Things to Do to Induce Labor

Approaching the end of your pregnancy? If so, you may be searching the internet frantically for things to do to induce labor. Depending on what week you’re in, this may or may not be appropriate. Are you before week 39? If so, you should relax and wait before you try anything. If you’re in week 39, you can start doing things to induce labor. If you’re at the end of week 41, you almost certainly should be trying. Remember that every woman is unique, as is every baby. Some babies take a few days longer than others. It’s not a cause to panic, though you should remain alert and do what you can to help the process along!

What are some things to do to induce labor?

One of the easiest changes you can make to your routine is to introduce helpful herbs and foods which may induce labor. Some herbs you can purchase which can help induce labor including evening primrose oil, black and blue cohosh, ginger root, raspberry leaf tea, and cumin. You can ask your practitioner more about these herbs and the proper dosages; while these herbs are suitable for most women, they aren’t for everyone. Foods to induce labor are safe for everyone, on the other hand. Anyone can potentially benefit from eating eggplant, balsamic vinegar, pineapple or any spicy foods without worrying about drawbacks.

More things you can do to induce labor include exercises such as walking, going up stairs two at a time, squatting either with the aid of a birthing ball or without, or other exercises with a birthing ball. You shouldn’t underestimate the effectiveness of sex either. Anything which causes you to have an orgasm will release Oxytocin into your system, which causes contractions.

Several other methods to induce labor are acupuncture, reflexology and acupressure. These three methods are all closely related. In all three, the practitioner (or yourself, in some cases), stimulates energy centers in your body through the application of pressure. Acupuncture is the only one which involves the use of needles. So if you don’t want to deal with needles, go with acupressure or reflexology. The latter two can be performed at home since you don’t need any special equipment, just instructions about how to induce labor. A professional can make sure the job is done right though, so if you have the money, you can make an appointment for optimum results.

Acupressure won’t induce labor if your baby isn’t ready to come out yet. It will only work if your baby is ready and an energy block is preventing it from happening. If that is the case, the re-alignment of your energy centers will enable you to go into labor, often within 48 hours.

There are so many natural things you can do to induce labor which involve no risk to you or your baby. While other options are also available, like labor inducing drugs, there is no reason to use them when you can do it safely through other means. Labor inducing drugs can also induce adverse side effects. Stick with natural techniques and you can help your baby be born safely!