6 Ways to Induce Labor Naturally

It’s your due date, and you’re beyond ready to have your baby! You’re probably asking yourself, “will I be pregnant forever?”  The waiting game is no joke. Fortunately for me with my first son, I went into labor 16 days early, which I was completely okay with, but I do credit several things for helping move along the process.

I’ve included some things I tried the night my water broke as well as some additional suggestions that other moms swear by!

Bounce on a Fitness Ball

I used my fitness ball to help induce labor because the movement of bouncing and moving my hips around not only helped ease my lower back pain, but it helped pull the baby towards the exit. Don’t worry about hurting your child either! Sitting on the ball also helps open your pelvis and helps prepare you more for childbirth.

Sex

Probably the most fun way to trigger labor if you’re willing to try!  It’s said that having an orgasm can help stimulate your uterus into action because it releases oxytocin, a hormone that helps trigger contractions.  Semen also helps soften your cervix because it contains prostalandins also which help to soften the cervix . If you’re willing to try this, it’s a relatively effective way to induce labor!

Work Out

The night my water broke, I walked/ran two miles on the treadmill, did 20 minutes of weights, did ball exercises to help move my son down lower, did a little bit of yoga and did stairs. My water broke less than 5 hours later. Coincidence? Maybe, but it seemed to have work for me! If you’re able to get in a short workout, I think you’ll reap the benefits of doing so!

Eat Spicy Foods

Many women swear that eating spicy foods is what finally triggered labor for them. It might be the spice itself or the side effect of the spice, but regardless; it’s said to work. I did incorporate extra spice into my dinner the night my water broke, so I do feel this was an effective way to induce labor.

Nipple Stimulation

Prolonged nipple stimulation prompts the pituitary gland to release contraction-inducing oxytocin; its synthetic form of pitocin, which is the most common drug used to help induce labor. It’s difficult to stimulate the nipples enough to trigger  the oxytocin, but for some women desperate to have labor start, they’re willing to try anything!

Eat Pineapple

I’m not a pineapple fan, so I did not try this method, but women swear by this method. Pineapple is packed with many important vitamins and minerals and it contains an enzyme called bromelain which is believed to also soften the cervix and start labor almost instantly. Make sure that the pineapple is ripe as it contains the highest level of bromelain.

I recommend consulting with your doctor before you try naturally inducing labor, but once you get the clear, try some of these common labor-inducing methods. I tried nearly all of them the night my water broke, so they worked for me in my opinion.

Good luck, mommas!

What other ways did you help naturally induce your labor?