Your feet hurt, your back hurts, your bones hurt, you can't sleep, you have to pee every 10 minutes, your ribs are sore and the list goes on, your between 38 and 41 weeks, you want this baby out now! Here are some tips for naturally inducing labor.
Eat spicy food - There is not medical answer that says spicy food induces labor but it can't hurt to try? Well...maybe it can give you heartburn!
Go for a long walk - Gravity is an incredible thing, walking helps guide your baby down onto the cervix, with babys head pressing down on the cervix, this will release Oxytocin hopefully bringing on contractions. Try not to wear yourself out.
Have sex - Semen helps ripen (soften) the cervix. The movement might bring on contractions. After your partner reaches orgasm try to hold the semen in as long as you can, the longer the semen stays on the cervix the softer it will make it and the faster it will dilate.
Nipple stimulation - Gently rubbing or rolling your nipples for a few hours releases Oxytocin ( Natural Pitocin ) a hormone which induces contractions. This will only work if your body is ready to go into labor. Only do one breast at a time to avoid hyper-stimulation. Hyper-stimulation is when your uterus and baby don't get enough rest in between contractions and therefor your baby might go into distress. The best way to do this is : stimulate your nipple until you start having contractions, then stop and go for a nice 10 minute walk. If you do need to, stimulate the other breast to make the contractions stronger. DO NOT stimulate without breaks in between.
Castor oil - This has a laxative effect. Giving you cramps, and for most women it stimulates the uterus to contract. Bringing on strong contractions. The best way to do this is to mix 4 ounces of castor oil with orange juice and drink. It may make you nauseous and it will give you diarrhea. It is best to drink lots of fluids while having diarrhea to avoid dehydration. This should kick start labor.
Swing on a park swing - They say that this helps baby move into a good position for delivery and also puts babys head down on your cervix. This is also a good way to relax and relieve stress.
Talk to your baby - Sometimes just talking to your baby can help kick start labor, let your baby know that it's okay and that everybody can not wait to meet him/her.
Acupressure - Find someone who knows how to do it and someone who is experienced. Ask somebody to teach you how to do it.
Birthing ball - Sitting and bouncing on the birthing ball is more comfortable than sitting on a hard chair. Sitting on the birthing ball does allow your pelvis to open up real wide and allows more room for baby to move down into the birth canal, kind of like doing a squat.
Bumpy car ride - There is no guarantee that this will work but it is worth a try.
Chinese food - Some women say that this is the only thing that has worked for them. It's worth a try. Besides...who doesn't like Chinese food?
Dancing - The movement of dancing can move things along, It does help baby move down, it might work it might not.
Galloping - This has put some women in labor.
Kneeling on all fours - Swaying side to side and back and forth while on all fours can help baby turn if she/he is not in the right position for delivery.
Licorice - Real black licorice will give you diarrhea and could start contractions. It's a good idea to drink lots of fluids if you get diarrhea.
Massage - Relaxing massage can help relieve stress.
Oregano & Basil -Throw some in while you're cooking. It's worth a shot.
Orgasm - Having an orgasm causes the uterus to contract. During an orgasm Oxytocin is released. Oxytocin is a hormone which triggers labor contractions.
Squats - Gravity helps move baby down into the birth canal and doing squats helps open up your pelvis very wide.
Stretch and sweep the membranes - This is done by a doctor or a doula, the aim is to help induce labor by separating the membranes or sac from the lower part of the uterus.
Swimming - Swimming is very relaxing, the water and the movement can help.
Warm bath - A lot of women say that taking a nice warm bath has started their labor. Warm water has a way of relaxing your muscles.
There is no guarantee that any of these tips will work for you, and sometimes baby just isn't ready to come out. It's frustrating but one thing is for sure, that baby will be out sooner or later.
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