Non-Medical Induction Methods
In the world of birth, there is what’s called “the tipping point.” This is when a person’s body is nearly ready for labor, so any encouragement towards labor is likely to work and help things along.
In my case, I made a birthday cake which started contractions mid-way through decorating. My oldest was ready to celebrate!
But in reality, there are many ways to encourage the process of labor. In a prior blog post, I talk about medical interventions that occur under medical supervision. Here, I want to discuss some methods that many people use at home.
But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t again mention BRAINS which can be used for any and every decision in birth. Using BRAINS looks like considering all of the following:
B - What are the benefits?
R - What are the risks?
A - What are the alternatives?
I - What does your intuition say?
N - What happens if you do nothing?
S - Taking space to consider all of the above
Now, let’s jump into some interventions you may have heard of. (this is not an inclusive list - if you think of something not on here, DM and I’ll add it!)
Primrose oil - this is a capsule that can be taken orally or inserted vaginally. It has been said that it helps to soften the cervix in preparation for labor.
Castor oil - this is not recommended quite as much these days, but it’s still done. It makes a person’s stomach very upset which can encourage labor. Basically, a person’s body often empties itself for a few days before labor and diarrhea is common. This mimics that.
Spicy food - this works much like castor oil. The purpose is to get the GI system a little upset and working extra.
Bumpy roads - this is to stimulate pressure on the cervix with the bumps which can stimulate labor.
Dancing - is much like bumpy roads; the rigorous movement of the uterus and cervix can encourage things to start turning toward labor.
Curb walking - by walking in this uneven pattern, the pelvis opens up which then allows the baby’s head to come in contact with the cervix (also called being engaged) and this encourages dilation.
Nipple stimulation - when nipples are stimulated the body releases oxytocin which is the hormone that causes the uterus to contract, this can often be an effective method but is even more so effective during labor when things seem to slow down a bit. This can be done simply by touch or also with a breast pump.
Sex - many think this has to do with orgasm, but what it’s really about is sperm entering a vagina. Sperm are prostaglandins and when they encounter a cervix, they stimulate dilation and contractions. An important note here…this often causes contractions no matter, so it’s important to drink some water and see if they keep up and get stronger. Otherwise, it’s all just a warm-up. (Tip: if you want to try this, do it in the morning and not at night - that way if it works you will have had a full night’s sleep rather than being up all night with contractions!)
Just like any medical intervention, you always have a choice. And no is a full sentence. These methods are great ways to put you in control of your birth and labor. But they’re also great ways to try to induce more naturally when a medical induction might be inevitable.
What other methods have you heard of?
