Most women cannot wait to carry their newborns in their arms rather than in their belly. Once the due date comes and goes, most women become worried and search for natural ways to induce labor. Also, most pregnant women feel tired during the last days of their pregnancy journey.
While there are various ways to bring your baby out, including being induced by a doctor, natural ways are the easiest and safe ways to use.
Before you try out any of these methods, ensure you seek advice from a medical practitioner. After all, who wants to push their gem out before the right time? Once you get advice from your midwife or doctor, you can go ahead and find a good way to induce labor naturally.
Important Things to Consider Before Natural Labor Induction
To attain a safe delivery with little or no complications, you have to consider several factors. Inducing labor naturally may have merits and demerits. Therefore, consider the following factors.
Due Date
Although every woman is given a due date, it is important to keep in mind that the given date is not always sure. Less than ten percent of pregnant women give birth on their estimated date. The only people who know when your baby will come out are the Almighty and your baby.
Full-Term Pregnancy
There are many methods to bring out your baby. However, you should not force the baby out when it's not the right time. Premature labor is not a great idea. Plus, forced labor is dangerous and may lead to the mother or child's death. Before inducing labor, ensure that the baby is about 37-42 weeks. Please do not get your cookie out of the oven before it is ready.
Premature babies have minimal chances of survival since their body organs are not fully developed. I don't think you will enjoy seeing your little one in an incubator fighting death. The only incubator a baby enjoys is the mother's womb.
Seek Help
Seek help from your medical practitioner or midwife first before practicing any method of inducing labor naturally. If the doctor approves of it, fine, you can go ahead and induce labor.
What Does Inducing Labor Naturally Mean?
Women begin to look for the best natural ways to induce labor as they get close to the delivery period. Natural ways of inducing labor mean using things that will make labor start without harming the baby or the mother. You can do these methods at home and do not need the help of a doctor. Natural methods do not necessarily require the help of a midwife. Such methods are not harmful to your health.
Reasons for The Use of Natural Items to Induce Labor
No one knows the exact date when labor will begin. Doctors say that one can go up to two weeks overdue without experiencing any signs of labor. After two extra weeks, one can experience some risk. In case of such situations, you should seek help from your doctor. The doctor will advise you on what to do. You may decide either to induce labor at home naturally or to induce labor at the hospital.
When you let the overdue last for long, you will be putting your life and that of your baby at high risk. You have to quickly come up with a way to induce labor while at home. Here are some ways on how to naturally induce labor at home.
Natural Ways to Induce Labor at Home
First of all, the below methods are not safe for premature babies. They can cause harm if you misuse them. Also, the methods may work for some while to others they may not work.
1. Massage
Did you know that massage raises the levels of oxytocin in one's body? Oxytocin is one of the hormones that bring on labor contractions. Massage therapists claim that they can induce labor to an overdue mother. Some claim that they know the exact points to touch and cause labor. I suggest that before you go for any prenatal massage, visit a doctor for advice.
If you are not into frequent massages, you can try other options. Cuddling with your partner or even meditation helps you to relax. When you relax, your oxytocin levels go up. This one of the reasons why most women experience labor at night. When a woman is in bed, relaxing or sleeping triggers the release of the oxytocin hormone.
If you are stressed about your little one not coming out after the due date, you can try stress-relieving activities like cuddling or massage. Stress is not good for the mother's and baby's health. Relaxing is a good way to trigger labor. Avoid straining.
2. Take Evening Primrose Oil
Many doctors recommend evening primrose oil for pregnant women. Evening primrose herb is a herb that can make the cervix thin to dilate and prepare it for labor. You should take the evening primrose oil in your last weeks of pregnancy.
3. Sex
Most women all over the world believe that this method works. Men also think that this is a solution to their wife's endless problems. The question that several people ask is, how does having sex induce labor? When one haves sex, semen is released, which contains prostaglandin. Prostaglandin makes the woman go in labor. This enzyme is also used in hospitals by doctors to induce labor. Therefore, having sex accelerates contractions of the uterus hence causes labor.
4. Spicy Foods
There is no existing evidence that the use of spicy foods works. Most people want to know how this works.
Eating spicy foods is assumed to induce labor because the uterus is located right next to the bowel. Spicy foods will upset the bowel. The bowel ends up irritating the uterus, causing the uterus to undergo contractions, which leads to labor.
Nevertheless, it would be nice if you were very careful with this method. You might end up experiencing serious diarrhea or even heartburn. If you are not willing to risk, I recommend you choose another method.
5. Exercise
There is no existing evidence that the use of spicy foods works. Most people want to know how this works.
Eating spicy foods is assumed to induce labor because the uterus is located right next to the bowel. Spicy foods will upset the bowel. The bowel ends up irritating the uterus, causing the uterus to undergo contractions, which leads to labor.
Nevertheless, it would be nice if you were very careful with this method. You might end up experiencing serious diarrhea or even heartburn. If you are not willing to risk, I recommend you choose another method.
a) Squats
Squats are great exercises during pregnancy. Squats push your baby in the lower parts of the pelvis.do squats daily as you have enough time. Also, doing squats in your last days of pregnancy helps bring labor since you will be pushing the baby further down.
b) Sitting on yoga balls
Sitting on bouncy yoga balls is also a good way to make your baby move down the pelvis.
c) Pelvic tilt
Do lots of pelvic floor exercises as they help to cause labor.
d) Climbing stairs
You can walk upstairs to bring on labor. This is an excellent exercise for pregnant mothers.
e) Walking
Walking helps to push the baby down to the pelvis. The pressure inserted on the pelvis by the baby may then prepare your cervix for the upcoming labor. To those who might have felt some signs of labor, walking makes the labor to progress. Even if walking may not trigger labor, it will prepare you for the delivery day.do not walk for long distances. Save that energy for the delivery day. It would help if you had enough energy to push out your little being.
6. Nipple Stimulation
This method tends to be funny, but it helps. Some people doubt the method but trust me, you will experience labor within a short period of using it. The method is easy and does not cause any harm.
Nipple stimulation triggers the release of oxytocin, which is common in breastfeeding. Oxytocin is used for breastfeeding newborns. Furthermore, oxytocin enables a mother to breastfeed as it brings the letdown effect of milk to the mother. Without this substance, a mother cannot feed the child with her breastmilk.
During pregnancy, oxytocin leads to contractions. Nipple stimulation brings on contractions but not strong contractions as those brought about by other means. The contractions may, at times, be too weak to begin labor. Before you use the nipple stimulation method, consult a doctor first.
False labor is very popular with this method. Nipple stimulation can lead to contractions, which may go on for several days without experiencing real labor. Watch out.
7. Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
I want to make this crystal clear; there is a big difference between raspberry tea, popularly known as flavored tea, and red raspberry leaf tea. Raspberry leaf tea comes from leaves from the red raspberry plant and not any other plant. It does not have a raspberry taste.
Taking red raspberry leaf tea is believed to induce labor by speeding up the birth process. Research shows that most pregnant women who drink red raspberry leaf tea throughout their pregnancy journey give birth earlier than their due date. However, such studies have not yet been proven. Maybe scientists will prove that to us soon.
Some women take the tea because they love the taste without knowing that it could send them to labor early. You know pregnant women and cravings. I have not yet heard any complaint about this tea. I recommend pregnant mummies to try this out. Who knows? You could maybe offer me a cup of coffee as an appreciation.
8. Membrane Stripping
Membrane stripping is a complicated method. One cannot carry it out by herself. I guess this should be the final option one can try. Maybe when all the other methods fail. I recommend the method for those who are overdue and have no other option in mind.
Stripping your membranes is tricky and uncomfortable. A qualified person should do this method to avoid causing harm to the mother and child. Stripping of membranes involves a trained health officer inserting their finger in your cervical opening.
The officer then has to use the finger to separate membranes from the wall of the uterus. This is a quick method. Women who have tried this procedure say that they experience serious labor the next day after the activity.
However, there's a big difference between losing the mucus plug and a bloody great show. Ensure you carry out the procedure in a good environment. The physician should clean their hands or wear clean gloves before anything. Please do not risk the life of our child.
Risks of Inducing Labor at Home
Just like any other procedure, labor induction has some demerits
Final Thoughts
There are many natural ways to induce labor but not all are scientifically proven. Before you attempt any method, consult from a doctor to give you the way forward. People do these activities, not because they are very sure they work, but because they want something to keep things moving. I mean, who isn't tired of carrying a baby for nine months. Such methods are good for those who prefer home delivery to hospital delivery.
Natural remedies to induce labor can save you from several situations. However, if you are carrying out natural ways to bring on labor, keep in mind that it is not guaranteed you will experience labor. This is a matter of trial and error.do not have too many hopes in this.
Have patience. Your little prize will come when it is right. The best thing to do that even most doctors recommend is to keep fit. In conclusion, do as many exercises as possible, and you'll experience safe delivery at the right time.
