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Guaranteed Ways to Induce Labor
For most women in America, the majority of the labor process occurs at a hospital or birthing center, per research published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, but many women try to labor at home for as long as they can. If you’re hugely pregnant, uncomfortable, and at (or past) your due date, you may be wondering how to induce labor.
Natural way to inducing labour
Walking
During pregnancy Thoughtful exercise is recommended , whether it helps induce labor or not, for its health benefits to mother and baby.
According to 2021 study had low-risk pregnant women walking for 40 minutes 4 times a week from week 34 until delivery. That study found that walking improved some of the significant outcomes of labor and delivery such as cervix preparation and Bishop Score (a predictor of how ready your body is for labor), increased the cases of spontaneous labor, and decreased the cases of induced labor and c-section without causing any undesirable effects on the newborn’s Apgar score .
Herbal Supplements
From black cohosh to evening primrose oil or raspberry leaf tea, there are a number of herbal supplements for labor induction that are largely unregulated and not known to be safe for pregnancy .
Black cohosh preparations have been shown to induce chromosomal damage and may pose a safety concern to all who consume it . It’s best to avoid any and all unregulated herbal supplements when you’re pregnant.
Castor Oil
Castor oil is a thick, odorless oil made from the beans of the castor plant. But castor oil is a laxative that, along with contractions, can cause stomach upset and diarrhea — which is the last thing you’d want at 41 weeks pregnant or during labor . The journal of Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine using caster oil to a higher probability of labour.
Currently in another study of 233 women ingesting castor oil to induce labor, all of them reported feeling nauseous, and there was no difference in their outcomes .
Warm Baths
Relaxing in a warm bath will relieve stress and release, you guessed it, oxytocin (that happy little hormone that helps start contractions). When you take a warm bath you may want to skip the bath salts or bubbles because they could irritate your skin. Some women have sensitive skin when they’re pregnant. Keep it simple with some warm water and maybe even a book to help you relax.
Bouncing
Sitting, bouncing, and doing hip circles on an exercise ball gently puts pressure on your cervix and can help open up your pelvis to get ready for delivery.
While this may not naturally induce labor, it may ease lower back pain and get baby into a good position for when your labor does start.
Other Methods of Inducing Labor Naturally
There are other, unproven—but popular—methods of inducing labor naturally that many people try, even though the research is not on their side.
Pineapple: Some people swear by eating pineapple to start labor, and there have been some rumors floating around that an enzyme in pineapple, bromelain, may help soften the cervix and get labor going. There is no hard evidence that this is true.
Spicy foods: Some people are told to go out and eat copious amounts of Mexican or Indian food to get labor started. Unfortunately eating spicy, especially acidic , foods towards the end of your pregnancy may only leave you with heartburn.
Red raspberry leaf tea: While many people swear that drinking one to three cups a day will induce labor, there’s no evidence that it helps induce labor. Red Raspberry leaf tea is safe to consume while pregnant.

Doctors induce labor
If it is necessary to induce labor, a healthcare professional will use certain medications and procedures to cause labor to start.
These procedures include:
Cervical ripening
It is possible to ripen, or dilate, the cervix by inserting a catheter with a small balloon-type device on the end or by introducing a substance that absorbs water.
Amniotomy
A healthcare professional may burst the amniotic sac that surrounds the baby inside the uterus to start labor or to progress labor that has already begun. They can only perform this procedure if the cervix has dilated enough to make the amniotic sac accessible.
Hormones
Doctors may use naturally occurring chemicals called prostaglandins to try to soften and thin out the cervix and encourage cervical dilation. They deliver prostaglandins to the cervix through the vagina. In some cases, they may administer the hormone oxytocin to induce labor by stimulating contractions.
Stripping the membranes
According to ACOG, This method can help release prostaglandins to induce labor. A doctor or midwife will use a finger to “sweep” over the membranes connecting the amniotic sac to the uterine wall.
When will a doctor recommend inducing labor
In some situations, a doctor may recommend inducing, or bringing on, labor. However, they will first consider the risks, benefits, and necessity of the intervention.
A doctor may recommendTrusted Source inducing labor in instances in which:
- they have concerns about the health of the woman or baby
- the post-term date is approaching
- there is an infection in the uterus
- there is delayed fetal growth
- the levels of amniotic fluid are low
Certain medical conditions may pose a risk to the woman or baby, including:
- high blood pressure
- preeclampsia
- diabetes
- kidney disease
- blood problems due to rhesus (Rh) factor issues
Rh factor is a protein that is sometimes present on the surface of red blood cells. People with this protein in their blood have Rh-positive blood, while those who do not have this protein have Rh-negative blood.
Risks of inducing labor
As with any medical procedure, labor induction involves some risks.
These include:
- strong, frequent contractions that can lead to fetal complications, such as an increased heart rate and umbilical cord problems
- maternal or fetal infections
- torn uterus
- increased likelihood of a cesarean delivery
- fetal death
FAQs List
1.When is it safe to naturally induce labor?
Answer : Self-inducing labor at 37 weeks or even 38 weeks isn’t recommended.
Ideally, when they’re ready your baby will come since babies who are born spontaneously closer to, or after, their due date often require less special care after birth.
After all, however uncomfortable those last weeks of pregnancy are, a healthy baby is what we all want.
2.Does walking induce labor at 37 weeks?
Answer : Walking and exercise often make it to the top of the list of things to try. While there’s no research that says it will induce labor, At least five times a week can be helpful in any stage of pregnancy, 30 minutes of moderate exercise .
3. How to 100% induce labor?
Answer : Natural ways to induce labor –
- Get moving. Movement may help start labor.
- Have sex.
- Try to relax.
- Eat something spicy.
- Schedule an acupuncture session.
- Ask your doctor to strip your membranes.
4. What sitting positions help induce labor?
Answer : According to published paper , sitting on an exercise or birthing ball in neutral wide-legged positions prepares the body for labor by increasing blood flow, opening the pelvis, and encouraging cervical dilation.