Inducing, or "making yourself", go into labor won't work if other conditions are not in place. In other words, sometimes the baby will arrive when it does regardless if you try to induce labor…
There are natural ways to induce labor. However pregnancy lasts 37 to 42 weeks and if the baby, and your body, aren't ready yet - attempts at natural inducement may not do anything until the timing is actually closer to when the woman's body and the baby both are ready. All sites suggest that you talk to you doctor, or midwife, before trying any of the methods in this list.
- Sexual intercourse:
this is due to a natural chemical in the semen, prostaglandins, which will work with chemicals in the woman's vagina to produce small contractions and those helping the cervix along the way in getting ready for delivery. So it isn't due to the woman having an orgasm, nor the exertion involved in the act but a natural chemical reaction. However if the woman thinks the bag of water is leaking or has broken then lovemaking or foreplay including any insertion in the vagina should not be considered - and the doctor, or midwife, should be informed.
- Herbal teas:
Red Raspberry Leaf tea:
has a rich flavor similar to black tea. It is the best known herb for pregnancy. It contains fragrine (also called framamine), an alkaloid, which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvis and uterus. It strengthens the uterine wall during preganancy, reduces the pain of childbirth, and helps to reduce false labor pains.
After childbirth it is used to decrease uterine swelling and cut down on post-partum bleeding. It is used to ease menstrual cramps and to regulate the flow during menstruation.
You should NOT start with red raspberry leaf tea till you are at least 38 weeks. It is helps the uteruses get stronger, and may naturally induce labor and relax the cervix. Please for you babies health, do your research!!! Understand the risk of starting to soon with red raspberry leaf tea.
You may want to choose Traditional Medicinal tea because it is pure Red Raspberry Leaf with nothing added. You would find this from a health food store. There are many blends out there so be sure you know what you are buying. Some of the blends contained herbs not good for pregnancy.
A better tasting recipe found was to steep equal amounts of Red Raspberry Leaf tea and Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger (this is just raspberry flavored tea-not the uterine tonic) in boiling water for 15 minutes, remove the bags add honey or sugar to improve the flavor.. At this time of year the warm tea might not sound good so let it cool before putting it in the fridge and then have ice tea.
Blue and Black Cocash:
Talk to your doctor or midwife before using herbal remedies or tinctures. It is not only for your baby's best health interests but your own health as well; natural or herbs doesn't mean hypo-allergenic and sometimes herbal treatments can risk over stimulating the uterus**. Beware the use of Black Cohosh. We have seen several women try to bleed to death after a delivery induced with this herb. Also, if a C-section is required, the need for blood transfusion from excessive blood loss becomes more likely.
Black Cohosh is an herb that promotes bleeding. Some people think nothing of taking herbs and plants thinking they are natural and won't hurt you. But think about where many of our medicines first came from, plants. Many are now made synthetically (man made) but the chemical formulas they use as building blocks came from plants.
Another herb to be aware of is Saint Johns Wort. It tends to make your blood pressure unstable, being high on one reading and very low on the next reading. This may compromise blood flow to and through the placenta and adversely affect the unborn fetus.
Not all herbs are bad, not all are good, and some may be harmful in high doses but okay in lower doses. And herein lies the problem. The FDA does not regulate the herbal industry, so the same herb from two different companies may contain greatly differing amounts of the herb. Also, there may be other chemicals and/or preservatives present depending upon each manufacturers process. The bottom line is that if you are going to use herbs, use them cautiously. And remember, If your cervix is not ready these herbs will not help you go into labor. And if it is ripe, the best thing to do is be patient and give it a tincture of time. And always consult your OB doctor before using any herb.
- Castor Oil:
Near the end of the pregnancy the intestines will surround the uterus. Now the uterus and intestines are the same muscle type: soft muscle. The castor oil is theorized to work by causing spasms in the intestines and those spasms, in turn, may cause the uterus to cramp which might result in kick-starting the labor process. Sounds nice until you also read that castor oil can cause severe diarrhea and cramping plus may also cause vomiting.
- Walk:
may not always help speed labor but does help the woman in labor by having something else to do other than lying in bed watching the fetal monitor signal the beginning of a contraction. If you want try this one based on the swaying of the hips, while walking, helping the baby get into position or that gravity has any more effect than it did the prior week when you may have contractions that didn't get your attention yet then you can try this method. Some speculate that although it may not actually speed up one's labor or help set them into labor - the activity may help the cervix to ripen [thin out] and also help the leg muscles prior to labor and delivery. Don't go for a 5 mile hike - walk at your normal pace around the block after dinner to enjoy the sunset or along store fronts to window shop so you don't over exert yourself.
- Food:
some say eat something new to shock the system, others say spicey food will help the stomach and body to react. None are proven. Full stomachs and labor do not always work well together and may cause the woman to vomit. But here is a recipie found. Good ending on it.
- Peel and boil 4 Potatos
- Confectioners sugar
- Dark Karos syrup
- milk
Make a paste out of the sugar, syrup, and milk. Roll out like you are making biscuits, mash the potatoes and spread them over the paste roll out. Roll up just like you were making cinamon rolls, cut into cookies and eat.
If nothing else you will satify a terrific sweet tooth.
- Evening Primrose Oil:
This comes in a capsule similar looking to vitamin E. This is not an herb to induce your labor but to help ripen your cervix and make your labor faster. You can take up to 5 a day after 38 weeks of pregnancy. My midwife also put it on my cervix to help ripen it. It has precursors to prostaglandins.
- Nipple stimulation:
which helps activate the milk glands in the breasts which may help trigger the uterus to begin contractions. This stimulation brings about the release of oxytocin, which is the natural form of pitocin. Oxytocin causes contractions, which sometimes evolve into labor.
Most practitioners are not enthusiastic about this method of inducing labor, because it has been known to lead to excessively long, strong uterine contractions and resulting in fetal distress. Unless your practitioner advises it and is monitoring your progress closely, nipple stimulation is not recommended as a means for beginning labor. As with herbal teas this method may cause over stimulating the uterus** and, in fact, many doctors may not recommend this method of natural inducement being considered.
(I pumped the 2 weeks before Tony was born. He was 2 weeks early and nursing was so much easier because my nipples were already slightly used to it. Not much ever came out just a tiny colostrums but hey if nursing didn't hurt as bad and Tony came early it was worth it.)
- Acupressure:
Supposedly there are two pressure points that can be stimulated until it causes contractions. One spot is the webbing of your thumb and pointer finger and the second pressure point is above your inside ankle bone - around 3 to 4 fingers above the bone itself. One is to press firmly around one of those two spots - oddly with the thought "If it hurts it's the right place." Keep pressing until you get a contraction then quit pressing immediately. When the contraction is done begin applying pressure to that point again. If you don't cease applying pressure when feeling a contraction begin - you risk having a double contraction or over stimulating the uterus**.
- Clary Sage Oil:
This is an essential oil that can cause strong contractions. Mix 10-15 drops of the oil with a carrier oil such as Almond oil. Rub the oil on your hands and use some lotion (any kind) and just massage in. You can do it for as long as you'd like. Here are 2 sites that I found for information on how to give a good massage.
Pregnancy Massage
Foot and Leg Massage
**Notation: The uterus, as like the woman herself, needs to rest between contractions. Over stimulation of the uterus, or hyperstimulation, may cause the baby not to get enough oxygen and, therefore, a risk of fetal distress.
Here is a form so that you can email me. Ignore the form and just hit order after you leave your comments. This should allow you to email me without having to go to your email account.
|
