Natural ways to bring on labour!?

[MJordan]

Hi, I am currently 37 weeks with my first baby and would love some helpful advice on bringing in labour naturally!
I really don't want to go over but I'm aware it's very common with first baby. Friends tell me to go for long walks etc and I've been reading up on clary sage oil and rose oil in a bath helps to bring on natural labour?

Anyone got any tips?

Exercise, walking is one of the best ways. Also staying relaxed and calm - oxytocin is the hormone that keeps labour going, if you're stressed it can be inhibited and stall labour.
Also curry can help, sex (prostaglandin in men's sperm can induce labour) and yeah I believe clary sage can cause uterine contractions.

Nothing that’s evidenced based. But that never seems to matter on threads like this.

Basically, no. There's no solid evidence for any natural ways to bring on labour. If there was, all the women on the induction ward would be in clary sage baths and not hooked up to a drip!!

Waiting is a pretty sure fire way of bringing on labour.
It will happen. You just have to wait.

Nothing bloody works. Sat here overdue having tried it all. The most active agile pregnant person ever, pineapples curry and EPO overload. Only one thing that did something was the CO but clearly not enough. Wait and expect it to go to 44 weeks and you won’t be disappointed

Nothing ever worked for me either.

I cleaned my car out and was 2 weeks early with my first! Not cleaned it since!

I scrubbed and cleaned all my cupboards in the afternoon
Later That night labour started.

Nothing works. Occasionally a woman will do one of the old wives tales and coincidentally have a baby but usually that's being full term, nothing to do with sex or curry (note it's always "I had sex and 12 hours, labour started", everything else they did in those 12 hours including eating cake and playing snakes and ladders is not blamed, always linked to the old wives tale). For every woman who has a curry and goes into labour, hundreds will have a curry and remain pregnant. It's coincidence. Babies come when they're ready.

There are people who try every trick in the book (cough me cough) and nothing will help

Others try one or two things, and it works!

I think it's all purely coincidental to be honest. Our little bubs decide when their internal egg timer pings and they are ready!

But there's no harm in keeping active, taking nice walks.. njoying whatever sex you can get and enjoying hot curries.
Would definitely recommend aromatherapy and warm bubble baths to help you relax as I'm stressed to the eyeballs and midwife is certain I won't go in naturally until I unwind!

With my first I drank 6 cups of raspberry leaf tea, bounced on my birthing ball and stimulated my nipples. I woke up the next morning at only 38+1 and my waters went.

But I've tried everything this time so it just reiterates my previous post

It’s a coincidence if it works. I tried it all and still went two weeks over with both of mine and had to get induced in hospital both times. My mum was the same. X

I thought there was some science in the sex thing? Something in semen? It’s a long time ago now but my midwife definitely recommended it.
Maybe she was humouring me.

I bounced on my birthing ball for 4 hours on the Saturday night

Lost my plug on Sunday

Pains started Monday

Baby born on Tuesday

Didn't call her Solomon Grundy....

Twiddle your nipples. It does work. It also makes your contractions stronger in labour which is helpful when pushing

Thanks everyone! Ahh was hoping for a miracle answer!
I think I'm just going to have to find the inner patience and prepare for an overdue baby lol!
Good luck to the mamas in my position too - our day will come 🤞🏽😂 xx

@NC4Now
I think there definitely is science behind it..
The semen causes a prostaglandins release and helps the cervix soften and the orgasm can kick off contractions..

But let's be honest that won't do squat if your baby isn't ready otherwise we wouldn't be able to have any sex until term.
Hey still fun to try though right :p

They say the only proven way because of hormone release is nipple stimulation . But I had DD1 37 weeks and dd2 37 +3 because it's your first baby no one knows what your normal is but lots of exercise uprightness will encourage the baby to open the cervix oh and a bouncing on a ball

MJordan

Good luck and I wish you all the mummy patience you can gather

There is only theory, the actual science found it doesn't work. There are prostaglandins in semen and prostaglandins are associated with labour starting, but the prostaglandins in semen don't start labour. Some studies show they might even inhibit labour. Bear in mind also, the type of prostaglandin in semen isn't efficient applied to the cervix, theoretically you're better off ingesting it orally. Still won't work but the science is marginally more accurate. See also pineapples. Yes they contain an enzyme which is associated with labour starting but you'd need to eat 8, leaves and core included in one very quick go to ingest enough to replicate nature. You can't do it. It's like poppies can be used to make heroin. So there's theory there but sniffing a poppy won't get you high.

Not sure when the raspberry leaf thing got twisted. It's a uterine tonic meant to make your pushing stage more efficient. In the last few years people have somehow lumped it in with the curry and sex myths and started suggesting it to induce labour. That's not what it's used for.

Of course there's no harm trying anything but I think I'm so opposed to the blithe recommendations because they actually leave women demoralised as they simply don't work. Plus, it's always food you don't want and walking a long way when you're knackered or sex which is agony on your spd. I wish somebody had bandied about cake and tea as the preferred natural induction method.

I also wish we didn't have due dates. 40 weeks isn't a woman's due date. It's slap bang in the middle of the normal 37 to 42 week considered to be full term, with most first babies coming after 40 weeks. They aren't late at all but we do treat women as watched pots. 40 weeks just helps arrange care. Born over the pond in France and you have a 41 week due date. It's somewhat arbitrary.

OP, do whatever makes you happy and comfortable and your baby will come when ready. 37 weeks is early term and while babies born at this gestation have very good outcomes, it's not actually ideal. There is an increased chance of breathing difficulties and lower birth weight which can affect feeding and blood sugar levels. If your baby is happy inside, a few more weeks are nothing but a benefit for them. Good luck!

@ShowOfHands
Very detailed and helpful answer!
I think we do just reach 37 weeks and think "get this baby out of me" lol. I think I'll do the walks and nice baths purely for my relaxation and try not to focus on the "this will bring on my labour" aspect!

I'll remain patient thank you for your help!

Hi OP
I was in exactly your position this time last month (bubs is 4 weeks old tomorrow) and I tried all of them, pineapple, raspberry leaf tea, curry, sex, exercise (walking and swimming) and nipple stimulation.
I will be utterly honest, I think all that it achieved was me having slow/latent labour for two full days before active labour really started and my waters broke.
So 48 hours of very irregular contractions, almost no sleep etc. Did NOT set me up well for actual labour as I was very tired and didn't eat for the 24 hours before actually giving birth.
So, I would honestly let nature take its course, as bloody ANNOYING as that is, I know especially with everyone asking and asking once you're past your due date.
If I have another one I definitely won't try the natural induction methods as I wouldn't want that two day slowwwww build up if I could help it.
Actual birth went fine and quite quickly
Good luck!!! Xx