Jessa Duggar is so eager to meet her first baby that she got creative and tried to induce labor herself.
The reality TV star is expecting her first child with husband Ben Seewald. The baby was due yesterday, Nov. 1 (which is also the couple’s first wedding anniversary!), but has yet to make an appearance. The mama-to-be turned to an all-natural method to hurry things along.
More:Pregnant Jessa and Ben laugh over tabloids that claim baby has already arrived
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More:10 Things that will not naturally induce labor
Meanwhile, thousands of Jessa’s Instagram followers replied with their own suggestions for inducing labor with food and drink, among them:
- Polish stuffed cabbage
- Tea made from leaves of the ruda plant
- Pizza
- Spicy spaghetti
- Castor oil
- Peanuts
- Turmeric tea
- Evening primrose oil supplement
- Lots of raspberries
- Poleo tea
- Oysters
- Boiled anise seeds
- Super-spicy hot wings
- Chili Doritos
- Pumpkin pie
- Dates to “loosen the bowels so the baby can get into place”
- Pinterest’s lemon drop “labor cupcakes“
Others’ comments encouraged the couple to use more physical techniques to get things moving along:
- Passionate lovemaking
- Stimulating the nipples
- Meditating
- Pumping breast milk to fool the body
- Going for a walk
- Massaging the leg an inch above the ankle every hour
- Rubbing hands between the thumb and forefinger “all day”
- Getting a pedicure with reflexology
- Telling the baby to “please come out”
More: Tried-and-true techniques for inducing labor
Experts say that, apart from medications given at the hospital, there are no proven methods for inducing labor. But that won’t stop those who are eager to move things along from trying, and there are some methods that seem to have more science behind them than others.
Acupuncture has been used for centuries in Asia for labor induction, but the science is relatively new in the U.S. According to House of Fertility and Healing in Australia, the average time from acupuncture until delivery was 13.1 hours, and the success rate of inducing overdue labor with acupuncture was greater than 68 percent.
Those who encouraged Jessa and Ben to have more sex may be on to something as well. When you have an orgasm, your body releases oxytocin, a hormone that causes uterine contractions. Oxytocin is the natural form of Pitocin, which hospitals often use to induce labor. Furthermore, your partner’s semen contains prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that soften the cervix. Synthetic prostaglandins are sometimes used by doctors and midwives to induce labor.
But mostly it’s just a waiting game, no matter what you do.
Hopefully Jessa and Ben won’t have to wait much longer to meet their little bundle of joy. Fingers are crossed for a happy, healthy and imminent delivery!
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