Suggestions for 'Natural' Labor Induction

My mom, 38 years ago, and a friend of mine used castor oil. The friend used it all 4 pregnancies-she made shakes with it.

Good luck!

I don't have any suggestions that the other moms havent mentioned, but can they really FORCE her to be induced? That doesn't sound at all like health "care". Sounds like she might want to look for a midwife for her next child :)

I took castor oil with two of my kids. It worked both times! You get the runs, but it does the trick! I think you only need a table spoon or two, but take it with a cup of Dr. Pepper or something to chase it. The key is to not take a breath between the castor oil and the chaser. (I found that out the second pregnancy I did this with.)
Good luck!

Avoid Evening Primrose, it thins your blood. I suggest avoiding all herbal or home remedies not recommended by your OBGYN. I have a friend whose wife almost died because of herbal remedies.

But...walk and make love! Orgasms induce labor!

Hi L., tell your friend to be patient. Babies come when they are ready, and trying to induce on her own could be dangerous. Gentle walking is always good, but do it around the house. I had one son who was a few weeks late (due dates aren't always accurate!)but when he was ready, he came in a hurry (smile)!

P., experienced mom of 5

half a glass of wine and some sex...worked to put me into labor with both of my children. good luck!

Natural methods of induction work only if the baby is ready. Same with Pitocin. If she really wants to wait for normal labor to begin, perhaps she can discuss w/ OBs/midwives about their concerns and negotiate more time. Some practices are fine with more time if an ultrasound is done to check fluid levels and a good non-stress test. Also, there is no "law" that they can force her to be induced. She can refuse.

Your friend can ask for a non-stress test. if everything looks good with the baby there is no reason she can't tell her doctor that she'd prefer to wait another week before inducing. She doesn't have to consent to anything she doesnt want - remind her that her doctor works for HER - not the other way around. My last baby was born at 41+2 and even at 41 weeks I had NO signs of labor. I know it's really hard to be patient this late in the game. If it were me I'd probably try castor oil the night before my induction were scheduled if I truly felt like the baby needed to come out for a medical reason.

She may be interested in looking at the plots from the following article:

Prolonged pregnancy: when should we intervene?
Norwitz ER, Snegovskikh VV, Caughey AB.
Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Jun;50(2):547-57. Review.

I posted these for a friend some time ago:
http://picasaweb.google.com/karentroy/Random_stuff#514570...

Even after 42 weeks the risk of infant mortality only jumps to 5/1000, or 0.5%. This means that there is a 99.5% chance everything is just fine.

My spelling is gonna be bad here because I am not sure about the name just how you say it. There are some herbal teas Black or Blue Kohosh (the label says don't drink if you are pregnant because it may induce labor...but that is what you are trying to do) It does NOT taste good. Red Raspberry LEAF tea helps to prime the uterus before and after birth and it may cause contractions. A breast pump (machine not hand pump don't know if that matters) put me into labor (but my water had broken I just was not in labor) and it totally worked!! Again, I was having contractions just not progressing at all.
Also sex is often a starter because seaman acts as the medical stuff ?cervidel? they sometimes rub directly on the cervics when there is not sign of dialation. (These are just things I have heard about, I am not an expert but GOOD for her for wanting to go natural and get all the info she can!)

I've heard that massage, acupressure, and/or acupuncture can induce labor naturally.

Sex. They call it the Italian induction method. There's something in the man's fluid that stimulates it. More fun that walking, too!

sex! or just orgasms in general!

Hi L.,
My first child was three weeks late. An ultrasound to measure the cross-section of his head was used to estimate due date and it was wrong...he turned out to be big...and has since grown to 6'4" so it was good that he had the extra time to develop before birth. I recall extra OB-GYN appointments to look for any signs of stress...there weren't any signs of stress except for the people that I worked with at the time because they were nervous ...

Additional resources are available to you at www.birthlink.com
I agree acupuncture can help you
Prenatal yoga can help to open your hips...we use a full squat (you'd be welcome at www.universalspirityoga.com with next prenatal class at 7pm Tuesday with Shannon - she's also a doula and will have additional suggestions for your friend). Another doula that I recommend is Stephanie at www.korubirth.com

I agree that its important for someone to assess if there's any signs of distress going on for mama or baby.

Best wishes to your friend! I have always been thankful that my son had the extra time before labor and delivery...that he was not forced to come on any arbitrary date.

C.
mom of three
prenatal yoga teacher

I agree with those that stated sex! I went into labor about an hour afterward. 16 hours later I had a beautiful baby boy. Your friend needs to do what she feels is best for her but being induced really was a much easier labor for me the 2nd time. Although I was induced for preeclampsia I was in labor for less than 8 hrs and with the help of an epidural it was a breeze compared to my first. My epidural didn't work with my first and it was a very long and painful labor. With my second I swear I didn't feel any pain until it was time to push. Good luck to your friend!

walking, raspberry tea, eggplant parmesan from Olive Garden, sex......I had an induction date set and really really wanted to avoid it, and so I tried all these things and I went into labor the day before and had my baby girl 9 hours before I was scheduled to be induced! Had a great labor, too, not chained to the bed and on all kinds of IVs.

I hate to be blunt but sex works as well as "nipple stimulation" and accupuncture.

My midwives suggested having sex and/or using nipple stimulation. These stimulate natural production of oxytocin, which is the same hormone that causes uterine contractions. There are also some herbal remedies -- black or blue cohosh seems to come to mind. Raspberry leaf tea might help, and I seem to recall something about castor oil.

Best,
R.

Try getting intimate with your husband ( no joke). I went into labor just as things were heating up between us. I think that is as about as 'natural' as you're going to get.

Congratulations on the new bundle of joy.

Raspberry leaf tea. Sex. I don't recommend the castor oil, I tried and it just made me keep having bowel movements when pushing the baby out. If needing to be induced naturally, my doctor used the E.A.S.I procedure and it worked like a charm, no drugs!

caster oil. 2 oz should do it, my midwife told me to mix it with vodka and o.j

I was three days overdue and very uncomfortable, so my husband gave me a very relaxing and thorough foot massage. My contractions started an hour later and progressed to 3-4 minutes apart within two hours!

Good luck to your friend!

They say that sex is almost a foolproof way to induce labor.

Hi L. - Sweeping or stripping the membranes will work, as the last poster suggested. Midwives have been using it for years and it makes me angry that docs go right to pitocin before trying natural methods. Sweeping the membranes works about 1/3 of the time so it may need to be done more than once. If it works, it should within 24 hours. I went into labor with the 2nd sweep after about 8 hours. It is uncomfortable but not near as much as labor. A prerequisite is that she be dilated at least a little in order to be able to insert the finger. I highly recommend it over Pitocin. Her OB will definitely know what she's referring to so she should not be afraid to ask. Hope all goes well.

I've heard of castor oil, egg plant parmesan, bumpy rides, triping over dogs on the stairs.....

I was a week overdue with my second baby. I had a lot of false labor contractions. My midwife told me that I had to "rest" my uterus to stop the false contractions and bring on real ones. She suggested I sit on the couch, with my feet up, all day and drink a gallon of water. I was only able to get up to go to the bathroom I did just that and labor started at 3 am the next morning. My third was also a week overdue and I did the same thing and it worked again.

not sure if this is true but I went into labor in the evening after having gone to get a pedicure with my mom that morning. I didnt think anythign of it until my postpartum nurse said "cute toes" I thanked her and siad i had just had them done before going into labor and she said "well thats what did it" she said she sees it all the time, it has something to do with the accupressure and massage mentioned in some of the earlier posts

Sucking her thumb...it was recommended in Bradley Birth classes. There is a pressure point on the top of your mouth where your thumb hits and it is supposed to stimulate the contractions to get going. My daughter came 10 days early, so I didn't have to try anything, but here's something new. :)

Tell her congrats!

I don't understand wanting to induce labor with it only being a week "late"; your conception date could be off or maybe this baby needs more time to "cook". It's nature ya know not a factory! Too often doctors just want to make it convenient for themselves. I'd wait it out unless there is a strong reason not to.

My self an a friend did use castor oil and went into labor the next day my daughter was born on her due date her DR was going out of town for Thanksgiving and i wanted her not the on call Dr i would not reccomend mixing it with vodka i took a shot glsss fll of castor oil and chased it with juice not to terrible.

well here is something i would never have thought would send me into labor . i was only 7 months along when i tryed yoga. if u dont do yoga on a regulay bases and then u try it for some reason it streches out your body and can send u into labor. sounds crazy but it happens i never did it befor then and it sent me into early labor which we stoped and the doc told me to stay away from yoga lol now i have a great 1 year old little girl

Sex didn't work for me, but it was fun trying. What worked for me was walking. I was already in labor though, contractions were less than 5min apart. I went to the hospital, but they sent me home because I was only dilated 2cm and my water hadn't broken yet. That afternoon my husband and I walked to the nearest Baskin Robbins and back, which was a mile each way. My water broke that night. I wouldn't have been able to walk so far if I hadn't had an ice cream reward waiting for me :) and I'm glad I did it!

Good luck, and let us know what worked for her!

I have heard from over due friends that sexual relations have helped them go into labor. Don't know details but girlfriend just had a baby 7 days ago and was almost 2 weeks over due.

Hi L.

I've learned the following through my natural childbirth class, and reading books by Ina May Gaskin (leading midwifery authority). I'm hoping my baby comes on time but I will do everything I can to avoid induction!
Nipple stimulation, sex, certain foods, acupressure, etc all help. Check out this website for more information:
http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/natural-ways-to-induc...
Hope this helps!
N.
P.S. I have heard walking IS great though as well :)

I refused to be induced.....I also refused a c-section.
My son was due the end of January and was not born until the 20th of Feb....4 weeks later. He weighed a whopping 11lbs. Once labor began, it was only 1 1/2hrs from the time my water broke until he was born (without anestestics).....Healthy and happy. I think the key hear is communication with your doctor. IF the baby is not in any distress....why not wait??? The monitoring they can do is quite substantial. Obviously the health of both MOM and BABY are the most important. There are risks in waiting, but also risks in drugging them. ONLY the DOCTOR and the MOM can decide which risk to take for the best outcome.

Good Luck!

L.-Black and blue cohosh are excellent for helping to stimulate labor. Caster oil is right on the money and you can do coffee enemas as well, there are very specific instructions for that.

Acupuncture is also a great one.

Good luck!!

T.

Didn't have time to read all the responses but my midwife's sure fire labor inducer was Rasberry leaf tea. Not flovored from the grocery store but pure leaf from the health food store. Tons of it and it works like a charm. I had to stop drinking it with my first casue I stated too soon and went into labor early.

may sound funny, but spicy food and sex-

Sex, worked for me! Had the baby that night!

Chiropractic adjustment, accupressure, massage, sex, nipple/clitoral stimulation, eating spicy foods, eating eggplant, drinking 2 ounces of castor oil every 2 hours is known to start labor, just relaxing and envisioning her baby moving closer to her.

sex, nipple stimulation (breast pump or manuel)

Hi ~ All I know is I was overdue with my first(2 weeks) and I did everything ... it wasn't until I washed the floor on my hands and knees that I went into laber. I went into labor with the second child after I washed the car. Maybe just a coincidence , but after all that stretching both times it seemned to get things going. Good luck and enjoy the precious little one..

Ditto on the sex. My OBGYN actually suggested this and it worked for me, though it was the very last thing on my mind at that time! Good luck to her. : )

I know of someone who walked and did stairs (breathing properly of course). Also, a small Fleets enema brought on her labor. They baby will come when it's ready. The little one will not move much before labor and stores energy for the event to begin. She can just wait till baby is ready, hard as that is.

She may want to try seeing a massage therapist with experience in foot reflexology. There is supposed to be a pressure point neat the ankle that can induce labor.

Acupunture -- there are certain pressure points that affect the uterus and help induce labor.

With my son, I had accupuncture since I was 2 weeks overdue. He was born 2 days later (after the second application of accupuncture). With my daughter, I asked the midwife to strip my membranes during my last 41st week appointment. Then I mixed 3-4 TB frozen juice concentrate with 1-2 TB Castor Oil and drank that. It wasn't pleasant to taste, but the frozen juice concentrate really was strong tasting. I had my daughter that next day. ;>

Hope your friend can go into labor without hospital induction, it's MUCH easier for her!