivery questions, No holds barred, no filter allowed, t

m I, no such thing. We're all moms here or dad's and chances are if you have this question other parents due to you're not alone. Motherhood is the ultimate sisterhood, and we're here to help a sister out Emma who needs help today. Okay, so this comes from a listener who says, I'm so afraid of going past my due date and ending up to have to get induced or having a C section. Are there any tried and true

ways to induce labor I can try at home? Okay, Well, let's just say there are many i Y labor induction methods that have been tried and if you have any truth to them, at least the kind of truth that researchers look for. So there's no scientific evidence to back up any of them. Still your overdue, then hope springs eternal, or let's say, desperation springs eternal. And if you're desperate enough to try anything, then there's no harm in trying

these at home. We have a few first up as dates. Now, I'm not talking about the dates that you have with your sweetie, though you might want to stock up on those two while you have the chance, But the kind of dates that you eat. It seems like a random thing to study, but research shows that eating dates in the last months of pregnancy can lead to a shorter, easier labor. And who can argue with that? Mama's who munch?

Dates appear more likely to go into labor spontaneously so that avoids labor induction, have a shorter first phase of labor, and have greater cervical dilation and admission to the hospital or birthing center. So you ask, what's in a date that makes it so labor friendly potentially, Well, I'm glad you asked. Dates have an oxytocin like effect on the body, go figure, helping to stimulate uterine contractions. They also have laxative effects like their dried fruit friend the prune, that

stimulate the uterus along with the bowels. Now, how many dates will you have to pop to expedite becoming a mom? The researchers had. The expectant moms in the study eats six dates daily beginning at week thirty six of pregnancy. Just remember that dates are super high in fruit sugar, So if you've been instructed to mind your sweets due to gestational diabetes, ask your practitioner before you start dating that much. Then there is my preferred kind of date,

the hot kind sex, of course. As you may have heard, or maybe you haven't heard yet, the prostaglandins in sperm may, like the prostaglandins and medications sometimes used to induce labor, help ripen your cervix, but only if conditions are otherwise ripe and ready. So sperm pack less potent prostaglandins and medications do, so I would say they're arguably more fun to use. And what's the downside? Like I always say, if sex works to get labor started, great and if

it doesn't work, still great. And while we're at it, how about some nipple stimulation which actually sounds like more fun than it is. I'll tell you a funny story. During the filming of What To Expect When You're Expecting, we were on the set when the characters that were played by Elizabeth Banks and Bell Felcone. They were walking through the park to get labor started, and Chris Rock, who is the leader of the Dudes group, he yells out tweaker nipples and the director yells, God, God, Chris,

that's that's not in the script. Why did you say that? And Chris, as I read it? And what to expect? So point point being hours of daily nipple stimulation, and where is Chris Rock likes to call it nipple tweaking may release enough oxytocin to get the labor party started, but it's no picnic and it can lead to painfully long and strong contractions plus super sore nipples, and you don't want to start breastfeeding that way, so don't. Don't

try this one at home without your practitioners. Go ahead. Less painful is that walk in the park. It's not gonna necessarily make labor a walk in the park, but it's possible, at least in theory, that it might help ease the baby into your pelvis, pressuring your service to begin opening up. And the same theory applies to any vigorous exercise, including bouncing on a birthing ball, which was the last thing that Emma did before her labor with

Lennox started. So coincidence who knows? And now onto her bals true story. I was nearly two weeks overdue when I gagged down a mug of raspberry leaf tea. I hate tea, but this tea was particularly vile and I don't know whether it was because it made me so nauseous or what. But two hours later, baby bingo. Another coincidence?

Maybe maybe not. Some studies show that raspberry leaf tea, black Cohosh and evening primrose maybe just the ticket you need to hop on the labor express triggering or even speeding up contractions, but definitely check with your practitioner first about dozing and only go there if your baby bun is fully baked. Okay, can you order up labor on door Dash In the category of no harm, no foul,

no proof. Some say that spicy foods, hot sauce, hot pot for alarm, chili, put a fire in your belly and then show your baby to the exit or Italian food. Some say it's the balsamic vinegar in the labor salad. Others say it's the herbs and the tomato sauce. Still Others swear it's the eggplant and the eggplant parmesan that edge them closer to labor, or pineapple, which contains the enzyme broma lane, which when consumed in large quantities, some

believe may contribute to cervical ripening and possibly contractions. Something to explore if you're pining for labor now, if you're counting on castor oil, you might want to count that out instead. This is a powerful laxative, tastes disgusting too, and it's definitely going to stimulate your bells, which in theory could stimulate your uterus into contracting. But do you really want to start labor if it does work with diarrhea and severe cramping and vomiting, I'm going to go

with not. Definitely, don't try this one at home. The truth is, and it's not a truth that overdue moms really want to hear, is that babies usually come when they're good and ready, and often that's long after their moms are done and done and done with pregnancy, which leaves you to play the waiting game, knowing only that your time will come eventually and that your practitioner will induce you if not. And as for when that induction might happen. If the baby doesn't come, that depends on

how you and your baby are doing. If all is well, definitely not before thirty nine weeks, and almost always by forty one or forty two weeks. We don't have time, unfortunately, to talk today about c sections and feedbacks, but we will in another episode, and we're also going to talk in another episode about birth plans and all your birth options.

But in the meantime you can find so much more about labor and delivery and what to expect when you're expecting and on the what to expect app So, Emma, what's your message to moms who are terrified about going into labor? I feel like that was me. But the bottom line is, and this is why I always tell everybody, if I can do it, I have given birth vaginally to two babies, and if I can do it, you can do a man's sister. The truth is, your body knows exactly what to do, even if your mind doesn't.

If your mind is freaking out, what do you think the baby's just gonna stay in there? No, your vagina, your body, your cervix, it's all going to work together and the baby will come out one way or another. The other good news is that if your body doesn't know what to do, at least you have a doctor or midwife who does know what to do. Amen to that too. Yes, love me a good midwife and doctor. And I say take your child birth classes, read up, learn as much as you can, and then chill out.

Good luck, moms, good luck, you got this? Who baby love a baby belove. I need you, Oh hell, I need you. Thanks for listening. Remember, I'm always here for you. What to Expect is always here for you, who are all in this together. For more on what you heard on today's episode, visit what to Expect dot com slash podcast. You can also check out what to Expect when You're Expecting, What to Expect the First Year, and the what to

Expect app. And we want to hear from you. Connect with us on our community message board or on our social media. You can find me at Heidi Murkoff and Emma at Emma Being wt E and of course at What to Expect. Baby Love is performed by Riley Bader. What to Expect is a production of I Heart Radio. From more shows from I heart Radio, check out the i heart Radio app. Apple Podcast or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. In my arms, what on s stay, Nija Nieda, Baby, Baby,