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If you’re one of the more than 7 million people who’s seen this video then you know how awesome it was to watch a mega-pregnant woman dancing with a kitchen mop. If not, spoiler alert: Her water breaks while she’s twerking.
And just last week, a Florida woman rocked out to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” on her due date (with her belly on display) because someone told her it would induce labor. No baby yet, per her Facebook page.
Any woman who’s about to pop has heard a zillion old wives’ tales that claim to get the labor process started. Check out the strange ways these Ready Betties tried to speed up baby’s arrival. (And, for the record, we aren’t recommending that you try these at home—check with your doctor before trying any home remedy.)
Castor oil
“I was nine days late with my second child and more than ready to give birth so I decided to try castor oil. The information I read said you should take three tablespoons. But after swallowing one tablespoon, I decided I would rather be pregnant nine more months than have any more castor oil!”
—Susan Hagaman
Spice + exercise + cold
“I was about three days overdue with my second child and having contractions, when suddenly my firstborn got sick with the Coxsackie virus. My labor stopped in its tracks. A blizzard was coming and I was petrified that I’d have to deliver at home. So, I tried everything: I broke open a jar of hot peppers and devoured them (no contractions, but terrible heartburn). I sat on my pregnancy ball jumping up and down to no avail. I climbed our three flights of stairs; still no contractions. As the temperature dropped, labor finally kicked in. I wasn’t the only one. The nurses told me that deliveries always go up on the night before a big storm. [Babymaking rates go up too.]”
—Rebecca Love
Spice + massage + sex
“My baby was almost a week late so for five days, I ate spicy foods, did acupuncture, got foot massages, climbed stairs, and had sex! I don’t know if anything worked, or if he just came when he was ready.”
—Corynne Cirilli
RELATED: 6 Things You Must Know About Working Out During Pregnancy
Walking
“It was three days past my due date and I was starting to get nervous (I really didn’t want to be induced). So I went on a 3-mile walk in a park near my home in Brooklyn. Then I went to bed. A few hours later, I woke up in labor with my baby, Jack.”
—Catherine Di Benedetto
Chiropractor
“I went to a chiropractor who specializes in pre-labor adjustments to make the process go faster (my previous labors had lasted 16 to 24 hours). I’m so glad I did; my youngest was born 41 minutes after labor started.”
—Dee Dee Shaw
Pizza
“With my third child, I tried a local old wive’s tale of eating a Prego Pizza from Skipolini’s in Clayton, California. It’s fully loaded, with extra garlic and 13 toppings, including six types of meat. I had it for dinner and, what can I say, I went into labor at five the next morning!”
—Laura Magu
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Tea
“For my first pregnancy, I was more than a week overdue and dying to bring on labor. Someone suggested that I try raspberry leaf tea so I ran (or waddled) out to get some. I swear I drank a bathtub full of it but my baby didn’t budge and I ended up being induced just shy of 42 weeks. The upside? I had an unusually speedy recovery, which some credit to the virtues of the raspberry leaf.”
—Amy Morrison
Pineapple
“I ate a ton of pineapple (craved it like mad, especially at the end). I exercised, even going to spinning class. And I had a lot of sex.”
–Beth Lipton
Hot water
“With both of my children, I hung out in our heated swimming pool and then showered, letting the water stimulate my breasts. It worked: I had two non-medicated births, including one at home!”
—Christine Egan
RELATED: 9 Things Every Woman Should Know About Mental Health During Pregnancy
from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1LkePCr
