Forty weeks can seem like a long time, especially during a less than easy pregnancy. As your due date nears – or passes – and you start to feel increasingly uncomfortable, you might wish to get to the next chapter of the pregnancy process: labor and delivery, and motherhood.
There are several safe home remedies that can be used to induce labor naturally. Please note that you should never begin to try inducing labor until you are 38-40 weeks into your pregnancy; while your doctor may have calculated your due date based on your intercourse timing or ultrasound, it can still be off by a week or two, and if you begin labor too early, your baby might not be entirely ready to thrive outside the womb. Always talk to your doctor first before you try any method to naturally induce labor -- particularly if you are having any complications.
Following are some common ways to stimulate labor naturally.
Walking to Bring On Labor Naturally
Walking can help to get things moving along if you are already experiencing contractions. The motion of walking makes your hips sway from side to side, which will help to bring the baby into the proper position to be born. In addition, by standing up you help to put gravity on your side, lowering the baby in your pelvis.
While no method is foolproof, walking does have another benefit, even if it doesn’t induce labor: it’s good exercise.
Spicy and Other Foods Can Help Induce Labor
Many women claim that eating spicy foods has helped them to naturally induce labor. However, if it doesn’t do the trick, it might result a bad case of indigestion or heartburn. Give spicy foods a try – such as Mexican, Thai or Indian cuisine – and see if it works for you.
Tropical fruits, such as mango, pineapple and papaya contain bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme. This enzyme is said to help to soften the cervix, therefore bringing on labor. There has been very little research on bromelain and tropical fruit; what’s more, eating large quantities of pineapple is likely to stimulate the digestive system and may help to jump start the uterus into action. If you wish to try pineapple as a labor stimulant, eat only fresh pineapple – bromelain is destroyed during the production process of canned pineapple.
Intercourse as a Means to Naturally Induce Labor
Semen contains prostaglandins, a hormone which is involved in the start of labor. This late in your pregnancy, make sure that your doctor approves of intercourse and there are no risk factors, and never have intercourse if your water has broken.
If you try intercourse as a means to induce labor, stay reclined for several minutes afterward. By elevating your hips, you help the semen to stay on your cervix, which can to help to thin and dilate it.
Talk to Your Doctor about Induction
When nothing else works and you’re near or past your due date, your doctor might be amenable to helping move things along by "stripping" or "sweeping" your membranes at your office visit. Stripping the membranes can generate local production of prostaglandins; enough of it can start labor.
Teresa Shaw - Teresa J, Shaw is a professional journalist with more than 12 years of experience. She travels for both business and pleasure several ...
Join the Conversation