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There are a lot of reasons that women may want to induce labor, as well as a number of proven ways to induce labor at home. “Most women would prefer their labor to start naturally rather than have it jumpstarted at the hospital with drugs,” Mindy Cockeram, author of Cut Your Labor in Half told Mom.com. The reality is that many women prefer the intimacy of being able to start labor at home and may even decide to have a home birth.
For me, it was about being proactive with a child that was already 10 days overdue. My desire to induce at home was because I wanted to get things rolling. I wanted it to make sense that I was packing up and heading to the hospital. It was about having some control over an uncontrollable situation. Keep in mind that labor is labor and does have risks involved. Even inducing labor naturally should only be done with your doctor’s advice.
Natural ways to induce labor
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there is really just one proven way to induce labor at home: nipple stimulation. Nipple stimulation is a natural way to increase the body’s oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is the body’s natural Pitocin, which is the drug used in a medical setting to induce labor. When you increase oxytocin, you send signals to your body to start contractions and labor.
Doctors find that this is the only way to actually induce labor at home, though there are many other suggestions that you’ll find on the internet.
Ways to induce labor: What women say works
For generations, women have been passing down ideas that help stimulate labor. Of the many ways to induce labor that you can find information on, these include:
Walking and exercise
This can help to draw the baby down toward the pelvic region. With the baby’s pressure, you might stimulate the cervix enough to start labor. “My doula recommended a brisk walk around the block,” Melissa Vonderack told Mom.com. “Whether it was the walk or just the right time, my contractions started shortly after getting home.”
Sex
It might seem a little difficult at 40 weeks pregnant, but is worth a try if you’re up for it. A man’s sperm contains prostaglandins. These are the hormones that help to thin and dilate the cervix as labor begins.
Evening primrose oil
Proceed with extreme caution: Women with placenta previa should stay away from this herb. Before taking evening primrose oil — or any type of oils or supplements — talk to your doctor.
Drinking castor oil
Drinking castor oil is thought to work because it irritates your intestines, which can lead to your uterus contracting. The risk is that you may just get an upset stomach rather than start labor.
Eating spicy foods
Spicy foods are thought to induce labor for the same reason as castor oil, so think about the risk of intestinal distress before you try this method.
Always check with your doctor before you try a home induction stimulation. The idea is to help things along, not cause more harm than good.
Induce labor yourself: My story
Like many women in Los Angeles, I was told about a salad that would induce labor. Remember: I was 10 days overdue at the point when I started wanting to induce. My sister-in-law told me where to go and to ask the person behind the counter for the “Pregnancy Salad.”
So I forced my husband to take me and order the salad. Apparently Hillary Duff and I have something in common because we both sought the salad and it didn’t work. Frustrated, I told my doctor about the salad adventure. After his chuckle, he told me it wasn’t the salad that would lead to labor, it was a salad containing watercress because it contained natural compounds like Pitocin. He said you couldn’t get the amount of watercress needed just from a salad.
Armed with my new information, I bought two pounds of watercress and ate it like a cow eats grass. I didn’t make a salad or even dress it with tasty salad dressing. That’s how desperate I was. Hours later I started very low-level contractions. Labor had started, but I wasn’t dilating so the hospital sent me home to ride it out at home until I was further along.
What my doctor didn’t tell me until after all was said and done and I had completed 48 hours of agonizing labor, is that when you induce this way you can put yourself in a position for a longer, more painful delivery. And that’s exactly what I had. So heed my warning, using “The Salad” is not the best option out there.
*Disclaimer: The advice on Mom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
