What You Need to Know about Inducing Labor

If you’re an expectant mother or want to know more about induced labor to provide support to a friend or family member, there are several salient facts to keep in mind. Labor induction occurs for many reasons, most commonly related to fetal and maternal health, and can help provide a solution to many potential complications in pregnancy. Often times, doctors will induce labor if a child is past its due date or to ensure a successful delivery.

The decision to induce labor is determined in concert by medical professionals and the expectant mother. By evaluating the potential benefits and risks, doctors have many potential options to induce labor, using a variety of methods. Mothers have an option of utilizing natural or medically-inducing methods of induction, depending on their particular preferences.

Always make sure to fully evaluate the risks to labor induction; your medical professional should be able to help you more fully evaluate all of the options. In certain cases, you may be able to make an informed decision, while emergency labor induction may be necessary under certain conditions (at the discretion of your doctor.) Often times, labor induction can take a few days and can be a complicated process. The induction process is designed to help ensure a successful delivery so always make sure you fully evaluate the opinion given by your medical professionals. Understanding the scientific procedures behind the induction process can provide further insights into the various options as the due date approaches.

Focus on Natural Ways to Induce Labor

Pregnant women who are wanting to have an easy childbirth will be pleased to learn how good natural ways to induce labor will help them. This is a very private decision, but one more mothers are doing today.

For starters, one of the best ways to induce labor is with acupressure. Some people are not familiar with this type of procedure, but it is rapidly gaining popularity in many countries. It is a part of Chinese traditional medicine and is based on applying pressure on certain parts of your body to pressure your nerves. The important component is that when done to pregnant women there are a few spots that will induce labor when pressed correctly!

There are hormones called prostaglandins. These hormones, when absorbed by pregnant women, often start the ripening of your cervix. Combine this with an orgasm, this and sex could provide the push needed. But again, some women are will not want to try these natural ways to induce labor.

Also, for ladies that are very late in their pregnancy, nipple massage can be effective. On top of all the changes you’ve undergone you’ve surely noticed how sensitive your nipples are. Rubbing on them will release oxytocin – a hormone into your bloodstream that can in some cases induce contractions.

Another thing to consider medicinal herbs. Herbs like black cohash, blue cohash, evening primrose, and red raspberry can induce labor. This is something to definitely discuss with an herbalist or naturopath. They can prepare you special extracts or oils to start contractions. These herbs are one of the more traditional and natural ways to induce labor, and have worked for many women in the past.

Two other safe methods some pregnant mothers use are nipple massage and sex. It’s okay if don’t feel “in the mood” for these – it’s fine, and quite a few women don’t either. But if you want to, these can be useful ways to induce labor naturally. They both use natural hormones and responses to induce contractions.

Ways to Induce labor

Does the doctor say they have to induce labor? Many pregnant women are wanting labor induction after 40 weeks being pregnant, and need ways to induce labor – either medically or naturally.

Ways to induce labor fall in one of two categories: medically or naturally.

The medical ways to induce labor include “stripping” or using drugs. One such drug is called pitocin, and is usually the one used by OB/GYNs to start contractions.

For pregnant women looking for home based ways to induce labor, there are many different options.

Just remember that although pregnancy is hard, inducing labor too soon is not what you want to do. It can lead to complications for both the baby and you, and several doctors will not even consider it before 41 weeks. Keep this in mind.

Easy Ways to Induce Labor Yourself

Practice Relaxation – Being stressed out is difficult on a pregnant woman’s body. If you keep this extra stress – even if it’s just working too hard – you might be stopping your contractions from starting. Whatever you do that will safely reduce your stress can lead to a more stable environment and keep you focused.

Physical Movement – Labor requires that the baby be in a proper position. In some cases, just doing light physical activity such as jogging or yoga is enough to get your baby to descend.

Food Remedies – Some women are adamant that having a spicy plate of Mexican or Thai food kick-started their labor. Some research also suggests that various enzymes in pineapples or mangoes lead to the ripening of women’s cervixes. This can bring on labor. If you consider yourself a gourmand, this is one of the more enjoyable ways to induce labor!

Use Acupressure – Like acupuncture (but easier!), acupressure involves the manipulation of certain pressure points on your body. It has it’s roots in Chinese medicine, and recent medical research prove it can induce labor. Acupressure can be done at home.

Natural Hormones – If your doctor started your labor, chances are they would begin using a drug called pitocin to start contractions. Interestingly enough, pitocin is a synthetic version of the human hormone known as oxytocin. Your body makes oxytocin daily. To encourage it’s release, try rubbing your nipples. This can cause a flood of natural oxytocin and perhaps induce labor.

Just a friendly reminder: If you have complications or feel something is very wrong, please talk to your doctor or doula about your concerns.

Those are the primary ways to induce labor yourself. If you want simple and effective ways to get your contractions started, I recommend these.

How to Induce Labor

Wanting to know how to induce labor? After 39 or 40 weeks of pregnancy, lots of women are ready to induce labor and want to learn how to induce labor themselves.

Be aware that even if your doctor induces labor with drugs if the mother’s body is not ready, the labor induction might not work. This can occur as late as 40 weeks.

There are in essence two main schools of thought for how to induce labor – using drugs, or with only natural methods. Because there are only a handful of ways medical professionals learn about how to induce labor, we’ll focus on the natural methods of inducing labor.

Please be aware that, like with anything medical, stop if anything hurts  too much or you believe there’s an emergency. When in doubt, discuss things with your doctor, doula, or midwife if you have any unanswered questions. These methods might help induce labor but always verify with a doctor.

Eat Fruit- Some pregnant women swear that eating mango or pineapple induced labor for them. This is because these certain fruits are full of numerous enzymes, some of which can tone your cervix.

Physical Activity – Maybe your labor is late because your baby is needing to descend? If so, how about trying some basic physical movements.  Some good activities to try include swimming, doing simple lunges, or brisk walking. With luck, these activities can help rotate your baby into a more favorable position to get your labor going. And don’t forget – any physical activity at all is great for your body in general!

Relax! – The main ingredients to a successful labor is to star relaxed.  If you are upset or worrying a lot, your body is not going to begin true contractions. If you’ve been worried about learning how to induce labor, just take a deep breath and start to relax – it will be over soon. How about a talking a nice walk or watching a favorite movie? Otherwise how about doing some of you favorite activities.

Acupressure- Can you really induce labor just by pressing on some places on your body? Surprisingly, over 3/4 of expectant mothers who are ready to start labor can go ahead by using a technique called Acupressure to induce labor. This is something to try since it often works and can reduce pain during childbirth.

Nipple Massage – Many doctors start labor by using pitocin because it starts contractions.  Well, you don’t have to go to the doctor for it – pitocin is the synthetic form of a hormone called oxytocin, a chemical your body creates every day. To release it into your bloodstream, try massaging and stimulating your nipples. This will bring about elevated levels of oxytocin in your bloodstream and could kick-start your contractions.

What do all these methods have in common? For starters all these ways are trying to get your body to start having contractions and make your baby descend okay. When doctors learn how to induce labor it is often using drugs similar to the ones your body is already making. The other methods are meant to ensure your cervix is ripe enough, and to get your body going

The Basics of Labor Induction

Today, expectant mothers have more options for child delivery than ever before. A combination of medical advances, combined with an increased focus on maternal and child safety has led to the development of more advanced labor induction techniques.

Labor is induced in many cases, and is most commonly performed to secure the safety of a child delivery. In that cases of certain maternal illnesses, such as diabetes, induced labor may be the safest form of delivery. Additionally, certain potential complications related to fetal illness can be avoided by relying upon induction as an alternative to traditional delivery. The science of labor induction has developed to help provide both the mother and expectant child more medical options to avoid complications during the birth process.

While there are many forms of induced labor, each designed to help maximize the success of the delivery, there are also risks of induction. In particular, by selecting an induced birth, the baby is at risk of premature delivery, as well as potential complications related to fetal distress. Babies and mothers require careful monitoring in cases of induction to ensure safety at all times.

There are several common forms of labor induction including Amniotomy (“Breaking the Water”), Oxytocin (Synthetic Hormone Induction), the Foley Catheter method and Membrane Removal. Doctors have perfected these techniques over the years to reduce risk, although there is still the potential for complications. Many mothers opt for natural induction methods, which have further developed to give expectant mothers more options than ever.