Why induce labor? Nine months is a long time, and it can seem even longer to someone who is having a difficult pregnancy. Babies aren’t always born by their due dates, and sometimes pregnancy just seems to drag on forever. Risks increase after 42 weeks, though not dramatically. Sometimes women just wish to plan the birth so that the father can attend. Whatever the reason, many women do seek to induce labor and have been doing it for centuries.
While practitioners at hospital have much more powerful methods of kick starting labor, many women seek more natural methods–often due to the risks of those powerful drugs. Labor induction doesn’t always work. Herbal remedies and natural methods of inducing have a good chance at starting labor, but they aren’t foolproof. Likewise, even the drugs administered in the hospital such as pitocin do not always work to start labor. Sometimes, a woman’s body just isn’t ready. Some women endure 44 weeks of pregnancy before finally delivering!
The risks with induction include a hyper stimulated uterus that does not get enough rest between contractions, contractions that are more violently painful, and fetal distress. There is also the risk of premature birth if your due date was off. Do not attempt these methods any sooner than 38 weeks. A much safer time would be 40 weeks. Babies are not considered term until 37-38 weeks. If you induce at 37 weeks, but your due date was off by a week or two, your baby could be born premature and face tremendous challenges as a result.
Labor is more likely to begin if you are in good health. Too much stress can delay labor and make it harder on you. Before inducing, you should be relaxed. Do not induce labor while you are dealing with very stressful times. You should also be well-nourished before attempting to induce labor. Eat and drink at will, even when you are having contractions. Keep yourself in good shape by eating healthy and exercising regularly. This will make you more likely to go into labor and to have a good birth experience, free of complications.
Going for a bumpy car ride may help to get the baby in good position, engaged in the pelvis and ready to be born. Any activity that causes you to bounce up and down may help accomplish this.
Before birth, the cervix needs to be thinned and softened. Prior to beginning natural labor induction, one needs to take steps to ripen the cervix. One good way to do this is by taking capsules of Evening Primrose Oil or applying the oil directly to the cervix. Raspberry Leaf Tea is also said to help prepare the cervix for labor. It can’t hurt to try both at the same time! As semen contains prostaglandins, sex will also help soften the cervix. Pineapple is also believed to be high in prostaglandins. These are completely harmless things that can be used one at a time or altogether. Just don’t gorge yourself on tea and pineapple!
Increase your activity before trying any natural labor induction methods. Go for frequent walks outside in the fresh air, or just get on the tread mill in front of the TV. Busy yourself with housework, and be inefficient at it. Walking up and down stair, swinging, swimming–all of these can help stimulate contractions. You should do this for a few days before your induction attempt, as well as during it and during your labor. Labor comes and goes much faster if you stay active. Rest if you need to, though.
Sex, orgasm, and nipple stimulation release oxytocin and can cause uterine contractions. These are great ways to encourage labor to start, as well as to strengthen contractions. In addition to increasing your activity, you can also have sex more often. Likewise, it is a good idea to have sex while you are attempting to induce and even at the beginning of labor.
Some recommend fasting and even avoiding fluids on the day you plan to induce. Being dehydrated and not having much food can help labor come on strong. Once labor is going, you should eat and drink at will. Especially if you have taken castor oil, you need to keep yourself hydrated.
Nipple stimulation is very effective at causing contractions, but it should not be overused. Once the contractions begin, nipple stimulation should be stopped and resumed only if the contractions weakened. It is best that this be done by hand for no more than 20 minutes at a time with breaks in between.
That which causes the bowels to contract may also cause the uterus to contract, therefore laxatives may help bring on labor. A favorite throughout generations has been castor oil. While this only causes some to have diarrhea and/or vomiting, others swear by it as a natural labor inducer. You can try mixing 3 tablespoons of castor oil with scrambled eggs or a glass of OJ, then repeat a few hours later if there is no effect. Enemas, spicy foods, and laxatives can also be effective. Remember, though, that diarrhea and nausea are not pleasant at all and can lead to dehydration. Once your labor has begun be sure to hydrate yourself well.
Breaking the bag of waters can cause labor to start, but it is not a good idea as it increases risk of infection and other things. Sweeping the membranes, by sticking a finger through the cervix into the womb and swishing the amniotic sac away from the uterine wall, can also encourage labor to start. This comes with the risk of rupturing the bag of waters, though. Breaking the bag of waters can help speed labor once it has begun, but it often causes more violently painful contractions and increases risk of fetal distress.
Herbs are much more effective at causing labor to start, second-best only to medication. Among the most effective at triggering labor are black and blue cohosh, goldenseal, mugwort, and yarrow. Midwives often employ these herbs to induce patients that have gone overdue or need to deliver for other reasons. I do not recommend using more than one of these methods at the same time. Please try the methods described above first before trying these. Do not try them if you are sensitive to estrogen.
Black & Blue Cohosh complement each other and are usually taken in equal doses. Tinctures can be purchased at many health food stores. Take 3-4 drops under the tongue every 4 hours. Black Cohosh can quickly ripen your cervix, while Blue Cohosh can stimulate contractions. You may dilute the tinctures in water or tea if you prefer, having 5-10 drops per glass of water every 30 minutes for up to 4 hours. If contractions start but are weak, you may slightly increase the dosage. Adding 5 drops of Pennyroyal to your dose may help strengthen the contractions, too.
Another way of going about Cohosh induction is to take 5 drops of each every 20 minutes for the first hour, then increase the dosage by 5 drops every hour until the fifth. In the second hour, add 5 drops of Pennyroyal, then increase that dosage by 5 drops every hour as well. On the fifth hour, take one full dropper of each Cohosh tincture and half a dropper of Pennyroyal every 20 minutes. If contractions have not become regular in 6-8 hours, stop and try again some other time.
Black Cohosh can cause stomach ache, dizziness and headache, gas and diarrhea, and nausea and vomiting. Don’t take it if you have heart disease or with anti-depressants. Blue Cohosh can lower your blood pressure and cause headache, nausea and vomiting, and pain in the limbs. There have been reports of babies born with problems after labor induction with Blue Cohosh. Pennyroyal usually causes nausea, and it can also cause numbness, dizziness, and sweatiness. It should not be taken by those with kidney problems. Goldenseal usually has minimal side effects unless used in higher doses, so if you notice anything unusual while taking it, discontinue use immediately. One reason why you should only take these herbs in the recommended combinations is so that you can recognize if you are having unusual reactions to the herbs.
You may also take Goldenseal Tincture with Matrigin or Dolisos Caulophyllum Complex, alternating half of a dropper-full every 15 minutes for an hour and then every 30-60 minutes to establish labor. I have heard that Goldenseal creates a milder, but equally effective labor when compared to other induction methods. Goldenseal is very potent, so do not exceed the recommended dosage! Discontinue use after a few hours. Adding a small dosage of Pennyroyal, only a few drops, may help, but do not take both in full strength together.
Once contractions have started, there are many ways to help keep them strong. Stay active. Make love. Eat and drink when you feel like it. Change positions frequently. Stay positive and relaxed. Continue about your usual housework. Rest when you must, but remember that laying down too much can slow the labor.’
If you decide to try any of these induction methods, particularly the stronger ones, it is recommended that you do so under the supervision of a midwife or doctor. Do not exceed the recommended doses. I ask that you do more research before using any of these techniques. There are many ways of doing castor oil, nipple stimulation, etc., and you may find other people’s instructions suit you better. Be sure this is what you really want before doing it. Most importantly, do not attempt to induce labor before you have reached 37-38 weeks. In fact, the longer you wait, the better. It is best to go into labor naturally.
