Ideas for Naturally Inducing Labour

By Eirian Hallinan

Premature birth may worry you as it worries most expectantparents but becoming overdue can also bring its own concerns and difficulties.As you become larger, sleeping can become more challenging. It becomesincreasingly more difficult to get into a comfortable position as doesbreathing as your lungs become more crowded due to your overgrown uterus. Ifyour baby stays in too long then there are risks associated with this, mostcommonly that your baby could pass meconium. If you find yourself overdue andare seeking advice to naturally help induce labour then the following is a listof ideas to do exactly that.

Sex- is often prescribed by doctors to help induce labourbecause the prostaglandins in semen help soften and prepare the cervix todilate.

Herbs � hundreds of years ago midwives used herbs to preparemothers for pregnancy, labour and birth. This was before the invention ofpitocin. You must be very cautious with herbs of any kind as they can causegreat damage if the correct dosage is not administered. Black cohosh, availablein capsules or teas is commonly used to induce labour and can be with orwithout alcohol. During birth, black cohosh can help strengthen and regulateuterine contractions. Other herbs which have similar effects are red raspberryleaf and false unicorn root. These particular herbs have natural chemicalswhich are released into the woman�s body and stimulate the baby to encourageher to move and get positioned for birth. Herbs should not be used until thecervix is ready to open as they will not work until then. Beware of some herbswhich can be dangerous to you or your baby such as aloe vera, bungleweed andpokeroot as these are some of the herbs that can cause premature birth or birthdefects. Always consult a doctor before self-medicating with herbs. Primroseoil is used to induce labour as it has a comparable effect to semen in thecervix by softening and ripening it.

Castor Oil � is taken by some women as a natural method ofbringing on labour. The theory being that the diarrhoea and cramping it causesalso causes contractions that can induce labour. It is unpleasant to taste buttwo tablespoons can be mixed into another drink such as a juice. It is advisedto consume castor oil in the morning as you will be woken in the night with thecramping and diarrhoea if you take it in the evening. There are risks withtaking castor oil such as the expectant mother becoming dehydrated because shehas diarrhoea and also it increases the risk of the baby passing meconium whilestill in the uterus.

Nipple Stimulation � for hundreds of years nipplestimulation has been used by women to help induce labour. It has an effect ofreleasing a natural form of pitocin called oxytocin. Similarly to pitocin,oxytocin triggers contractions that can bring on labour. This method fornaturally inducing labour is only effective near to your due date and when youare ready to give birth. Before forty weeks, it is not advisable to inducelabour. The nipples can be stimulated manually or a breast pump can be used.Care needs to be taken as your uterus can become hyperstimulated. Onlystimulate one nipple at a time and rest immediately once you noticecontractions. Wait at least fifteen minutes after the contractions have stoppedbefore resuming. If you do not get any rest between contractions other problemscan arise.

Be Active � whilst most doctors advise you to slow down andreduce your activities as you approach your due date, it is also helpful toremain active as long as you do not cause yourself any stress. Walking a weebit more than usual and slowly swinging your hips from side to side can helpinduce labour by stimulating your baby and getting her moving into the birthingposition. If you fancy some fun, sex is always a good idea as I mentionedbefore because along with semen helping the cervix to soften, the female orgasmproduces a hormone which aids childbirth.

Other methods women have used include acupressure and eatingspicy foods, but watch out for possible nausea with spicy food and medicalresearch has not yet supported this idea as definitely being beneficial.

Eirian Hallinan has written numerous articles in the baby care field. Shebelieves in healing naturally, first, especially when it comes to infant reflux.