Natural Induction Methods

I know far too well the feeling of helplessness at the end of pregnancy. You feel like a beached whale, a ticking time bomb, and people are constantly asking you if the baby has arrived...

The following are easy and gentle measures to urge baby to send your body the proper hormones to begin labor. Keep in mind that these are GENTLE METHODS and are not intended to be used without consulting a doctor or midwife.

Self-help Techniques

• Walking 20 minutes per day: Let gravity do the work!
• Try Curb Walking (stepping one foot up on the curb and keeping the other foot on the street, walk up and down like this down one block, turn around and walk the other way with the other foot going up on the curb).
• Supported Squats: open a door, hold onto both door knobs a sit your bottom down as low as is comfortable to get back up into a standing position. Aim for about 50 squats per day.
• Any weekly exercises or positions from Spinning Babies are extremely helpful in getting baby engaged and in the optimal fetal position (OFP). Check out 
• Intercourse AND orgasm: Let someone else do the work! His big "O" contains the same hormonal cocktail as what you would typically receive in a medical induction (called Prostaglandin or the medical Cervidil/Cytotec).
• Nipple stimulation: Surprisingly, this is a wonderful way to increase oxytocin, the love hormone that gets labor going! You can self-stimulate or use a breast pump.
• Stairs: This is a wonderful way to create assymetry in the pelvis to encourage baby to engage. 
• Castor oil: Drinking this does not taste good but can help upset the stomach enough to induce contractions. I would recommend other induction measures before this!
• Chiropractic/Acupressure/Acupuncture/Massage: By aligning your meridians and balancing your body, it may be enough to nudge that baby out! Plus self-care induces relaxation, a labor starter! I recommend seeing Cecily Yousaf at Fertile Grounds for acupuncture sessions. She guarantees you won't make to your 3rd session! Give them a call: (303) 248-3481
  • Grab your FREE Foot Massage for Labor HERE!! It's seriously a marriage saver!
• Labor cookies: See my first blog post!
• RELAX...no, seriously! Sometimes the anticipation of labor can be the exact reason why you're NOT going into labor. A stressed mindset sends fear hormones into your system, telling your body that it's not ready to have a baby yet. So, here is my prescription:
  • Do this every day leading up to labor: Take a soothing walking meditation, go home and dim the lights, eat some food, take a bubble bath, watch a funny show, do a 10-minute breath exercise, and get as much rest as possible.
  • If you're still feeling stressed, reach out to a trusted person and/or your Doula!!

Complementary Medicine Methods

• Herbal tea and tinctures: Red raspberry tea
• Homeopathic remedies: Putting a couple capsules of Evening Primrose oil up your hoohah will soften the cervix and allow it to ripen. It worked for me! Other remedies are: Pulsatilla 200C, Caullophyllum 200C and Cimicifuga 200C.
• Foods: Dates, pineapple, spicy food...many moms swear by these!

Medical Non-drug Methods of Induction

• Balloon dilator (Cooks catheter) or Dilapan (Dilation rods): They can help if you are already in the hospital and labor is not active.
• Stripping (or sweeping) the membranes: This is uncomfortable but can help ease things along before you are in labor.
• Artificial rupture of membranes (AROM): Possibilities of cord prolapse (not common) with this method but it can definitely get labor moving along.

To be completely honest: acupuncture and sex are truly the ONLY studied, tried and true methods that actually move the marker from a natural standpoint, but EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT.

Do you know of any other methods not mentioned here? Would love to hear from you!

While you're waiting for that new baby bundle, snag yourself a FREE Labor Cheat Sheet so you and partner have an easy reference for anything that could arise in labor!

Here's to keeping your LOVE IN MOTION!!