Does sex really being on labour?

[JES12]

Hi all, what is people's experience of this? Has sex brought on labour, if so, how soon after?

Old wives tale or is there some theory behind it?

It’s the poking of the cervix and something in the seman. Like when they used horse seman when being induced or something.

The poking of the cervix is supposed to mimic the babies head poking on the cervix to send a message to the brain to release the hormone to make it dilate and the seman to soften it.

Or something... my brain is hazy on the topic these days

*semen

I knew it didn’t look right.

Semen contains prostaglandins which are meant to stimulate the cervix to open. Never worked for me though. Strong and repeated raspberry leaf tea did and was less effort.

Except raspberry leaf tea is meant to tone the uterus to give a shorter pushing stage. It doesn’t do anything to bring on labour.

Did nothing for me. Sure it does for some.

It did for me first time around, it had a similar effect to a stretch and sweep.

Sorry, what I mean is, it disturbed the mucus plug, which came away, but labour didn’t start for a few days after that. So not exactly like a stretch and sweep!

Sorry, it's an old wives' tale. Don't bother!

I went into labour an hour after we'd had sex with my first.

Thanks for the messages everyone. We tried anyway but still no baby. Darn it!

Didn't work for me.

What I wonder is, if the prostaglandins are supposed to have an effect, does that mean there comes a time in pregnancy where you should avoid (unprotected) sex in case it brings on labour too early?!

After about 9 months it might

I read an article that recommended sex, at least one orgasm (for the woman), tilting your pelvis to let the cervix be dunked in the semen and lots of nipple stimulation.

I did go into labour - but who knows if it helped.

My waters broke an hour after sex lol 😁

Did bugger all for me. Neither did raspberry leaf tea or spicy curries!

Worked for me. Out of all the "old wives tales" this one makes the most sense scientifically. If midwives give you a pessary it contains prostaglandin, which as someone mentioned above, is also found in sperm.

I went into labour about 6 hours after having sex. Then, about 6 more hours after my contractions started, they slowed down almost to a halt. So we had sex again and I took a nap. Once I woke up the contractions came back Anecdotal, I know, but I'm certain it was the shagging

Worked for me. Sex st 8pm, first contraction at 10:30pm, baby born at 11am the next day.

Yes worked for me first time around.

The hormones of (good) sex are the same as those of labour. Prostaglandins ( soften the cervix, start contractions) are contained in semen. Obviously women have them too and release them in early labour.
Oxytocin (the big, rhythmic contraction one) is released when you have an orgasm.
But it only works when your body is ready! And it passes the time.

Go for a walk. Slow as you like if your struggling. Did it for me, and I believe it does have some scientific basis.

I was assured by a consultant that sex was the only way to bring on labour, and spent an interesting weeekend seeing if this was true!
Turns out it really does work, but (sorry tmi) you have to let the semen hang around the area afterwards rather than washing it which is quite yucky.

It seemed to with ds2 (had sex about midnight, went into labour about 8am).

I believe it's the only thing that actually could work scientifically, as prostaglandins in sperm are the same (presumably lower dose?) as in a pessary to induce labour, and also oxytocin as mentioned above. Nothing works if you're not already on the verge though (including a sweep) hence why many inductions result in synthetic oxytocin drip!

Thanks again all. I'll give it a day or two and try again. Nothing seems to be working, maybe baby is just a lazy so and so! (6 days overdue now).

Love the openness of these posts by the way!!! X