Natural Ways to Induce Labor: Fact vs Fiction

Your due date is here and you feel ready to popâŚso why havenât you gone into labor yet? Though itâs usually perfectly normal for pregnancy to continue an extra week or two past the 40-week âfinish line,â it can be frustrating and a bit icky as your feet swell, your back hurts, you canât sleep, and you feel hot and sweaty.
Past-due mamas: Youâre not alone! About 35% of pregnancies extend past the due date. Since these mega-pregnancies are so common, women have long searched for ways to naturally induce labor. Hereâs the lowdown.
Natural Ways to Induce Labor
Sexual Intercourse
Getting busy may not be at the top of your to-do list when youâre nine months pregnant, but there are reasons to believe that the activity that probably started your pregnancy could be the same one that helps finish it! For one thing, semen contains prostaglandins, which help ripen your cervix. For another, your orgasm creates rhythmic muscles spasms in your vagina, which could possibly help get your contractions going and act as a natural way to induce labor quickly.
Nipple Stimulation
Rubbing your nipples or stimulating them with a breast pump releases oxytocin, a hormone that helps your uterus contract. Though nipple stimulation is not a guaranteed fix, a 2005 study did determine that itâs beneficial to ripening the cervix, which is necessary for labor. So why hasnât every about-to-pop pregnant person turned to this technique? Because for manual stimulation to naturally induce labor, you may need to do it for an hour a dayâŚor longer!Â
Walking to Help Induce Labor Naturally
Taking a walk is a popular way to get things movingâliterally. Walking to bring on labor has never been studied, but some moms swear it is one of the best natural ways to induce labor. Whether walking really works or not, itâs healthy for your body and reduces stress, so go for it.Â
Eating Dates
If you enjoy the sweet taste of date fruits, then you may want to snack on them in the weeks leading up to your due date. A study showed that women who ate six dates per day in the four weeks leading up to their due dates had higher rates of spontaneous labor and better cervical dilation than those who didnât. But cross this one off your list if youâve been diagnosed with gestational diabetesâthe extra sugar isnât worth it.Â
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the oldest remedies for overdue pregnancies. It is said to help ripen the cervix, but medical studies have not yet proven that it actually works as a natural way to induce labor. If acupuncture is already part of your health regimen, it may certainly be worth a try!
Acupressure
If youâve ever gotten a pedicure while pregnant, you may have noticed your aesthetician avoiding putting too much pressure on your inner ankle area. Thatâs because itâs thought to be an acupressure spot that can cause contractions in your uterus. Â
Herbs and Supplements
There are many stories about using herbs and supplements to naturally induce labor, such as red raspberry leaf, evening primrose oil, castor oil, and black cohosh, but it is absolutely essential that you speak with your OB or midwife before taking any of these. Most practitioners do not recommend their use. These medicinal herbs have not been proven to work and some may have harmful side effects. For instance, castor oil can cause terrible diarrheaâdefinitely not what you want when youâre on the verge of giving birth! Â
Spicy Foods
If you love hot peppers and tolerate them well, then thereâs no harm in eating them while pregnant as a natural way to induce labor. But thereâs not real science to back this old wivesâ tale. Chowing down on really spicy foods could possibly get labor going by irritating your stomach enough to cause crampingâŚbut who wants that?Â
Prenatal Massage
The healing touch of massage can raise your bodyâs level of oxytocin, which is needed for labor to begin. If you enjoy getting a professional prenatal massageâtypically laying on your side propped up on pillowsâby all means, go for it. Relaxation is always a good idea! If not, cuddling with your partner may have the same beneficial effect.
Membrane Stripping
Also known as a cervical sweep, membrane stripping is a procedure in which your practitioner uses a gloved finger to separate the amniotic sac from the cervix. This process increases production of prostaglandins, which helps induce labor. Membrane stripping does not require medication, and it can help some women avoid a c-section or Pitocin. That said, it can be pretty uncomfortable. Discuss the pros and cons with your practitioner if youâre interested.
Final Thoughts on Natural Ways to Induce Labor
While an overdue pregnancy can be so frustrating, keep in mind that due dates are hardly an exact science. In general, itâs best to let babies tell us when theyâre ready to greet the world. However, if youâre nearing 42 weeks, your doctor will discuss options with you for moving things along, perhaps with a labor induction. In the meantime, try to rest up in these final daysâŚbecause soon youâll have a new little one to care for!
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