It is difficult to guess if your pregnancy has already passed the expected date of birth. Moreover, you will hear thousands of recommendations and suggestions to try to accelerate the arrival of the baby. The problem is that, in reality, there is very little or no evidence that these techniques work. Obviously when the birth is over for about 2 weeks, then it is something that everyone should worry about and think about following the natural paths to induce labor.
The due date is on the expected lines which could make its way anytime soon! Most women are known to deliver babies on their expected due date (before and after due date) It is better to wait till 40 weeks and let mother nature have its own say when your baby arrives.
A study conducted about 201 women was asked the impact on ways to induce birth in a natural way. Close to 50 % of women surveyed at some point had adopted a natural method to induce labour.
Read More: 11 Foods That Would Ensure Normal Delivery
Natural Methods to Induce Labour
If you have touched the mark of 40 weeks, there are ways by which you can get the ball rolling. It could be anecdotal and there is no reliable evidence it could spell success, so it is suggested to seek an expert opinion of your health care provider before you resort to any method. The doctor cannot assure pull proof success, but they can suggest whether it is safe to attempt during pregnancy.
On a word of caution, any method of labour induction could mean emergency interventions or assisted form of delivery. Before enticing labour on your own, do keep your doctor in the loop.
The entire of process of labor and delivery is very hard and sometimes it can go quickly or maybe it can be excruciatingly slow. On a word of caution, any method of labour induction could mean emergency interventions or assisted form of delivery. Before enticing labour on your own, do keep your doctor in the loop. Here are 20 natural ways to induce labor.
Read More: 11 Must do Things for a Normal Delivery
1} Exercise
Exercise could be anything or everything that sets your heart rate higher and could be a long walk. Even if expected results are not achieved, it could eradicate stress and help your body prepare for the hard days in the coming weeks.
Read More: 11 Foods That Would Ensure Normal Delivery
2} Chinese food
For reasons, pretty unknown, many women have claimed it works wonders. It could be very well they did eat Chinese food all the way for a head start to labour. For starters it is worth a try!
3} A tinge of wine
A soothing glass of wine does induce labour. Though any form of drinking during pregnancy is not at all recommended. Ideally you would want an expert opinion of your doctor.
Read More: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Symptom, Cause, Risk, Prevention
4} Primrose (evening oil)
Can be taken orally from the 35th week of pregnancy. You could do this internally and for best results do it at night. From 38th week you can use a panty liner. The cervix is softened so that you are tempted. Medical experts would find it easy to break the water and no form of further intervention is needed.
5} Pineapple
For best results it is better when consumed fresh and in raw form. From a statistical perspective, chemicals embedded in pineapple do not have a great chance of inducing labour. It does show that you would have to pump in a lot of pineapples to start labour.
Read More: 11 Must Eat Fruits During Pregnancy
6} Acupuncture
Leads to stimulation of the hormone oxytocin in your body. In a study conducted, around 400 women are provided with the same, coupled with membrane stripping or a combination of both of them during delivery. No significant results in terms of outcomes were witnessed in both the groups, but a major chunk did not need any type of medical interventions.
Read More: Acupuncture for fertility: Can it Boost Fertility?
7} Acupressure
According to some medical experts, it could start the process of labour. Before you plan to adopt this technique on yourself, seek the expertise of a professional acupuncture specialist. Even if it does not alleviate pain, it works as an excellent remedial pleasure to reduce discomfort or pain during labour.
8} Say a no to stress
The waiting time of labour is going to increase, if internal stress occurs. Have a closer look at the exterior or internal view of your surroundings on what factors are causing stress. It could be fear or anxiety with the process of birth.
9} Kneeling
A friend of mine was suggested this method and she reaped in the dividends. The moment she got down on her knees or hands in a to and fro motion! Within a few minutes the water bag broke. It could be mere coincidence as well.
10} Licorice root
Get hold of the root and not the candy. The root has less sugar and more of licorice. It is pretty much like castor oil that has a laxative impact. A sensation of cramps is witnessed in the uterus that will induce labor pretty soon.
11} Stimulation of nipples
Could be done for close to an hour at a single go. The decision is out! Some claim it could be dangerous as it can send out strong contractions. For enhancing stimulations you can resort to a breast pump or borrow the baby of your friend (Provided it is a close friend of yours)
Read More: 11 Home Remedies for Treating Nipple Thrush
12} Orgasms
It is a feel good reason and orgasm does cause contractions. For this reason a lot of women enjoy orgasms during pregnancy. This could be tried with your better half or when you are alone as well. It all eventually boils down to your comfort level.
13} Resort to homeopathy
Herbal remedies could be an effective method to entice labour. The commonly used ones are black cohosh or herbs blue. Seek the expert opinion of a doctor on what is a recommended dosage. At the same time it should be safe as well.
14} Relaxation with shower or a bath
The best way to entice labour is sometimes to make sure that your body has ample rest. It can induce contractions and it could be used as a test method to figure out whether the mother is really encountering labor. If the pressure or cramping goes off during the shower or bath, then most likely it is going to be false alarm.
Read More: 11 Benefits of Epsom Salt Bath During Pregnancy
15} Leaves of raspberry
It could be consumed in the form of pill or tea. You could start at around 34 weeks as there is some debate on whether it can induce labour, however it goes on to strengthen the uterus. It makes sure a shorter labour is achieved as contraction contributes to more achievement.
16} Massage
A qualified professional massage therapist can work with a pregnant woman. They are pretty much aware on how to entice labour points. For this specific reason it is not recommended to avail the services of a massage therapist during the starting stages of labour.
Read More: 11 Benefits of Prenatal Massages Therapy
17} Spicy foods
For sure one of the well- known pregnancy starters! The main reason on why it works, as it could upset your digestive system that upsets your uterus. On a lighter note not recommended in any way!
18} Sweep or stretching your membranes
Your doctor could undertake this simple procedure. Into your cervix a finger is inserted and a mere sweep (finger) divides amniotic sac and the uterus. It could lead to labor pain within a couple of days. For some women it could be a painful procedure, whereas for others it could be pretty painless. For effective result it depends on how dilated you are.
Read More: 21 Effective Ways to Induce Labor at Home
19} Focus more on gravity
Often when you are lying or sitting down, contractions will slow and even stall. To make sure a regular pattern is being followed, take the support of a birthing ball, or try to stand as much as possible during labor.
20} Work on the mental side of things
Are you facing some form of physical anxiety that you are ready for your baby? It could be in the form of stress, anxiety or any expectation revolving around your baby. The chances are that emotions are taking the better of you and the body is advising that labor is round the corner.
By the end of 40 weeks, the mind- set of most women is to have babies in their arms or popping out from their bellies. The perks of natural labor is something that is hard to ignore and it includes recovery. Women who have natural labor are known to recover in a quick way in comparison to women who have had assisted labor. It indicates more time that is spend in the womb of a mother, would mean along with baby your hospital time is reduced.
Babies who complete a full term pregnancy also possess many benefits. More time that is spend in the womb means
- Reduced chances of any form of infection or blood sugar levels
- Sufficient time to build muscles
- Efficiency in terms of brain development, as during weeks 35 to 40, the brain of the baby grows a third of its size.
- Paves way for better feeding once the baby is born
- Improved levels of breathing. Babies who have a premature delivery (at least a couple of weeks) could experience a host of breathing difficulties.
21} Relaxation
The excess of nerves and stress will cause your muscles to contract and this will not help the fetus out. Nerves and anxiety cause the body to secrete adrenaline, and this hormone acts as an inhibitor of oxytocin, which is the hormone responsible for contractions. You can practice relaxation techniques that help you release the tension of your muscles. Some activities such as yoga, pilates or breathing exercises can make you feel better and reduce stress.
22} Laugh
Something as simple as laughing generates oxytocin and helps eliminate emotional and physical blockages, which are very common in the last weeks of pregnancy.
Find something that makes you laugh, a movie, a series, ask your partner to tell you a funny story or spend an afternoon with your friends remembering old anecdotes.
In addition, when you laugh your body relaxes and releases tension, therefore, it will also help to reduce the stress and anxiety frequent at this stage
23} Sex
Basically, the induction of labor involves maturation of the cervix through which water discharges or dilation occurs to start labor more quickly and more. The chances of cervical ripening increases, such as a full-term pregnant woman continuing to have sex with her partner. In addition, sex triggers the release of oxytocin, which is a key hormone that induces labor. Semen contains prostaglandins, which also ripens the cervix and causes it to dilate.
24} Some foods
It is believed that some foods can help to advance the delivery and some pregnant women say that after eating their labor has started in a few hours. Among them is the spicy food, which, they argue, can cause the uterus to contract and this could help to advance the birth.
However, there is no connection between the uterus and the stomach and it has not been shown that these foods can induce labor.
There are other foods, such as pineapple that can help mature the cervix thanks to an enzyme called bromelain. And others like basil, oregano or ginger have also been linked to inducing labor naturally.
25} Bananas
Bananas have a lot of potassium, which is essential for muscle contraction. So being short of potassium could delay work. It is recommended to eat bananas in moderation and avoid taking potassium supplements, as they can be toxic when taken incorrectly.
26} Chocolate
Chocolate is exciting and is one of the tricks that moms use to notice the movements of the baby in the womb. Chocolate and other products with caffeine, such as coffee, stimulate the baby and, therefore, may encourage him to move and could trigger labor. Some advise that it is better to take a bowl of hot chocolate.
27} Blue and black cohosh
Cohosh is a plant native to the northwest of the United States and Canada and with a long tradition of medicinal use. However, the FDA of the United States classifies it as a dietary supplement.
Supposedly, black cohosh acts as a uterine tonic and the effect is similar to taking infusions of raspberry leaves. The combination of blue and black cohosh has been used to strengthen and regulate uterine contractions.
It is assumed that these plants work best when the contractions have already begun, but are weak and/or irregular.
28} Clary Sage Oil
Research shows that sage oil aromatherapy can help promote work and relieve pain. In fact, it is so effective in the job promotion that use is contraindicated at any other time during pregnancy. This method should be used only by a trained midwife or professional – it is not going by itself as it can cause damage if used improperly.
29} Golden Seal
Its active components of hydrastine and berberine have taken a long time to induce labor. It can be taken orally in the form of tablets. As it can be dangerous during pregnancy if taken incorrectly, seek professional advice first.
30} Take cinnamon
The infusion of cinnamon activates the muscular action of the uterus causing contractions. That is why many doctors recommend avoiding it during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester.
31} Motherwort
This is a great herb to use to end the pregnancy. It makes contractions more effective, rule out the contractions of Braxton Hicks, and stops false childbirth. Taken shortly after birth, the heart rate can also calm the nerves and potentially prevent postpartum depression.
Your body should follow the natural course of action as it is; get as much rest as possible. It is easier said than to follow it during pregnancy. Both the mother and the baby are going to need all the energy in the world.
Before resorting to any mechanism to induce labor, have a one on one discussion about possible complications which could arise. Though most of the methods are popular among pregnant women, but there are very little facts to prove them. The best bet would be to let the baby follow their natural course of birth, even if you have to wait a couple of weeks as well.
Read More: Benefits of Cervical Cerclage You Need to Know
References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/natural-ways-to-induce-labor#acupuncture
https://wehavekids.com/having-baby/Ways-to-induce-Labour-Naturally
