How To Induce Labor

Pregnancy is the most wonderful period in a woman’s life which is associated with a wide range of emotions. You may feel happy about the baby that will bring so much joy to you and your family, you may feel worried about the health of the baby as it is growing in your womb, you may be excited about the things you can do with your baby or you may be worried about trauma you have to go through to bring your baby into this world. All these feelings can become more intense as the day of your delivery approaches. Trust me, I went through all of this myself. The day when finally you can see what has been created within you over the long nine months that may have felt like nine years!

Labor induction is one of the primary steps undertaken during the delivery of your baby if you are not getting any labor pains. This involves administration of drugs which can be easily avoided if the labor can be induced naturally!

Now you may be wondering how you can induce labor naturally. There are few steps that have been time tested and even advised by midwives and doctors when your pregnancy is considered to be a safe one.

One of the commonest methods is walking. Yes! Walking around brings the baby down towards the vagina and facilitates easier delivery and can also induce labor. The next method is a more interesting one! Sexual intercourse! It has been reported that sexual intercourse has two benefits. One is that the semen released during intercourse contains hormones known as prostaglandins which help to ripen and soften the cervix (an essential step during delivery). The other benefit is the release of another hormone known as oxytocin when you experience an orgasm. Oxytocin is known to induce contractions necessary for the delivery of the baby. Synthetic forms of both these hormones are used by doctors and midwives to induce labor if you are due for delivery and are not having labor pains.

Nipple stimulation has also been noted to induce labor contractions. You can ask your partner to feel those nipples to induce labor naturally! But, be careful, overstimulation can cause very vigorous labor contractions.

If you feel that these methods do not suit you or your partner, you can try some of the herbal remedies. Commonly used herbs such as Evening Primrose Oil, Blue and Black Cohosh, Red Raspberry Leaf and False Unicorn Root have been tried to induce labor naturally. A word of caution before using these herbal remedies; it may not suit you, ask your healthcare provider or your midwife before using them.

Acupressure is a Chinese therapy which involves applying finger pressure to certain specific points in the body to relieve pain or other symptoms. Various studies have noted that this form of therapy can be helpful in inducing labor naturally. It is quite easy to learn and can be administered at home.

Aren’t these steps simple? You can follow any of these steps to induce labor naturally if you are due for delivery and do not notice any labor pains. Please remember these points before you try to induce labor naturally:

• The pregnancy has reached its full term (37 to 42 weeks from the first day of your last menses)
• Ensure that you do not have any complications
• There are no other underlying conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure which need hospitalization for delivery
• The baby’s position in the womb is normal and vaginal delivery is advised

So take care of these points and go ahead accordingly, bring your baby to the real world naturally!