What will start contractions

I promise there will be an end. Can pineapple induce your labor? What about castor oil? A certified nurse midwife weighs in on natural tactics that women use hoping to coax their bodies into labor. Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Related Articles. Nurse Midwife vs. Overdue Baby? Trending Topics. What Parents Need to Know. Truth or Tale? If you're hugely pregnant, uncomfortable, and past your due date, it's no surprise that you may be wondering how to induce labor. You may have heard claims that you can induce labor naturally by drinking red raspberry leaf tea, riding in a car along a bumpy road, having sex, eating pineapple, or getting acupuncture.

Sadly, these aren't guaranteed ways to induce labor — there's no scientific proof that they work. And some so-called natural ways to induce labor, such as drinking castor oil or eating spicy food, can cause unpleasant side effects. There are many labor-inducing tricks you may have heard of — including nipple stimulation, sex, spicy food, castor oil, riding along a bumpy road, acupuncture, and even eating pineapple.

Unfortunately, none of these methods has been proven effective, and some may not be safe. There's no harm in walking or having sex to try and jump start your labor — it could help, and even if it doesn't, you may enjoy it! First make sure that sex is safe for you now. But other methods — like drinking castor oil or eating spicy foods — could upset your stomach and cause nausea and diarrhea.

And some methods, including nipple stimulation and taking various herbs, could overstimulate your uterus and pose a risk to your baby. Before trying any natural ways to induce labor, make sure to talk to your caregiver. Semen contains prostaglandins, and having an orgasm may stimulate contractions. A few studies have shown that having sex when you're full-term may reduce the need for labor induction, but others have found no effect on promoting labor.

Stimulating your nipples releases oxytocin and may help start labor. While it's a time-honored approach, more research is needed to determine how effective it is. And because there's a possibility of overstimulating your uterus and stressing your baby , it's probably safer to try this in the hospital while being monitored. Castor oil is a strong laxative. Although stimulating your bowels may cause contractions, there's not a lot of definitive research showing that it helps induce labor — and you're likely to find the effect very unpleasant.

It can also lead to diarrhea and dehydration, so it's important that you stay hydrated if using castor oil. A self-administered enema works similarly to castor oil in that it stimulates the bowels, which releases prostaglandins compounds that prepare the cervix for labor into the body. Again, there's not much recent scientific evidence for an enema to bring on labor, but anecdotally, it seems to work in select cases.

Like with castor oil, an enema can lead to diarrhea and leave you dehydrated. A variety of herbs, including red raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil , are said to be useful for labor induction. But right now there isn't enough evidence to prove that any of them are safe or effective at getting labor started. And some can overstimulate your uterus or pose other risks. Walking and other forms of moderate exercise are safe during pregnancy and recommended for most women.

Sadly, there's no evidence that exercise can bring on labor. However, once you are in labor , spending time upright could help shorten the process. Taking a drive on a gravel road or hitting a few speed bumps won't help start labor.

It also won't hurt your baby, since he or she is well protected from life's minor bumps by the uterus and surrounding fluid. In fact, if you choose to breastfeed your baby right after delivery, this same stimulation is what will help your uterus shrink back to its original size. You or your partner may manually stimulate your nipples, or you can try using a breast pump. Solid research shows that breast stimulation can be an effective way to:.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years. The exact way that acupuncture works is unclear. It might also stimulate changes in hormones or in the nervous system. In a randomized trial in Denmark, more than women were given acupuncture, membrane stripping, or both procedures before labor. According to research , the main benefit of acupuncture is increased cervical ripening.

Some practitioners believe that acupressure can help start labor. Prior to applying acupressure to yourself, make sure you get proper instruction from a trained acupressure professional. Drinking a little bit, like only 1—2 ounces People should be careful not to drink too much.

Some research shows that eating dates in the final weeks of pregnancy. Most pregnant people at 40 weeks are likely ready to have their babies out of their bellies as soon as possible and in their arms. However, there are plenty of perks to waiting until your body naturally decides to go into labor — including recovery.

More time in the womb can mean both you and your new baby get to go home from the hospital sooner.