My unsuccessful natural induction If your due date's come and gone but baby's still showing no signs of making an appearance, you may be feeling pretty frustrated. Many women will try absolutely anything to get things going! Here, mums from our community share their stories of inducing labour naturally.Keeping active"Last time I was pregnant, I'd spent the day shopping with my folks when I lost my mucus plug, and my baby was born that night. I'll certainly be trying some brisk walks again this time around!" "A friend of mine went for a walk, with one foot on the path and the other on the road, so she was walking wonky. She must have looked like a right doughnut but she claims it worked, as her baby was born the next day!" "Try dancing it out! I had a little boogie with both my pregnancies and was in labour within a few hours." AnnaA helping hand"When I was expecting my first we tried nipple stimulation and it worked a treat. Not even five minutes after we started, my waters went.
I think it only works if baby is ready to make an appearance, though." "Doing the deed definitely brought on my labour!" SarahComplementary therapies"Acupressure worked for me last time. I tried it above my ankle and on my hand, and was in labour by the time I woke up the next morning. I'd definitely try it again." "I was 11 days late, so I made a reflexology appointment. It was very relaxing and the next day I went into labour." MillieSimply relaxing"I had tried everything and was getting quite stressed about it. In the end, simply chilling out with a small glass of rosé seemed to do the trick." "When my third baby was overdue, I spent a lot of the last few days in a rocking chair. I was just trying to get the baby's head into a good position for birth, but I think the fact that the movement was so relaxing helped a lot too." MoiraUnconventional methods"The day I went into labour, my friend came round with news of her very unexpected pregnancy. I went into labour three hours later and have always said that it was the shock of her announcement that brought it on!"
"I have just had my second child and I know it sounds ridiculous but both times I went into labour after eating macaroni cheese!" WendyMy unsuccessful natural induction "I honestly think all these natural induction methods are just old wives' tales. Nothing seems to have worked!" "I tried it all: long walks, pineapple, curry, sex, getting on my hands and knees and washing the kitchen floor - all of it! I think that home remedies for labour induction will only work if your body is ready to give birth." If you're overdue and natural induction doesn't work for you, your midwife or doctor will offer you medical procedures to induce your labour. Find out what it's like by reading these real-life induction stories. Track your baby’s development Join now to receive free weekly newsletters tracking your baby’s development and yours throughout your pregnancy. Enter your due date or child's birthday Enter your email address Privacy policy & terms
Support for your parenting journey. Delivered to your inbox. My Baby This Week Newsletter Keep up with your baby’s development with personalised weekly newsletters. Get the latest parenting news, plus expert advice and real-world wisdom. Special Offers from Our Partners Receive discounts, deals and parenting information from BabyCentre’s partners. Log in or sign up to post a comment!How do I induce labor naturally? More info on this topic Holistic Pregnancy & Childbirth Home Factors that influence birth Preparing for pregnancy and birth Classes and birth plans Your body is perfectly designed to promote a healthy pregnancy and childbirth. For the majority of healthy women, childbirth progresses spontaneously without complications. However, there are steps you can take to promote this normal progression, and there are factors that can interfere with it. What are the physical factors? Many physical factors can promote the progression of labor.
Position of the baby The position of your baby might play a role. Most babies navigate best through the pelvis if they are head down, with their face toward your spine. This is called an anterior position. During the last weeks of pregnancy, try to promote this positioning of your baby. Avoid lying on your back. When relaxing, choose forward leaning positions such as sitting on a physical therapy ball with your legs apart. When resting or sleeping, lay on your side as far to your stomach as you comfortably can.As their due dates approach, many pregnant women believe the baby is never going to arrive. Feeling big as a boat and plagued with heartburn, unable to find a comfortable position to sleep, they find themselves willing to try anything to encourage labor to begin. The good news is that there are safe, natural ways to try to induce labor. However, a woman shouldn't consider giving it a try until she is around 40 weeks pregnant, in case her due date is off by a few weeks.
This will ensure that she gives birth to a healthy, fully developed baby. One of the most effective methods for naturally inducing labor is also the easiest -- walking. It utilizes gravity to press the baby's head downward against the cervix, helping to soften and dilate the cervix, and the swaying motion helps position the baby for birth. Walking is also an excellent test to tell if early contractions represent true labor -- if the contractions persist when walking, it's the real thing. This is an opportunity for a woman's partner to be the superhero, for it's the prostaglandins in his semen that can soften the cervix and ripen it for labor. And a woman's orgasm can open up the cervix as much as two centimeters. Stimulating certain pressure points can be a very relaxing method for softening and dilating the cervix, bringing the baby down the birth canal, and stimulating contractions. And, according to doula and founder of Joy of Birthing Giuditta Tornetta, acupressure is one of the most successful of the natural ways to induce labor.
There are four primary pressure points targeted. The hoku spot is at the webbing between the thumb and forefinger; grasping this spot and massaging in a circular motion affects a portion of the large intestine surrounding the uterus, causing contractions. Bladder 32 is located in the dimple between the buttocks and the spine. When rubbed for one to two minutes, contractions often begin. Spleen 6 is located on the inside of the ankle, approximately four finger widths above the ankle bone. Massaging this spot for one to two minutes also tends to stimulate contractions. Finally, BL60 is between the ankle bone and Achilles tendon. Applying steady pressure to BL60 helps the baby descend into the pelvis. Stimulating a woman's nipples produces oxytocin -- the hormone that causes the uterus to contract. This can be used as a method of natural labor induction by rolling the nipples between the thumb and forefinger or rubbing the nipples for 20 minutes every hour until labor is established.
Women using this method should be advised, however, that nipple stimulation can result in very strong contractions that are closer together than is safe for the baby. To maintain a healthy pattern of contractions, only one breast should be massaged at a time, and stimulation should stop as soon as a contraction begins. Furthermore, women should consult their physician or midwife before using this method of induction. This method has been around for generations, and some practitioners swear by it. Castor oil causes the intestines to spasm; since the intestines surround the uterus in late pregnancy, it's possible these spasms prompt the uterus into action. One to four ounces of castor oil is added to six ounces of orange or apple juice or four ounces of root beer and swallowed quickly. The castor oil may also be mixed with two to three scrambled eggs. Women using this method should be aware that the bowels will evacuate within three hours. To avoid dehydration, drink a minimum of 16 ounces of water after the bowels evacuate.
Many women are convinced that it was that last meal that put them in to labor with their most recent baby -- and it could be true. Spicy foods, pineapple, black licorice, eggplant parmesan, and Chinese food are particularly well known for their supposed abilities to induce labor. Unfortunately, there is no proof of this -- and in some cases the opposite is true. For example, spicy foods release substances called capsasins; capsasins counteract the pain-fighting endorphins released by the mother's body as the baby descends toward the cervix. Spicy foods, therefore, are actually counterproductive, rather than helpful. Though not definitive, there is some evidence to support the use of other foods to prompt labor. The basil and oregano in eggplant parmesan may naturally help start labor; pineapple is thought to be a cervical ripening agent; and black licorice contains the chemical glycyrrhizin, which stimulates prostaglandins. If a woman finds these foods appealing, it wouldn't hurt her to give them a try.
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