How to induce labour at home

Have you ever tried to induce labour at home? Old wives tales and millennial mamas all have countless tips and tricks that supposedly work, but I wonder if they actually do. Of corse, keeping your bun in the oven until he/she decides to make an appearance is ideal. But different circumstances could call for you to help your baby along its way. Well, I’ve been doing my research on home induction and I’m here to share them with you.

To be honest, I never thought I’d be desperate enough to induce labour at home. I’m one of those “everything happens when it’s suppose to happen” kind of girls. But my recent OBGYN visit showed us a very big baby Jo. In fact, the guestimation is that he will be over 4kg at birth, if I carry full term. His mid section is really big and since I’m pushing for natural labour (pun intended), my sweet doc would rather not take the chance to have me carry till my due date. If nothing happens naturally, by next week, she will be inducing labour at the hospital. But we’re keeping our hopes up that Jo will make an appearance before then. In the meantime, here are a few “induction tricks” that I’ve found online. I’m curious to know: Have any of you tried this at home? Please share your stories with me!

Lots of sex
Well this is one that Hubstopher won’t mind at all. I’ve read (and I like that this is a medical fact, not something that Margaret told Greta in 1856) that semen contains prostaglandins. This hormone-like compound ripens and softens the cervix. Apparently three “doses” of this hormone is enough to spur on labour.

Nipple stimulation
Another medical fact is that nipple stimulation mimics the suckling of a newborn. This releases oxytocin into your body, which is responsible for uterine contractions during labour. The trick is to stimulate the section behind the areola. You could even do this by using a breast pump.

Castor Oil
Look, I’m not here to promote gut-wrenching diarrhea. But I’ve heard that castor oil is a great natural induction tool because it stimulates the uterus to contract. It does this by stimulating the intestines (which in turn stimulates the uterus). I would assume that you need to be mindful of the amount of castor oil that you ingest. (See my reference to gut-wrenching diarrhea).

Other foods
There are a list of foods that also supposedly bring on those labour pains. Things like pineapple, spicy foods and dates are on top of the list. The reasoning is that they work in similiar fashion to the castor oil – they cause intestinal stimulation, which in turn stimulates the uterus.

Red rasberry leaf tea
This is another one of those old wives tales that people swear by! I’ve read that this tea strengthens the uterus and pelvic wall, when consumed during pregnancy. It is also very stimulating and is said to speed along the birth process as well.

Acupuncture and accupresure
There is always the option of trying natural or homeopathic remedys. I’m no expert on the topic but I’ve read that acupuncture helps to get you mentally and physically ready to birth your baby. In fact, there are certain pressure points in your feet that can help to bring on natural labour.

Move it move it
Exercises – such as walking, biking or swimming – is said to bring on labour. Of corse, you’re always told to walk walk walk, when you’re in your final stages of pregnancy. This helps baby to get into position and it helps to open up your pelvis for a faster delivery.

So that’s my list. But with all of that said, I don’t have room for fear or anxiety in my head. Remaining calm and relaxed is my super, top secret tip on how to induce labour at home. But I must admit, I am curious: Have you tried any of these at home? Which of these work, in your opinion? Please share your thoughts and tips with me, in the comments section!