5 Ways to Naturally Induce Labour
POV: You’re 40 weeks pregnant. You’ve spent the last 9 months hoping and praying that you don’t go into labour. Not yet. Just a bit more time. Time to get that nursery ready. Time to wrap up those last few projects at work. A few weeks to breathe until your life is transformed forever. Your due date comes … and then it goes. “Why haven’t I gone into labour yet???”
Well, the reason you haven’t gone into labour is because most folks don’t go into labour until about a week after their due date (especially first time birthers). So why then are due dates 40 weeks? Well they shouldn’t be but that’s a topic for another blog post… I digress.
So here you are. 40 weeks pregnant. You’re ready to go into labour but don’t want to schedule an elective induction.
The question is … are there things you can do to induce labour in a more ‘natural’ way?
I use the phrase ‘natural’ with hesitancy because, well, the term has a bit of a vibe these days. What does ‘natural’ even mean? Arguably, if you are doing ANYTHING to try to influence the start of labour you are attempting to induce (not saying that’s a bad thing ... just a thing!).
In today’s post I am using the term ‘natural’ to mean any method that isn’t using a medical tool to induce labour.
I think it’s misleading to present these methods as reliable ways to induce labour instantaneously (we just don’t have enough solid evidence of that). The perspective that I have and that I share with my clients I work with, is that your body is going to go into labour when your baby is ready to be born. Sometimes however, there are things that may be preventing a baby that is ready to be born from actually being born. I like to think of these natural interventions as ways of clearing the way so that when your baby is ready to make their grand appearance, there are no obstacles in the way.
So here they are …
5 ways to Naturally Induce Labour:
Dates
Dates are the first tool that could be useful to help initiate labour. There are studies, including randomized control trials that have investigated the effects of eating dates during pregnancy on labour. Various research studies have found that those who started eating dates at 37 weeks pregnant or earlier had a reduced length of pregnancy, shorter early phase of labour, less postpartum bleeding, a lower number of inductions and less vacuum assisted deliveries. Those who consumed dates also had a higher bishop score when admitted to the hospital (meaning their cervix was more ripe on admission) and their cervix was dilated more.
Given that dates are a nutritious fruit full of vitamins and minerals and that they don’t seem to do any harm, it seems like a low risk intervention to try! Unless of course you don’t like dates. The recommendation is to have 3-4 large medjool dates (or 6-10 smaller sized dates). It’s important to note that dates aren’t recommended for anyone who has diabetes or gestational diabetes.
If stomaching this many dates on their own doesn’t sound appealing to you, try my favourite way to eat dates HERE.
2. Sex
You may have heard that sex can induce labour, but do you know why? There are a few different hypotheses on why end of pregnancy sexy time may help bring on labour.
Cuddling, kissing and consensual touch can help promote the production of oxytocin which is an important hormone in the initiation of labour. Pitocin, which is a drug that is commonly used to medically induce labour, is really just a synthetic form of oxytocin. Think of sexy time as helping to produce the real thing. And you know what else increases oxytocin? Orgasms! Yours, (no one else’s). The benefit to this is you don’t need anyone else to have an orgasm if you don’t want!
Having penetrative sex with ejaculation can also soften the cervix. This is because semen is said to have some of the most potent amounts of prostaglandins! This alone will not initiate labour, but it could lead to a softer and more progressed cervix when labour does get going.
While there is some scientific basis for sex inducing labour, the evidence isn't entirely conclusive. It can be a fun and intimate way to connect with your partner (and yourself!) as you await your baby's arrival, or it may feel like the absolute LAST thing you want to do.
Just be sure to check with your healthcare provider, especially if your pregnancy is high-risk, and only have sex if it’s a resounding HELL YES!
3. Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many conditions including preparation for labour. It involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to promote healing and improve overall well-being. These points, known as acupuncture points, are believed to be connected by pathways called meridians, through which vital energy, or "qi" (pronounced "chee"), flows
Acupuncture is said to help with cervical ripening, relaxing the pelvis, supporting good and healthy sleep and calming the mind. There is some research that has found both acupuncture and acupressure (similar to acupuncture but using pressure points rather than needles) could promote a more favourable state of the cervix (ie. a more ripe cervix).
Acupuncture is safe when performed by a trained professional. Additionally, many folks find the whole experience beneficial for relaxation and stress relief!
4. Emotional readiness
The process of labour is very much driven by your hormones - and your endocrine system is impacted by your mental and emotional state. Labour is a deeply vulnerable state to be in, and for your body to willingly go into that state it needs to feel safe.
High levels of stress and anxiety can release stress hormones like adrenaline and while adrenaline is an important hormone in the birthing process, if it is too high too early on in labour it could prevent oxytocin from producing the strong contractions needed to progress labour. No bueno.
So how can we prioritize a calm and relaxed emotional state ?
SUPPORT: Emotional support from a partner, friend, healthcare provider or a doula can create a sense of safety and comfort for you. Feeling supported and cared for can contribute to a smoother and calmer birth experience
ADDRESS FEARS AND CONCERNS: It’s very common to have fears and concerns surrounding birth. So much so, there is even a name for it: tokophobia. Sometimes this comes from past experiences of birth, lack of understanding of the birth process or the media’s general portrayal of birth as this big scary thing. Addressing these fears before labour begins with support from a mental health practitioner can be invaluable.
EDUCATION and EMPOWERMENT: Feeling prepared, educated and empowered for your birth can help you feel more emotionally ready for the experience. You can do this by taking a childbirth education class, creating a birth plan, learning about your birth options and talking about your desires for your birth with your partner and healthcare provider.
If you are feeling anxious about birth or the postpartum period, your body isn’t going to feel as able to surrender to birth. Mental health support is an important component to prenatal care.
5. Addressing Baby’s position
For labour to progress efficiently, it's helpful for your baby’s head to be pressing down firmly on the cervix. This will create that positive feedback loop that keeps labour progressing smoothly (which you can read about more in this post HERE).
If some part of your baby (ideally their head) isn’t pressing down on the cervix, this feedback loop can be interrupted. Something that can impact this is baby’s position. While you can’t control the position that your baby is in, you CAN optimize the space around them to encourage them into a more ideal position. The good news is, most of the time baby will turn by themselves but if you want to help them along you can try:
Curb walking - this involves walking with one foot up on the curb and one foot down on the road for about 50m and then turning around the doing the same thing back to where you started. This hip shift movement will help baby drop down lower into the pelvis
Bouncing/ rocking/ rolling on a birth ball. Pelvic mobility can be really valuable in the build up to labour in creating space so your baby can drop down easily into your pelvis. Additionally, it can be really valuable to have lots of movement options during labour.
Core Connection Breath (watch here). Focussing on your breath, optimizing your diaphragm, and encouraging your rib cage to expand 360 degrees can not only help create more space around the rib cage but can impact the health of your pelvic floor muscles.
Daily movement & breathing - ultimately, if you are unsure of what to do or how to do it, just keep your body moving. Keep the joints oiled, the muscles mobile and the rib cage expanding. At the end of the day any movement that feels good, and is supportive will be a net positive.
Key Takeaway:
While these five tools can help prepare your body for labour, it's important to remember that at the end of the day your baby will come when they're ready to come. While it's understandable to want to avoid a medical induction, ultimately, your body and your baby know the right timing for them. Keep communicating with your healthcare provider and remembering that so much of birth is out of your control.
Did you enjoy this Blog post? Then you may also enjoy the following blog posts:
Navigating Childbirth: A Guide to the Stages of Labour
or
Should I schedule an elective induction at 39 weeks?
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