Get This Baby Out of Me! How to Induce Labor Naturally
You’ve carried this baby for 9-10 months. You’ve loved every minute of it - until now. You’re so ready to have this baby already, and if you’ve checked out our post on BISHOP score, you know that your body is readying itself for the big event. But when will it start?
Unfortunately, no one knows the answer to when you yourself will go into labor, but sometimes doing some productive things to help assist your body in readying itself can help you feel like you’re not such a helpless participant in the process. What things to do though? Before you strap on your jogging shoes, order the most tear-inducing Thai food and down a whole pineapple, check out these helpful (and actually useful!) tips on how to help labor along.
Get a Chiropractic Adjustment
Did you know that the alignment of your pelvis actually does play a role in getting in the game for labor progress? Sometimes the way your baby is presenting (engaging) in the pelvis can be altered if you’re not quite in alignment, from the weight and stress of carrying baby around all day, plus any older kiddos and other activities!
Seeing your local chiropractor who is skilled in Webster Technique and pregnant bodies can not only help shift things into gear to encourage your baby to get in the game, but it can feel so amazing afterwards!
See an Acupuncturist
If you need a breather from frustration that you’re STILL pregnant, go see your acupuncturist. All of the pressure and trigger points in our bodies correlate to organs and blood flow, and there are certain points your acupuncturist can access to try and stimulate labor.
Make sure if you’re seeing an acupuncturist for induction acupuncture, you’re at term. Most won’t feel comfortable, nor should you be inducing labor prior to 38-39 weeks gestation!
Have Sex
If you are game, and so is your partner, the prostaglandins in sperm can help to ripen the cervix, which is one of the readying factors for labor to begin and progress. Don’t be surprised if sex can cause a little cramping afterwards, if that cramping becomes regular and gets longer and stronger over time, it may be labor time!
Do Some Three Sisters
What are the three sisters? These are ligament stretching exercises that help to give your growing uterus and baby inside more room to move and stretch about, which can encourage them to get into gear for labor to begin!
If you need to know more about these exercises, feel free to schedule a session with our knowledgable doula team!
Eat Some Dates
While the evidence for date consumption aiding in readiness for labor might be skewed towards the date manufacturers, it has been touted by midwives that eating dates daily can help ready and tone your uterus for labor progress! Why not grab a few in the grocery store and give it a try?
Resist Temptation
It can be very tempting to want labor to begin and try some more extreme measures to evict your baby. The following things have been proven not to work, and will most likely result in frustration, and in extreme cases, can be harmful to you and your baby:
-walking for miles
-spicy food
-dancing in the light of the full moon
-eating pineapple
-inserting evening primrose oil vaginally (without recommendation of a provider)
-consuming castor oil
Remember, even if you’re doing tons of things to encourage labor, the only one that calls the shots is your baby, who sends a labor hormone to the brain when their lungs are ready to breathe on their own after birth! It can be hard to wait - treat yourself to a pedicure, a well deserved massage and some comfy time on the couch!
If you need someone to vent your frustration to, your labor doula is well equipped to help keep you feeling like you’re almost there! We highly encourage the support of being able to text, call and email day and night - we mean it! It can be useful to know you’re not alone, and also get some additional ideas on how to get things rolling!
Good luck!
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