How to help bring on labour?

[stickytoffeepud123]

Hi! I’m just wondering what everyone’s tips are for helping to bring on labour.
I’m aware babies come when they are ready, but I know a lot of people have various tips which they think made a difference!
Mainly asking because with coronavirus on the rise again, I don’t want to be in hospital in a couple of weeks time when it will probably be peaking again haha

I hate to break it to you but nothing works. I tried absolutely every trick in the book and it made not one tiny bit of difference. There is no evidence to back up any of the suggested "methods". Baby will come when it's ready!

Curry, sex and laughing. I found the last one worked.

Sex (sperm on the cervix), orgasm (produce uterine contractions), bouncing on a ball, walking.

I did all of these and my dd was born a week early. However, I'm a believer that you have to be in some sort of early labour anyway for these things to work.

Good luck!

Nipple stimulation possibly has some evidence behind it but not fully conclusive everything else comes under the old wives tales category.

Agree with others. Nipple stimulation is the only one with a slight bit of evidence and even then, only if your body is absolutely ready and it's imminent anyway.

The research seems to suggest that most tips either make no difference whatsoever or might even slow down onset.

You're really better off just doing what makes you happy.

Sex worked for me plus being fairly active, walking round, standing up, playing with toddler not over doing it though

A sweep followed by sex