And She Writes too

For me getting pregnant was easy, it was staying pregnant that was hard. In October 1995, just over a month after having my third miscarriage, I found out I was pregnant. Finding out I was pregnant at age 31 after years of trying and three miscarriages, I was thrilled but scared.

Standing in the bathroom, looking at the plus sign on the stick I just peed on, I ran through the house looking for someone to tell. It was in the middle of the day and my husband was in California on business. I began jumping up and down chanting, "I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant." I must have looked like a crazy woman because my cat ran under the bed. Suddenly, the phone rang, I answered, "I'm Pregnant." Thankfully the person on the other end was my sister and not some solicitor. My sister was so excited to hear the news that she hung up on me.

Now that I was pregnant, I was determined to stay that way. I quit working out, I was no longer running 2 miles a day. I changed my diet; ate more fruits and vegetables and cut out caffeine completely. There was no way I was going to loose this baby.

At each prenatal check up I prayed that the baby's heartbeat would be heard. As the baby grew in my womb, I memorized it's movements. And on Valentine's Day 1996, I found out I was having a healthy baby boy. Knowing that my baby was healthy helped me relax and enjoy every minute of being pregnant.

Toward the end of April, the baby appeared to have stopped moving. For two days, I pushed on my belly hoping to get the baby to move. After the third day of no movement from the baby, I went to the doctors. Fearing that my precious boy had died, I cried as the doctor hooked me up to the fetal monitor.

There was a faint heartbeat, I stopped crying to hear better. "There," the doctor said, "do you hear it?" "Yes, I hear it," I said. As I began nudging my belly and talking to the baby, the heartbeat grew stronger and became louder.

My son was born a month and half later weighing 11 pounds and 22 inches long. The rest of the pregnancy was uneventful but the delivery was painful. Today he is an older brother, a star pitcher on his baseball team and a straight A student.

You are a few weeks past your due date and you can't remember the last time you saw your feet. Your belly has grown to the size of a beach ball and if you gain anymore weight the beach ball will burst. People tell you often that you look like you are ready to pop. You want your body back now, which means the beach ball...I mean...the baby needs to come out now. How do you induce labor? Let me count the ways.

1. Walk - Walking long distances may help the baby drop further into the birthing canal. Be careful while you walk, bring your cell phone with you in case you start contracting while on your walk. You don't want deliver the baby in the middle of the sidewalk.

2. Spicy Foods - Some people swear that eating spicy foods such as spicy chili or spicy Mexican foods induce labor. You can try the spicy food technique although you might deliver the foods you just ate rather than a baby.

3. Tea- Drinking specific teas may induce labor. Teas such as Raspberry Leaf Tea and Cinnamon Stick Tea are believed to relax the uterus if not the new mom.

4. Acupuncture - Some pressure points such as the roof of your mouth, between your finger and your thumb and about 4 finger spaces above the ankle help induce labor. If you aren't afraid of needles this might work at inducing your labor. If anything else it will help prepare you for the breathing process as you breathe through the needle sticks.

5.Blue and Black cohosh - These natural herbs can often help induce labor. Black Cohosh regulates contractions while Blue cohosh makes uterine contractions stronger. You can find these herbs in your local organic food market. However, before you try this natural remedy consult your physician.

6. Nipple Stimulation - Massaging your nipples may also induce labor. Massaging your nipples releases oxytcin which is a natural form of pitocin. And pitocin is used by doctors to induce labor. Of course massaging your nipples may be fun for your significant other.

7. Intercourse - Having intercourse while pregnant is often uncomfortable but if the female has an orgasm it can bring on contractions. Also, the male semen can ripen and soften the cervix. Who says being pregnant means no sex?

Many of these factors may be successful in inducing labor only if you are having contractions or in the early stages of labor. However, don't worry if they don't work for you because eventually you will give birth to a beautiful baby.