Inducing Labor - Natural Ways to Induce Labor

A normal human pregnancy has a gestation period of 9 months or up to 40 weeks. After the completion of this gestation period, the body naturally begins to go into labor contractions. Sometimes, however, there can be circumstances where labor needs to be induced in the mother so as to ensure the birth of the baby.

The circumstances where natural labor induction is advised are:

• If the mother is suffering from health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, seizures, or any other medical conditions which may hamper the baby's health, a medical practitioner will advise labor induction.
• If there are conditions where the baby in the womb is diagnosed to be suffering from any congenital conditions which require special care at the time of birth, a controlled environment created by natural labor induction may be necessary.

Often women cite the reason that the gestation period of 40 weeks has elapsed and want to consider the option of natural labor induction. However, the process of establishing the time period of gestation is often calculated by the doctor using a 'pregnancy wheel'. This takes it for granted that the woman has a 28 day cycle and ovulates on the 14th day. The truth is that all women have their own cycles and do not necessarily ovulate of the 14th day. Therefore the 'due date' just may be off by a few days to a couple of weeks even. The natural tendency of the human body is to complete the gestation period of the baby and then begin the contractions for labor. No one knows how or why, but this natural process just happens when the development of the baby in the womb is complete. Thus, if labor contractions do not begin, there is no reason to worry - at least for a few weeks.

If labor is induced too early, then one is risking the completion of the growth process of the baby which may result in further complications. The baby may be born weak or ill and may suffer for it. Also, inducing labor may cause the uterus to become hyper-stimulated. This may lead to the baby not receiving enough oxygen supply and thus cause the fetal heart rate to slow down.

However, there are certain circumstances that prohibit inducing labor in the mother. These are:

• When it has been diagnosed by the medical practitioner that giving birth naturally would be unsafe for both the mother and the baby, and he has recommended a c-section birth.
• When the blood vessels from the umbilical cord are embedded in the amniotic membranes and thus may rupture during natural childbirth.
• When the umbilical cord is lying in the front of the baby's head and thus could be compressed during natural childbirth.
• When the mother has had more than one c-section.
• If the mother is giving birth to triplets or more, inducing labor is not advised at all.
• If the mother has an active genital herpes infection, inducing labor is not advisable.
• If the mother has had any other uterine surgery, such as one for removing fibroids, then inducing labor is not advised.

Now that one is aware of the circumstances where natural labor induction is advised and the circumstances where inducing labor is not advisable, let us look at the various natural ways to induce labor. The natural ways to induce labor are:

• Walking - Walking is one of the best ways to induce labor when one is having contractions, but labor is not beginning. This allows the hips to sway and since the mother is upright, it helps to bring the baby into the correct position for delivery.
• Making Love - Although this may sound rather off-putting during the time of delivery, making love with your partner will help in the process of inducing labor as Semen contains prostaglandins which stimulate contractions.
• Spicy Food - If one is not suffering from heartburn, then spicy food has also been held to cause labor contractions. However, this is not a medically proven fact or method.
• Castor Oil - Many midwives swear by this method of inducing labor. 1 - 4 Ounces of Castor Oil mixed in 6 Ounces of Orange Juice are to be drunk (quickly so as to avoid the unpleasant taste). This is known to cause spasms in the intestines which put pressure on the uterus and cause it to cramp which results in contractions. Also, one should know that Castor Oil will cause the bowels to empty within 3 hours. So with this method, you may be right in the middle of having labor contractions while in the process of emptying the bowels.
• Blue and Black Cohosh - Both these herbs are used in combination to induce labor. Blue Cohosh is said to make the uterine contractions stronger, and Black Cohosh is supposed to make them regular. However, no studies have been conducted to determine the safety of this method of inducing labor.
• Stimulating the Nipples - Massaging the nipples is known as one of the natural ways to induce labor in pregnant women. Such stimulation causes the release of oxytocin which causes contractions. However, this method has also been known to cause long and strong uterine contractions which may cause the fetal heart rate to slow down.
• Bumpy Car Ride - Even though this method sounds funny, a bumpy car ride is also known to cause labor contractions in pregnant women. Of course, there are no medical statistics available on this method.

All various factors and conditions must be taken into account before inducing labor. And most of all, before trying any of these methods, it is best to consult your doctor to see which method is the most suitable for you.