I am a mom of 5, including a set of twins. All of my children were born naturally. For my last three pregnancies I was very anxious to get the birthing process started, and did a lot of research on how to help encourage labor to begin.
My first labor started on it's own, and I was honestly not expecting it or wishing it along. I think I would have been happy remaining pregnant forever, because I was nervous about being a mom. But my second pregnancy was twins, and I was in agony. I was put on bedrest at 32 weeks, but was in such a rush to end my misery, I paid little attention. I remember dancing around the house and running up and down the stairs. I still had not delivered come 38 weeks, and I was begging my doctors to induce. The doctor helped to manually dilate my cervix, but that still did not begin labor right away, although that evening, after I'd gotten to the hospital and been told I was being sent home, full labor finally did strike, I believe mostly due to my stress. Although the doctor had told me I was having mild contractions that morning, so labor was probably impending anyways.
My third pregnancy, and fourth child, ended up being induced a week past my due date. Before my induction I had not dilated at all, and was showing no signs of going into labor anytime soon. I wasn't looking forward to an induction, and this is when I began looking into anything and everything that could cause labor naturally. I tried just about anything I came across, and here I'll share with you my findings.
One of the most popular things said to cause labor is cator oil. I saw a website that said to mix a teaspoon of castor oil into a cup of orange juice and drink it. So I did. Castor oil tastes disgusting, but it is a natural laxative. Supposedly the contractions in your bowels are said to upset the uterus and cause that to contract as well, resulting in labor. Well my bowels sure contracted... all night! But labor did not come.
Another popular belief is that intercourse can cause labor, for multiple reasons. Semen is said to help soften and dilate the cervix, while the hormones released in the female body during climax often cause the uterus to contract. So I practically forced my husband to have intercourse with me daily, and even brought myself to climax at least once a day on my own. I felt plenty of cramping, some of it down right painful. But labor still did not come, neither did any dilating.
Some people say bumpy rides can bring labor on. So I sat on top of my washing machine during the spin cycle on a daily basis. Nothing! I ate as much spicy food as I could tolerate. Nothing! Many say walking is a great way to induce labor, so I walked at least a mile a day. I even went to the gym a few times a week and even jogged on the treadmill. Still nothing!
I had tried all these old wives tales from the time I turned 38 weeks pregnant that year. At 41 weeks I went to the hospital undilated. I was hooked up to pitocin, which is supposed to cause labor, and given some medicine directly into my cervix that was supposed to dilate it. After 24 hours I had only dilated not even 3 centimeters, and labor was not impending. Finally the doctor broke my water and 3 hours later my son was born.
For my fourth pregnancy and fifth child I had decided I would not bother trying to cause labor any longer. I did walk as much as I could, and had intercourse as often as I wanted, but I was not getting my hopes up that labor would begin. The doctors were again talking about induction, which I wanted no part of this time. At one of my appointments the doctor did strip my membranes, which is something they can do only if you're dilated a little bit. This is where the doctor removes the membranes which are connected the amniotic sac to the uterine wall. Supposedly labor should normally begin within 24 to 48 hours. Well this didn't happen for me. I did eventually go into labor on my own for this one, but I had done nothing to cause it to happen.
The moral of the story ladies, you cannot mess with nature. Your baby will come when it's ready, and no sooner. There is honestly nothing you can do to speed things up, and some of the things that I came across while researching ideas can be downright dangerous to both you and your baby. The women who claim that one of these methods worked for them, probably were already in labor before they tried the method, but just didn't realize it. It wouldn't have worked unless the labor was impending anyway.
I know it is nerve wracking during the last few weeks, wondering when it will happen, hoping the baby comes soon. You're tired of being pregnant, anxious to meet your baby, and exciting to get your new life with your bundle of joy underway. I know from experience that telling you to be patient is like telling a brick wall to soften up. So to all the soon to be mommies, here is my advice:
If you want to attempt to bring about labor, please do it safely. There are warnings against taking any particular medication, including castor oil. If it does cause labor, it can be a violent one, which could harm you and your baby, so please avoid them at all cost.
Make sure you have your doctor's okay before attempting anything, even the simplest method. But as long as you do not have a risky pregnancy, then it should be okay to at least walk. Walking is wonderful for pregnant women, even if it doesn't bring about labor. At the very least it strengthens your muscles that you'll need for when labor does begin, and it helps to shed some excess weight. It is not advisable to do any strenuous excersize without speaking to your doctor first, but walking should be okay. Have someone with you just in case, and don't push yourself too far.
Intercourse is also okay, with your doctor's permission. There's rarely a problem having intercourse at any stage of pregnancy, unless you're high risk or on bed rest. Even if it doesn't cause labor, at least it's fun and relaxing.
When all else fails, do something to keep your mind off the impending labor. It can be frustrating constantly waiting for the first signs. You could make yourself crazy looking at all the tiny signs wondering if that means it will be beginning soon. It will happen soon enough, when it's ready. Sometimes all it takes is a little relaxation and getting your mind off it. Watch TV, read a book, take a nap. Get yourself well rested, because once that baby is born, rest will be a thing of the past.
Best of luck to all the soon to be new mommies.
