Inducing Labor Naturally

8 Ways To Get Childbirth Started Without Medication

Waiting for labor to start can be a real pain. Trying to interpret every possible sign of labor starting and just being heavy and impatient.

Is it driving you insane? Well, you're not alone.

But if your baby and your body are ready (you need to consult your OB Gyn about that), there are actually ways to naturally self induce your labor. No satisfaction guaranteed, but a lot of women have found one or several of these methods effective (myself included).

And for those of you overdue, and "at risk" for medically induced labor within a few days, trying a few natural ways to get labor started is definitely a good way to spend the time instead of just waiting.

For a guide on how to induce labor naturally using acupressure, click here.

Inducing Labor Naturally

• Walking
• Nipple Stimulation
• Acupressure and Body Massage
• Making Love
• Foods
• Herbs
• Castor Oil
• Folklore

Walking

While not really supported by many studies, the theory is that walking may help gravity to pull down the baby near the birth canal. But it has to be in a relax and steady pace only. You can also try other non impact exercises like swimming, stretching, pilates or even walking up and down the stairs. These non strenuous exercises also help. Just don't overdo it. You need some energy (or well, a lot...) for giving birth.

Nipple Stimulation

Studies have shown a significant benefits from nipple stimulation in women whose cervix had already started to soften, thin and open ready for labour. 37% women who had tried it went into labour within 72 hours as compared to just 6% of those who had not.

However, it is only recommended for normal pregnancies, not for high-risk ones, since there are no studies on effect in high risk pregnancies.

Acupressure and Body Massage

For a thorough guide to how to induce labor naturally using acupressure, click here.

Making Love

This is said by parents to help - a lot! (But still not much scientific evidence...)

During the process of having sex, oxytoxin is released and this can help you contract your uterus. The orgasm may help activating the uterus. And finally, there are prostaglandins found in the sperm, this will soften the cervix readying it for the labor ahead.

Remember that making love during pregnancy is allowed as long as it is still comfortable (well, to some degree..) to you and of course, your water has not broken yet, you are not bleeding and your midwife has not instructed you to avoid sex for any reason (such as a low-lying placenta).

Foods

Let us now talk about the yummy part, the food that has been said to help out in inducing labor naturally.

Are there actually foods that can induce labor?

Well, there have been rumors that for example Skipolini's Pizza in California and Scalini Restaurant in Georgia actually served foods that helped their overdue women go into labor. Don't book a trip, though! In addition to mere co-incidence, it has been found out that their common herb ingredients, basil and oregano might actually have played a minor role. Basil and oregano are said to stimulate labor contractions. (Read more about herbs below.)

There are also other foods and fruits that some women believe can help inducing labor naturally, other than pizzas, like spicy foods - the hotter the better and tropical fruits like pineapple, mango and papaya. Some women claim that this helped them, but nothing has been verified by scientific studies.

Herbs

In addition to basil and oregano, other herbs are also said to do the same thing like, Blue or Black Cohosh, Goldenseal, Squaw vine, Red Raspberry Leaf, Cramp bark, False Unicorn Root, Motherwort, and Evening Primrose Oil. There are however not many scientific findings to back up the efficacy of the use of these herbs.

Castor Oil

Castor oil is actually an old Egyptian method to induce labor. And it seems to work, although with side effects.

A study of 100 women indicated that 57.7% went into labor after taking a single dose of 60ml of castor oil, as opposed to while 4.2% of those who didn't. The drawback though, all the women who took castor oil because nauseous.

If you want to try this, make sure you discuss it with your midwife first!

Folklore

I just cannot imagine how fright, starvation and having an enema would help. What about you, will you try one of these?

So, as you can see, there aren't that many scientifically proven ways for inducing labor naturally. Nipple stimulation, love making and acupressure are your best bets.

Related Content

• The Exciting Signs Of Labor
• Labor Pain - Why Does It Have To Hurt?
• Medically Induced Labor - Why And How
• Useful Childbirth Videos

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