4 top tips for inducing labour naturally from a former midwife *
**Not for you if you don’t want to hear about sperm, orgasms and nipples.
Ok, Ok, I know, I know. This is a postnatal exercise page. So why on earth am I giving you tips on how to start labour.....
Because someone who was well over due their baby dropped into my inbox on instagram not that long ago and we got chatting ‘How to induce labour naturally at home’.
The midwife in me came up with these tips and I had to share because I know this will help others too. Please pass onto any pregnant women you know too.
These tips to inducing labour naturally at home are by no means fool proof. Just because you do these tips doesn’t mean you will go into labour. But they will help.
*Look how young I looked when I was a midwife. This is literally the only picture I have of past me as a midwife. I believe this was shortly after I qualified.
Anyway.... on to the tips of how to induce labour naturally at home.
Get that babies head moving
You have a babies head in your pelvis. If you can get it to move around in there it will rub and stimulate your cervix to help induce labour naturally. It will help babies head to wiggle down a bit more into an optimal position for birth and start stimulating. You can do this by.
Getting into all the positions. Sit leant forward over a chair, squat down low, sit on the four, hang out in all fours, find a pregnancy yoga class or aqua natal.
Walk. It is important to rest when you feel like you need to but it is also important to stay active.
Use a birth ball to sit on and move your hips around, forward and back wards and side to side.
2. Nipple Stimulation
Stimulating your nipples releases a hormone called oxytocin which is the same hormone that creates your contractions. So you want plenty of oxytocin in your system to help induce labour naturally. You can do that by;
Rubbing them between your fingers.
Expressing colostrum (with the added benefit of you being able to freeze it encase it is needed).
Let your partner help out? Could be fun - Or irritating. Thats for you to decide.
3. Sperm
I know right? Who knew that sperm had more than one use. You can use it to help induce labour naturally. Sperm contains prostaglandin which helps ripen the cervix and helps start labour. So much so that when women have a medical induction of labour an artificial prostaglandin is used to induce labour. You can do this by;
Got ya! You don’t really need me to help you work out how to get sperm on your cervix do you? If the thought of sex whilst heavily pregnant to help induce labour naturally makes you wanna vom. There are other ways. I will let you use your imagination.
4. Orgasm
When you orgasm you release the hormone oxytocin just as you do with nipple stimulation. Oxytocin is the hormone that makes your contractions contract. So you want lots of it in your body to help induce labour. So whether you decide to go solo or ask for some help from your partner (or someone else - whatever floats you boat) - have fun knowing you are helping your baby out (literally).
Some of these tips could be done together. E.G number 1 and 2. Or 2 and 4. Or 2, 3 and 4. Too much? sorry, not sorry!
I was 6 days over due when I had my second. I was really keen for a home birth too. For the last few days you would find me watching day time TV whilst using a breast pump and bouncing on my birth ball.
I hope that was helpful and you got at least 1 thing you can be doing to help induce labour naturally. Have a think about the tips and find a tip or combo of tips that you feel comfortable with and see what you can do to help your labour along.
Whilst I have your attention - I am Karen Ellis and I am who you need in your life to help you recover physically after you have had a baby. Expect little to no information in your postnatal period about how to recover physically and exercise safely after having a baby.
This is where I am really passionate, which is why I offer a FREE pelvic floor workshop (So much more than a pelvic floor workshop) which is really useful to attend even if you are still pregnant. Go check it out and sign up to join us live or to get the replay to watch in your own time. Here the link.....
And find me on social here
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/karenpostrehab
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