Can i induce labor naturally

If you're hugely pregnant, uncomfortable, and past your due date, it's no surprise that you may be wondering how to induce labor. You may have heard claims that you can induce labor naturally by drinking red raspberry leaf tea, riding in a car along a bumpy road, having sex, eating pineapple, or getting acupuncture. Sadly, these aren't guaranteed ways to induce labor — there's no scientific proof that they work.

And some so-called natural ways to induce labor, such as drinking castor oil or eating spicy food, can cause unpleasant side effects. There are many labor-inducing tricks you may have heard of — including nipple stimulation, sex, spicy food, castor oil, riding along a bumpy road, acupuncture, and even eating pineapple. Unfortunately, none of these methods has been proven effective, and some may not be safe. There's no harm in walking or having sex to try and jump start your labor — it could help, and even if it doesn't, you may enjoy it!

First make sure that sex is safe for you now. But other methods — like drinking castor oil or eating spicy foods — could upset your stomach and cause nausea and diarrhea. And some methods, including nipple stimulation and taking various herbs, could overstimulate your uterus and pose a risk to your baby. Before trying any natural ways to induce labor, make sure to talk to your caregiver. Semen contains prostaglandins, and having an orgasm may stimulate contractions. A few studies have shown that having sex when you're full-term may reduce the need for labor induction, but others have found no effect on promoting labor.

Stimulating your nipples releases oxytocin and may help start labor. While it's a time-honored approach, more research is needed to determine how effective it is. And because there's a possibility of overstimulating your uterus and stressing your baby , it's probably safer to try this in the hospital while being monitored. Castor oil is a strong laxative. Although stimulating your bowels may cause contractions, there's not a lot of definitive research showing that it helps induce labor — and you're likely to find the effect very unpleasant.

It can also lead to diarrhea and dehydration, so it's important that you stay hydrated if using castor oil. A self-administered enema works similarly to castor oil in that it stimulates the bowels, which releases prostaglandins compounds that prepare the cervix for labor into the body.

Again, there's not much recent scientific evidence for an enema to bring on labor, but anecdotally, it seems to work in select cases. Like with castor oil, an enema can lead to diarrhea and leave you dehydrated. A variety of herbs, including red raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil , are said to be useful for labor induction.

But right now there isn't enough evidence to prove that any of them are safe or effective at getting labor started. And some can overstimulate your uterus or pose other risks. Walking and other forms of moderate exercise are safe during pregnancy and recommended for most women. Sadly, there's no evidence that exercise can bring on labor. However, once you are in labor , spending time upright could help shorten the process. Taking a drive on a gravel road or hitting a few speed bumps won't help start labor.

It also won't hurt your baby, since he or she is well protected from life's minor bumps by the uterus and surrounding fluid. Most pregnant people at 40 weeks are likely ready to have their babies out of their bellies as soon as possible and in their arms. However, there are plenty of perks to waiting until your body naturally decides to go into labor — including recovery. More time in the womb can mean both you and your new baby get to go home from the hospital sooner. Infants who are born after a full-term pregnancy also experience other benefits.

More time in the womb typically means:. Let your body do the work for a few more days and take the time to get as much rest as you possibly can.

You and your baby will need all your energy soon enough! Before trying anything that might induce labor, speak with your healthcare provider to go over any risks or possible complications. Though some of these methods are popular folklore among pregnant women, little scientific evidence supports their efficacy.

Here are some natural ways to start contractions. As you approach your due date and delivery, you might be wondering how to speed up the process. Are you pregnant and past your due date? Help induce labor naturally by pressing on these acupressure points along the body. Get answers to common questions such as, who can be in the delivery room with you, the average length of delivery, and assisted birth methods.

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nipple stimulation. Even then, you should know the pros and cons of each method and discuss them with your healthcare provider. Here's a look at the natural ways to induce labor at home. Prolonged breast stimulation prompts the pituitary gland to release contraction-inducing oxytocin, the same powerful hormone that initiates your milk let-down response and can lead to severe cramps when a newborn suckles.

Its synthetic form, Pitocin, is the most common drug used to induce labor, and studies indicate that stimulating it naturally can be effective as well. A Cochrane Database review that included women at 37 weeks pregnant or beyond found that nearly 40 percent of those who stimulated their nipples for one to three hours daily had their babies within three days, while only 6 percent of the control group gave birth.

But aside from the impracticalities who has time to do this for hours on end? You also have to make sure the baby is tolerating it well by having your health care provider monitor his or her heartbeat. Although research results are mixed, anecdotes abound about late babies making an entrance soon after a love-making session.

Semen contains cervix-softening fats called prostaglandins also used in medical induction and a woman's orgasm can lead to strong uterine contractions.

One study of healthy women found that those who had sex after 36 weeks pregnant were significantly less likely to go past their due date or require labor induction. But another study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found no difference between sexually active and abstinent moms when it came to length of gestation. Midwives have long recommended inducing labor naturally by drinking castor oil 2 ounces in a glass of orange juice or mixed with ice cream.

The idea is that castor oil can stimulate the smooth muscle of the bowels, promote the release of prostaglandin, and nudge the nearby uterus into action. Research results are varied, but two recent trials showed that full-term pregnant people who were given castor oil were more likely to go into labor within 24 hours.

But the side effects—including nausea, explosive diarrhea, and dehydration— can be grueling, Myers says. A safer bet for those past 39 weeks? Load up on spicy food, which could have similar results without the nasty side effects but be prepared for heartburn and puffy ankles, because spicy food taxes your digestive system. Midwives most commonly suggest evening primrose oil and blue cohosh as natural ways to induce labor.

Though each herb has a plausible mechanism for working , they also come with potential downsides.