Days late, hopefully not dollars short

Today starts my first day of maternity leave and, quite honestly, I thought I'd have a little baby to show for it. I had delusions of working right up until the last minute - biting down on a pen cap or breathing through those early contractions - until calmly shooting off an e-mail to my employer explaining my immediate need to run off to the hospital and promptly have a baby. Silly Nica, due dates are for...actually, I have no idea who due dates are for. In fact, I prepared myself to have a late arrival since, statistically speaking, firstborns are 1 week and 2 days late (I have actually heard the range of 1 week 1 day to 1 week 3 days, but close enough). A week before our due date I was counting on the baby being late so I could tie up those loose ends, procure necessities and cross off all the items on my numerous to-do before baby lists. Now staring back at a long week of being overdue I see that being overdue is a lot like a little kid 'hitting the wall' after staying up well beyond an appointed bedtime - you periodically feel that throwing a monumental temper tantrum is exactly what needs to be done. In fact, everyone who lays eyes on you will tell you what needs to be done to make the baby come faster and with this one action you will have a baby in a matter of days. The fascinating part about this whole process is you will take these random suggestions to heart with each passing day. Day one of overdue and I signed up for acupuncture. Day two and we were taking long walks...by the time all is said and done I wouldn't be surprised if we hunt down a cannon or two to shoot off in our backyard (read on for that last part to make any sense). Here are a few labor-inducing suggestions we've heard...repeatedly:


[Me...2 weeks ago.]
Acupuncture. Acupuncture in known locations will stimulate the labor process. Though not as quick acting as Western medicine (Pitocin), with a successful session or two you should go into labor within a few days. Studies are available on this and vary signficantly with the overall thought summarized as "can't hurt, might help."

Walking. Probably the number one suggestion by the public at large - take long walks or walk stairs. The theory behind this is that it will help position the baby lower, thereby kick starting the steps leading up to labor. The real impressive part of this suggestion is that what seemed like an impossibility 1 week ago - walking like a normal person for reasonable stretches of time - becomes not only possible, but routine.

Sex. Have sex to stimulate contractions or introduce pitocin naturally to start labor. This suggestion seems to have the greatest medical support and, usually, the most favorable partner support.

Indigestion. Okay, so it isn't presented as such, but basically spicy foods and ingesting Castor oil is all about upsetting your stomach to create a chain reaction that starts contractions. Downside to this one is you could just have an upset stomach or worse and still not go into labor.

Now for the good part - historical methods of inducing labor:

Cannons. A friend informed us that sometimes women were allowed onto sailing ships that were unknowingly pregnant. If the female was determined to be overdue or in the middle of a difficult labor, they would take her down to the cannons, load them up with powder and set them off in hopes of starting or hastening labor. This is one possibility of how the phrase 'son of a gun' got started.

Attacks . Some plains Indians were known to tie an overdue pregnant woman up and create a false attack to send her into labor. Really, it sounded like a good idea...