If you’re approaching your due date and wondering if you’ll need to induce labor, relax. Only 5 percent of babies are born on their due date. A better term to use would be a “guess date” since, well, it’s really just a guess.
Some women safely deliver babies in their 42nd week, others repeatedly deliver early, and still others fall somewhere in between. That’s why it’s so important to have a supportive labor team who won’t force labor induction unless it’s a true medical necessity.
But if you’ve reached full term or you’re approaching postterm, you may be wondering when your baby will be born and if there’s anything you can do to help jumpstart labor naturally. While the below labor induction techniques have been reviewed by a certified midwife, make sure to consult your own healthcare provider before trying any of these techniques.
How to Induce Labor Naturally
There are at least seven ways to induce labor that are backed by science. Let’s take a look at each of these “evidence-based” methods.
1. Sex
How to Induce Labor 1 Have Sex a Lot – Mama Natural
Many women have success with natural labor induction by having sex. That’s because semen contains prostaglandins, the same hormone-like compounds that are found in cervical ripening medications such as Cervidil.
The key to having sex work for natural induction is to do it a lot. With this natural labor induction method, “3 times is the charm.” Three ejaculations is supposed to contain the same amount of prostaglandins as Cervidil. I cannot find a study to substantiate this, but it is well known that semen contains prostaglandins. Cervidil, after all, is made from animal semen (we’ve heard pig). I’d much prefer human.
While it may be more sex than you want to have while 40+ weeks pregnant, it certainly beats the alternatives of Cervidil and Pitocin, which can lead to more painful contractions and even ruptured membranes or fetal distress.
2. Nipple stimulation
How to Induce Labor 2 Nipple stimulation – Mama-Natural
Nipple stimulation can really work for labor induction or to boost a stalled or slow labor. You want to stimulate the whole breast, not just the nipples. Try a slow rhythmic massage of the breast behind the areola.
You can do this yourself or have your partner assist. Some moms may try using a breast pump, but it’s not necessary. Stick with manual stimulation, and save the pump for labor if you need it.
3. Evening primrose oil
How to Induce Labor 3 Evening-Primrose-Oil—Mama-Natural
Evening primrose oil (where to buy) contains prostaglandins that help ripen the cervix for labor. However, there are limited studies on the effectiveness and safety of evening primrose oil. Evening primrose oil may actually prolong labor by a few hours longer when applied vaginally. It may also cause early rupture of membranes, meaning that your water breaks before contractions start.
Though many moms swear it speeds up labor, it may have some risks and should be considered a last resort.
4. Castor oil
How to Induce Labor 4 Castor-Oil – Mama-Natural
Castor oil gets the intestines to start contracting, which can stimulate the uterus to contract. But much like evening primrose oil, this method should also be used with caution and only with the approval of your midwife or doctor.
Although many moms have used this old wives tale with great success and no other interventions, the intestinal contractions cause terrible diarrhea. At best, this can be uncomfortable; at worst, it can cause dehydration. If you and your birth team decide to try this method, be sure to drink at least 16 ounces of coconut water to support hydration and healthy electrolyte levels.
Read more about using castor oil to induce labor, plus get some great recipes to try, in this post.
5. Red raspberry leaf tea
How to Induce Labor 5 Red-Raspberry Tea – Mama-Natural
Red raspberry leaf tea is a great way to tone your uterus during pregnancy, but it can also help induce labor. Because of its stimulating effects, most midwives don’t recommend drinking until your second trimester. For labor induction, increase your dose of this tea to help kickstart labor.
When I was pregnant with Paloma and in my final week, I drank a quart of double-brew red raspberry leaf tea each day. I only made it two days before my labor started. It definitely helped, and I had a super fast birth. To make a double-brew, bring 1 quart of filtered water to a boil. Add 1 cup of loose red raspberry leaf tea and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Drink throughout the day for natural labor induction.
6. Membrane stripping
How to Induce Labor 6 Membrane Stripping – Mama Natural
Membrane stripping (or sweeping) is a medical procedure where the doctor separates the amniotic sac from the cervix, releasing prostaglandins that may jumpstart labor. An estimated 1 out of 8 women will go into labor within 48 hours after the procedure. However, there is risk that the procedure will rupture your membranes or break your waters immediately or within a few days. This can be problematic if your contractions do not start shortly thereafter. You may also experience vaginal spotting or cramping afterward.
7. Eating dates
How to Induce Labor 7 Eating-Dates – Mama-Natural
Studies show that eating dates during pregnancy help women have higher cervical dilation, intact membranes, and more spontaneous labors when it comes time to deliver. The use of oxytocin was significantly lower in women who consumed dates, and the average length of first stage labor was shorter in women who consumed dates. As the study concludes, “Date consumption during the last 4 weeks before labor significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced more favorable, but non-significant, deliveries.”
These are one of my favorite ways to eat dates. This recipe is also delicious, plus the oatmeal helps boost milk production.
What Else Might Induce Labor?
Although they’re not backed by science, many mamas swear by these natural or “anecdotal” ways to induce labor.
1. Pampering
How to Induce Labor 8 Get Pampered – Mama Natural
Getting pampered is a great way to relax and get centered before baby arrives. Of course, a prenatal massage is wonderful, but you might want to focus on the feet, which have some special trigger points that can induce labor (more on that later). Foot massage, reflexology, or even just a pedicure can all be helpful.
2. Guided relaxation
How to Induce Labor 9 Guided Relaxation – Mama Natural
Calming affirmations, guided meditation, and deep breathing can do wonderful things to get your body relaxed and ready to welcome baby. Fearful thoughts and worry can release adrenaline and other stress hormones that shut off the labor process.
Interestingly, before cats give birth, they go to a dark quiet place. The darkness helps shunt stress hormones and increase melatonin, the master hormone that can help set off hormonal cascades. You can try this by shutting off the lights, closing your eyes, and focusing on your body and the amazing feat you’re about to accomplish.
3. Nutrition
How to Induce Labor 10 Nutrition – Mama Natural
Follow your perfect pregnancy diet and be sure to stay hydrated. Labor is tough work, and you’ll need all the support you can get. Though this may not kickstart your labor, it will help you feel strong, prepared, and calm for when labor does begin.
4. Exercise
How to Induce Labor 11 Exercise – Mama Natural
Moderate exercise is fantastic throughout pregnancy, and some women have had luck inducing labor by walking, biking, swimming, or doing other exercise. By moving our bodies, we can help baby settle into her laboring position and open up our pelvis for a faster delivery. The key is not to overdo it, though. You don’t want to be exhausted as you start labor.
5. Acupuncture, acupressure, and chiropractic
How to Induce Labor 12 Acupuncture – Mama Natural
In addition to being mentally ready, you and baby need to be physically ready, and that’s where acupuncture, acupressure, and chiropractic may help. Some information points to acupuncture as being a potentially beneficial way to induce labor, but there isn’t a lot of reliable studies on the topic. Still, acupuncture and acupressure have been used for many years to stimulate labor, and many women swear by it.
Here is a great visual guide to acupressure that you can do yourself at home. The idea is that acupuncture and acupressure help to unblock any stagnant energy, which can help baby get into the right position. Specifically, acupuncture points for inducing labor are on the feet, hands, and back. They stimulate the thyroid, digestive, and reproductive systems.
Chiropractic induction techniques are based on the same idea. Opening and balancing your pelvis through a chiropractic adjustment helps baby settle into a great, deep position and stimulate your body for labor.
Find a pregnant-friendly acupuncturist near you through this database or a chiropractor through this one. You can also try searching through your insurance carrier or tap into a local mom’s group for recommendations.
6. Pineapple
How to Induce Labor 13 Pineapple – Mama Natural
The bromelain in pineapple and other tropical fruit is said to induce labor by stimulating the uterus. Alternately, it could just be the intestinal stimulation from eating large amounts of pineapple that gets labor started. Either way, this is a delicious way to induce labor naturally.
7. Spicy foods
How to Induce Labor 14 Spicy Food – Mama Natural
Some mamas swear by spicy foods for labor induction. Like castor oil, spicy foods stimulate the intestines, which can start labor. Keep in mind spicy foods can cause indigestion—a side effect you’d rather not be dealing with during labor.
8. Eggplant Parmesan
How-to-Induce-Labor-Eggplant
Provinos, a restaurant chain in Atlanta, Georgia, claims they’ve helped over 300 women go into labor within 48 hours, thanks to their famous eggplant parmesan. Don’t live near the restaurant? Try the dish at home!
Ingredients:
- 3 medium eggplants
- 1 cup of flour
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 4 cups fine Italian bread crumbs
- 8 cups of marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 cups of Ricotta cheese
How-to:
- After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy. This will drain the excess moisture. Let them set for about an hour.
- Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dust with flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with bread crumbs. Saute in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.
- In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, parmesan, and romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish about an 1/8 inch from the top. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.
Note: For a gluten-free option, use chickpea or buckwheat flour in place of the flour and almond meal or semolina in place of the breadcrumbs.
9. Homeopathics
How to Induce Labor 15 Homeopathics – Mama Natural
Homeopathics are generally considered safe during pregnancy, because they are naturally gentle with their low dilution and body-supporting remedies. Common homeopathic remedies used to induce labor include Pulsatilla 200C (where to buy), Caullophyllum 200C (where to buy), and Cimicifuga 200C (where to buy). Some midwives recommend alternating all three every three days until labor begins. Consult with your midwife for dosage.
For more information on homeopathic remedies during pregnancy and labor, check out the books Homeopathic Medicines for Pregnancy and Childbirth by Richard Moskowitz and Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby’s First Year by Miranda Castro.
10. Miles Circuit
How-to-Induce-Labor-Circuit
Is baby breech or sunny side-up? The Miles Circuit helps get malpositioned babies in the ideal position for birth, which puts pressure on the cervix and stimulates labor.
This simple routine has three parts to it, including:
- Open knee chest: Start in cat/cow with your knees wide apart, then drop your chest as low as you can and your bottom as high as you can. Wiggle around, maintaining this position for 30 minutes. This helps baby move slightly out of the pelvis, giving them room to rotate and shift their head position.
- Exaggerated side-lying: Roll to your left side, straighten your bottom leg, then bring your top leg as high as possible. Roll forward, using pillows for support. Maintain this position for 30 minutes.
- Movement: Do whatever you can to get moving for at least 30 minutes. Lunges, walking up and down stairs two at a time while facing sideways, sitting on a birthing ball, and hula-hooping are particularly helpful, because they put your pelvis in an asymmetrical position.
What Kind of Food Will Induce Labor?
As noted above, when it comes to food to induce labor, dates are your best bet. Studies suggest dates reduce the need for induction and make labor shorter. Pineapple and spicy food may also help induce labor, though there isn’t much evidence to support these theories—just a lot of anecdotal evidence.
How Long Does it Take to Have a Baby After Being Induced?
Like most aspects of childbirth, there’s no hard-and-fast rule. Every woman is different—for some mamas, inducing labor can take a just a few hours, for others it can take a few days. And sometimes induction doesn’t work at all. In those cases, a c-section may be necessary. (source)
Why Does Induction Hurt More?
Our bodies naturally produce oxytocin, a hormone that stimulates contractions. During an induction, a woman is usually given a synthetic form of oxytocin, like Pitocin, to jumpstart contractions. This can cause labor to start too quickly, creating contractions that are more powerful and closer together. (source)
What Are the Risks of Being Induced?
The risks of being induced vary depending on the method of induction, but the biggest risk is that induction will fail. In 25% of cases, induction is not successful—this can mean mama is in labor for a long time, but ultimately might need a c-section. This can be physically taxing and emotionally draining for mama. It can also put the baby in distress.
Other risks include:
- Low fetal heart rate: Strong, frequent contractions caused by Pitocin can put baby in distress
- Uterine rupture: Strong, frequent contractions caused by Pitocin can cause the uterus to bust. This is most common in mamas who have previously had surgery on their uterus.
- Excessive bleeding in mom after delivery: When induced, your uterus may not contract properly following birth.
- Infection: Rupturing membranes can put both mama and baby at higher risk of infection.
What if I Go Past My Due Date? Do I Have to Induce Labor?
Absolutely not! You have the right to refuse anything that you aren’t comfortable with, and that includes labor induction.
If you go past 40 weeks pregnant
At 40 weeks gestation, there’s no evidence to suggest induction is necessary in a normal healthy pregnancy. Remember, the date you give birth is determined by a number of factors including average length of pregnancies in your family, whether your due date was calculated correctly to begin with, and your individual baby. Your baby and body are the ones to initiate labor, and they usually know when they’re ready.
If you go past 41 weeks pregnant
There’s no reason to consider induction in a normal healthy pregnancy before 41 weeks, and you may want to wait even longer before trying any of these methods. If you do choose to go past 41 weeks without trying to induce labor, your healthcare provider will likely monitor you closely.
If you go past 42 weeks pregnant
Natural labor induction is still induction, and it can increase the likelihood of other labor interventions. If mom and baby are healthy, it’s perfectly reasonable and evidence-based to give birth at 42 weeks.
Though complications for both mama and baby rise after 42 weeks, some providers are comfortable with going beyond 42 weeks with frequent monitoring that may include:
- NST: A non-stress test that monitors baby’s heart rate
- BPP: and ultrasound to track baby movement, muscle tone, breathing rate, and amniotic fluid levels
If you do need to be induced, don’t sweat it. You can still have a beautiful and natural vaginal birth. Many moms who have had their membranes swept, prostaglandins (Cervidil), and even Pitocin have gone on to have successful natural births with no other interventions.
The important thing is to check your BISHOP score. You want it to be 8 or higher if you are not using a cervix ripening agent, and 6 or higher if you are.
How Have Other Natural Mamas Induced Labor?
I asked the moms on my Facebook page about ways to induce labor naturally. Here are some of their responses:
- My water broke, but contractions didn’t start. I went to acupuncture that night, and two hours later I had a nice steady rhythm of contractions going! — Jill B.
- Pressure points massage, sex, walking. — Norma O.
- I massaged the pressure points on my feet and around my ankles that are supposed to help induce labor. I went into labor that night, which was a week before my estimated due date! I also started drinking 1 cup of red raspberry leaf tea daily at 32 weeks pregnant and slowly increased it to 4 cups by the time I was full term. — Jennifer B.
- A friend told me she’d read that pineapple could help induce labor. Without thinking about it, I ate almost an entire pineapple the next day. I went into labor that night, a week early. — Stephanie N.
- With both of my labors I tried it all—spicy foods, pineapple, even vigorously mopping the floors/lunging. But both times the trick was having intercourse with my husband and having him ejaculate inside me. I went into labor less than 12 hours after both romps. — Lisa S.
- First baby was 3 days overdue, so I induced naturally with evening primrose oil (orally and vaginally) and castor oil. I went into labor that day! — Sarah L.
- Acupuncture! I went in to my appointment having very mild, irregular contractions and left in active labor, intense contractions 6 minutes apart. Had the baby 10 hours later. — Sherri M.
- I worked out the day of both my labors (throughout pregnancies). I also had sex. — Susan B.
- Acupuncture, chiropractor, and pumping (aka nipple stimulation). — Angela G.
Get a Printable Cheat Sheet of Natural Ways to Induce Labor
Want to keep all of this information in one convenient spot? Download my exclusive cheat sheet on ways to induce labor naturally.
Natural Induction Cheat Sheet by Mama Natural
How About You?
How did you induce labor? Did you try any natural remedies? What worked for you? Share with us in the comments below!
References
- http://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/News-Room/News-Releases/2013/Ob-Gyns-Redefine-Meaning-of-Term-Pregnancy
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21280989
- https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hn-2048000
