Natural Ways to Induce Labor
For those of you who have experienced being post-term in your pregnancy, you understand the unique frustration of trying to get your labor going. You’ve put in 9 months of hard work and now you are ready! And uncomfortable. You’ve possibly searched for any home remedies to induce labor, or maybe your friends and family elicited some advice.
Let me break down the truth behind some of the old wives’ tales regarding inducing labor. Although not all of these are evidence based, there is physiological reasoning why many OBGYNs and midwives have suggested them in the past. But first, let’s define what “post-dates” mean.
A pregnancy is dated 40 weeks. As uncomfortable as those last weeks in pregnancy may be, your baby needs every week of pregnancy to grow both inside and out. Your baby continues to grow and develop, even in the last few weeks of pregnancy. This is why staying pregnant full term gives your baby a healthy start, and also why if you ask Dr. Guthrie for an induction before 40 weeks she’s hesitant to consider it.
However, after 40 weeks you will be monitored closely. The placenta, which houses the pregnancy and provides the nutrients the fetus needs, may start to age. It may start to produce less fluid. For that reason, a post-term woman will do ultrasounds to monitor her fluid and non-stress tests to observe how well the fetus is responding.
If you are post-term, here are some things you can try at home.
Sex: Sex can help induce labor in two ways. First, during sex women release a hormone called oxytocin which can stimulate uterine contractions. Second, semen (for women having sex with men) contains prostaglandins which can soften the cervix and cause contractions. Sex is safe to have throughout your entire pregnancy and will not cause you to have premature labor. In fact there are evidence based studies which show that sex during pregnancy will not increase a women’s risk for preterm labor.
Meditation: or praying, or visualization, or anything you feel comfortable doing. Don’t forget the mind-body connection is a huge component. Close your eyes and visualize your baby’s birth.
Relaxation: Stress and tension can inhibit the release of oxytocin. Prenatal massage, aromatherapy and prenatal yoga are all safe activities to do in pregnancy. Take some times to do whatever relaxes you!
Castor Oil: This is a big “go to” for a lot of midwives. Castor oil is known to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and cause bowel movements. The same nerves that stimulate the lower colon also stimulate the uterus.
Acupuncture: There are some pressure points (in the hands and feet particularly) that can stimulate the uterus and cause contractions.
Spicy Foods: The thought behind this one is that spicy foods will fire up and stimulate your bowels and uterus, consequently causing it to contract. There is little evidence on the efficacy of this method.
Pineapples: Pineapples are known to have an enzyme called bromelain which reduces inflammation and can soften the cervix. In order for this method to work, choose a fresh pineapple and not the canned ones. Bromelain may get destroyed in the canning processes.
How long can you go postdates? Ideally we would want to see labor occurring naturally but if the fetus is compromised, medical interventions will typically be introduced by 42 weeks. These include:
Stripping of the cervix: A sterile procedure done by a trained clinical. The technique consists of inserting two fingers into a dilated cervix and gently separating the membrane.
Misoprostol: This is a medication that will be given to a woman whose cervix is not very dilated yet is post-term. This medication helps soften the cervix and cause “cervical ripening”.
Pitocin: If dilation of the cervix has occurred and a woman is post-term, pitocin will be administered to get labor going as this medication causes contractions.
As always, please feel free to leave any questions or comments bellow.
Thank you,
Serena, WHNP, MPH, CLC
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