Anon, I totally believe in the idea of giving tzedaka, as a shmira memaves. I am sure it saved my own life recently.
The segula which I mentioned, has been around in my neighborhood over thirty years. I first heard of it when I was pregnant with my oldest child, and pooh-poohed it as an old wives’ tale. I had the MOST horrendous labor and delivery (went into labor on Yom Kippur early afternoon, and delivered the next morning after 20 hours of back labor).
The next time I was due to give birth again, I decided to try the segula, and did so when I was in my ninth month. That labor was short and sweet, as was every one thereafter. Did the segula help? Who knows? But as the saying goes, it couldn’t hoit!
One caveat, however, and it is really important. Do NOT do this if 2) you have not asked your doctor if you can still go into hot water – and if you go, make the experience short, so as to avoid prolonged raising of your body temp and 2) if you are dilating at all or your water is leaking, which can leave the baby vulnerable to infection and it also means labor is imminent, even if it is just the beginning of the ninth. Try to be the first one in the mikvah, also. There is NO prep required for this tevila, whatsoever – it is not a miztvah and there is no bracha. Just say to Hashem what you want when you are in the water, an