Once women hit the 39th week of pregnancy, many are eager to meet their babies and may try all the various old wives tales to "induce" labor naturally. Before we begin, I feel like I need to make a disclaimer: if you are in any way putting anything into your body to try and start labor, it's considered an intervention, and isn't actually "natural". Walking, squats, and sexual activity are considered natural, because those are things you could do at any point in your pregnancy without causing labor. Waiting for spontaneous labor to start greatly reduces your risks of complications and medical interventions, however, there is no harm in trying some of these once you are full term {defined by the ACOG as 39 weeks pregnant}. But it is important to note- none of these things will work until your body and baby are ready. I realize that the end of pregnancy seems to take forever, I've been there myself. But as I and many others will tell you, it's over before you know it. But enough about all that- let's talk about these wives tales and what makes them work {or not}.
WALKING
If you are at the end of your pregnancy, there is no doubt in my mind that at least one person has said to you "are you walking?", "walk that baby out," or something to that effect. By the last week, you feel somewhat like a planet with legs, so walking probably doesn't seem too appealing. When walking is recommended, no one means you need to take up power walking. A relaxed 30-60 minute stroll around your neighborhood daily should be enough. Even walking around the mall or through Target {which is an absolute must if you live in South Florida like me and the outside will try to kill you with heat} for 45 minutes can help greatly.
How does it work?
Staying in an upright position helps your baby's head engage against your cervix. As you walk around, your baby's head will rub against your cervix, which can cause dilation, and will release oxytocin, which can bring on labor contractions. Working with gravity is the key with walking- you are helping baby move into the right position. Walking can be exhausting for a hugely pregnant person, so try not to overdo it. You don't want to wear yourself out prematurely.
Once you are in labor, walking during labor is encouraged to keep things moving in the right direction.
SEX
Oh, that's right. I'm going here. Small disclaimer here: there's no reason NOT to have sex during pregnancy unless your doctor has expressly put you on pelvic rest, or your water has broken. If neither of those things apply to you, go to town. There are several ways sex and intimacy can help get things going, and I'll start with the most obvious.
Orgasm
A female orgasm stimulates the abdominal and vaginal muscles, and releases a flood of oxytocin. This combination can bring on some pretty intense contractions, and the more intense the orgasm, the more intense the stimuli. Same goes for the amount of orgasms in a row, the more the better.
Sperm
There is a protein contained in male ejaculate, called prostaglandin. This helps the cervix to ripen, soften and dilate. There is not enough to cause an actual induction of labor, but if the cervix is already beginning to dilate and efface, the semen helps it along. During a medical induction, if the cervix is not yet favorable, a drug called Cervadil is often used to help speed the process. This drug is essentially synthetic prostaglandin {some say it's derived from pig semen, but I have yet to see a credible study done on that particular claim}, it is much more concentrated than a natural placement of male ejaculate, but it has the same purpose.
Oxytocin
During any sort of intimate activity, whether it's cuddling or full intercourse, oxytocin {the love hormone} will be released into your system. This hormone is known as the labor hormone, it's what fuels contractions and then assists in breastfeeding once baby has arrived. Any release of oxytocin is good for your body, and especially good for helping move labor along.
Cervical Irritation
Often, sex can 'irritate' the cervix, which can cause uterine contractions to begin. Typically, those contractions caused by irritation alone will peter off if left alone, but if you encourage them, they could possibly turn into the real deal. But of course, this will only work when your body is ready.
ACUPRESSURE & ACUPUNCTURE
These methods rely on pinpointing certain pressure points and nerve bundles in your body to cause another area of your body {in this case, your uterus} to respond.
Acupuncture should only be done with a trained professional in a sterile environment.
Acupressure is more relaxed, and can be done at home. Some of the main acupressure points for inducing labor are LI 4, SP 6, UB67, UB60 and Kl 1. More information about acupressure techniques for inducing labor can be found in this article.
CASTOR OIL
This is a widely-debated method of induction, and before I go any further, I need to say this.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE CASTOR OIL TO BRING ON LABOR UNTIL YOU ARE WELL PAST YOUR DUE DATE AND YOUR DOCTOR HAS APPROVED IT.
Now that I've shouted that warning, we can proceed.
Castor oil is a bowel stimulant. It's pretty gross to choke down, but mixing it with something, like OJ or a chocolate milkshake, can help. It works by causing bowel contractions and diarrhea, which then irritates the uterus and may cause uterine contractions as well. It does work for some people, but there are side effects, such as severe diarrhea, nausea and possibly dehydration. Castor oil should only be attempted if your cervix is already at least 1.5 cm dilated and you are beyond your due date, as the contractions it may cause are intense and could put your body and baby in distress. If your cervix is not favorable, and your body experiences contractions before it's fully ready, this could cause your baby to be distressed and affect their health. It can also be extremely painful, as well as generally uncomfortable thanks to the diarrhea and nausea.
There are many success stories out there about castor oil, but there are just as many horror stories and "all I got was awful diarrhea and nausea, no real contractions" stories. Always check with your doctor before attempting to use castor oil to induce your labor, and make sure you are past your due date and your cervix is favorable {did I stress that enough? I think I did}.
RASPBERRY LEAF TEA
This is commonly thought to help induce labor, but that's a common misconception. Raspberry Leaf helps to strengthen and tone the uterus, which in turn can help labor be more smooth when the time comes. It is not meant to actually jump-start your labor. Another common mistake is thinking any raspberry tea will do this- it needs to be organic red raspberry LEAF tea. Not just any raspberry flavored tea.
EVENING PRIMROSE OIL
This is the same concept as the raspberry leaf tea. EPO is not meant to kick start your labor, merely help it along when it's time. Inserting a gel capsule of EPO vaginally in the evening can help your cervix to ripen, making it ready to dilate when the time comes. EPO can be taken orally as well, for the same reasons.
SPICY FOOD
This trick works much like castor oil- the spicy food is meant to irritate your bowels, which in turn could irritate your uterus. If spicy food is already part of your diet, or you don't usually experience tummy troubles after eating a spicy meal, this method likely won't do anything at all on that level. However, often, your body will release prostaglandins during the digestion of spicy foods, so at the very least, you can enjoy a nice meal out without worrying about dishes, and you get some prostaglandin cervical and uterine preparation.
NIPPLE STIMULATION
Nipple stimulation is often one of the first suggested ways to get labor started, or to augment a slow labor. Stimulating your nipples releases a flood of oxytocin {oh hey, thought I forgot about good old oxytocin, did ya? Nope!} and causes your uterus to contract. If you plan to breastfeed, the same thing will happen post-delivery, and those contractions will help shrink the uterus down to size and tuck everything back where it once was before you grew a whole other person. Rolling your nipples between your fingers is a gentle way to get things moving, but for more pressure, use a breast pump. Don't pump for more than 20 minutes at a time, and rest for a bit between the 20 minutes intervals. You don't want to wear out your nipples before baby even arrives, and you want to ensure that you are pacing your contractions. Too much nipple stimulation could cause them to become too strong or close together too quickly.
PINEAPPLE
Some say eating fresh pineapple is a great way to jump start your labor. On a scientific level, this is correct. A raw pineapple has enzymes that have the potential to cause uterine contractions. However, you'd have to eat roughly 5-8 raw pineapples in one sitting to get enough to actually start your labor. I don't know about you, but that's a lot of pineapple for one sitting!
CIMICIFUGA AND CAULOPHYLLUM
Also known as Black and Blue Cohosh, these herbs have been used to help induce labor by midwives and herbalists throughout the ages. Always consult a professional before using either of these herbs in any dosage during pregnancy. They work best when taken together, black cohosh stimulates the contractions while blue relaxes the uterus and helps establish a pattern. Taken alone, blue cohosh can help stop Braxton Hicks and prodromal labor. There are several recipes online involving these herbs, but I will stress again, do not use these in any dosage without the supervision of your care provider and a professional herbalist.
I said it in the first paragraph, and I'll say it again here at the end for the spirit of continuity. These wives tales to induce labor work for some people, and some tricks work better than others. But they will not work for anyone unless your body is 100% ready. You can do everything on this list 10 times over, but if your body is not ready, you won't get the results you want. The most surefire method to start labor is being patient. No one has ever been pregnant forever, you will go into labor and birth your baby. Wait it out, especially if you are a first time mom. Most first time labors don't start until well past the due date, and remember- your due date is not an expiration date. It's merely an estimate. Your baby will come when they are ready, and waiting for spontaneous labor is beneficial to both you and your baby.
Be smart, and be safe. Happy birthing.
