Pregnancy Issues - Things You Could Try At Home To Induce Labor

Giving birth is one of the most wonderful experiences a woman can have. But sometimes a baby is in no hurry to make an appearance and might need a little encouragement. If you are overdue and tired, there are some safe methods you could try at home to stimulate labor and finally meet your baby.

You probably already discussed the possibility of medical induction with your doctor. You should know, however, that medical induction comes with many risks and side effects. If possible, you should try to avoid it and use it only as a last resort.

Pregnancy can be ended the same way it started - by having sexual intercourse. The hormones in the semen called prostaglandins can help soften the cervix. During orgasm a woman releases large amounts of oxytocin, which stimulate contractions. Nipple stimulation also brings about the release of oxytocin.

At nine months pregnant many women don’t desire sex. No problem, there are other options. The simplest one includes gravity. The idea is simple - using the force of gravity to help the baby to descend and speeding up the labor process. Walking or bouncing on an exercise ball can do the trick.

Some herbs, like black and blue cohosh, promote contractions and help the cervix to dilate. Their use, however, is not recommended, because they are possibly unsafe. They have been associated with severe hemorrhaging during childbirth and cardiac complications in newborns.

Another method, not widely known in Western civilization, but extremely popular in Asian countries, is a technique called maternity acupressure. It has been effectively used for more than 5000 years. It is intended to induce labor naturally and also make childbirth easier.

Maternity acupressure, or labor acupressure as it is sometimes called, is based on the same ideas and principles as acupuncture. The only difference is that it doesn’t use needles, but simply fingers to apply gentle pressure to specific points. Women who use this technique experience normal childbirth with substantially less complications.