Encouraging Labor: What Triggers Labor?
It’s been a few days since your baby was due and there are still no signs of an imminent birth? How can you encourage labor? Or is it time to induce labor? Here you will find methods that can be used to promote or induce labor. You will also learn when labor needs to be induced and why doctors advise against a labor cocktail.
When to Stimulate Labor
If you want to encourage labor, you should make sure that you and the baby are in good health. Be sure to discuss with your midwife or doctor beforehand whether you are ready to begin assisted labour, and what methods are right for you. The following requirements should be met:
- Healthy and fit : You and your child should definitely be fine.
- Body and baby ready : Labor inducers usually don’t work until your body is ready, which means when your baby is in the correct position, the cervix is tender, and the cervix is dilated. It is therefore almost always advisable to wait until the 40th week of pregnancy and then take these measures at the earliest.
- Advice : Get advice, because your midwife or doctor can tell you whether your body and your baby are ready for birth.
- Do not combine several methods : Of course, you should not try all methods at the same time. Sometimes the desired effect only occurs after a few days. Even if the drugs only gently induce labor, unpredictable effects can occur if you use too many at once or if you dose them too high.
This is how labor can be triggered
Here you can find out which measures to induce labor can be tried without hesitation, which you should only consider after consultation and which measures midwives and gynecologists urgently advise against.
Gently encourage contractions
These methods are a natural way to encourage the onset of labor without harming you or your baby.
Abdominal massage: A massage with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and verbena stimulates the muscles of the uterus and thus promotes labour. To make the massage oil, mix 10ml almond oil with two teaspoons each of cinnamon oil, clove oil, verbena oil and ginger oil. You or your partner will moisten your stomach with warm water – then the oil can absorb better – and massage it gently.
A warm bath: If your circulation can handle a warm bath, you can encourage or trigger labor pains in this way just before the birth. If you like, you can use essential oils and herbs such as cinnamon leaves, clove or ginger root oil as bath additives. However, you should make sure that you are not alone at home when you take a bath. It may be that you get circulatory problems or that the contractions start very quickly and very strongly.
Sexual intercourse: If you sleep with your partner regularly in the days leading up to your due date, you will reduce the likelihood that your child will be late. Sex is designed to induce labor in a number of ways. The production of the labor hormone oxytocin is triggered by sexual arousal. In addition, semen contains prostaglandins; these are tissue hormones that are also used in drug-based birth induction. They soften the cervix and help the cervix to lengthen. In addition, the uterus contracts when a woman has an orgasm. This can cause labor.
Light physical activity: You should avoid strenuous activities shortly before the birth. Better save your energy for the forthcoming birth. But walking and other light physical activities can do you good and induce labor. The movement makes it easier for your child to slide into the correct starting position for the birth. And when it is there, your child’s head keeps pressing on the cervix, for example when going for a walk. This releases oxytocin into your body, which induces labor. You can also sit on an exercise ball and do circular motions with your pelvis or take a belly dancing class to encourage labor. This has the same effect.
Raspberry leaf tea & Co.: You can also make a tea from ingredients that stimulate labor. You can get them, for example, in the pharmacy or in the health food store. Take a stick of cinnamon, 10 cloves, a small fresh root of ginger, and a tablespoon of dried Verbena. Pour a liter of boiling water over the spice mixture and let the tea steep for ten minutes. It is best to drink this tea lukewarm and only take sips throughout the day. Other herbs that can induce labor include raspberry leaf , sage, aniseed, verbena, fennel, and lovage. These can also be prepared as tea. There is already ready-made raspberry leaf teaadvertisement for pregnancy and easier childbirth.
Spicy foods and spices: Eating certain foods can also induce labor. Spicy food (seasoned with chili or cayenne pepper) is particularly recommended. Because this stimulates the intestines, which are located near the uterus and can thus promote contractions. Spices that can induce labor include cinnamon, ginger, cloves, marjoram, and coriander. Fresh pineapple is also suspected of naturally promoting labor. An enzyme contained in it is supposed to make the cervix softer.
Methods accompanied by obstetricians
Nipple stimulation: This method of inducing labor, in which you or your partner massages your nipples for an extended period of time, should only be used when your cervix is ready for labor and then only under the guidance and care of an obstetrician. The stimulation releases the labor hormone oxytocin. Nipple stimulation is very effective at inducing labor because once the uterus is ready, labor usually starts within an hour. However, strong stimulation can easily lead to an overreaction of the body, which is noticeable by longer-lasting, very strong contractions. This can easily result in stress for you and your child.
Clove oil tampon: A clove oil tampon is designed to soften the cervix. To do this, you dilute the clove oil with water or almond oil (do not use it pure) and then soak a tampon in it, which is then inserted into the vagina. However, you should only use this measure after consultation and under the guidance of a midwife. If it starts to burn, remove the tampon immediately.
Induce labor using alternative methods
Prenatal acupuncture or homeopathy may be alternative therapies for labor induction and you may find them convenient. In homeopathy there are special globules, so-called globules, which can trigger contractions. Caulophyllum D30 and D6 are intended to strengthen the uterus and promote contractions. Reflexology can also help. The reflex zones on the feet and hands in particular can promote contractions. Light pressure is applied to specific areas, such as the skin fold between the thumb and forefinger. These labour-inducing measures are carried out by experienced professionals.
Doctors advise against these measures
While these measures encourage labour, they do more harm than good to you and your baby. Doctors advise against it.
The famous stair climbing: Climbing stairs strains the body and can therefore trigger contractions. This is due to the fact that the physical exertion leads to a greater redistribution of blood in the placenta. However, doctors advise against this method, as climbing stairs robs you of important strength that you still need for the birth.
Labor cocktails: Although you’ve heard that many pregnant women try the castor cocktail, it’s best not to resort to this remedy. Doctors strongly advise against it.
Is a labor cocktail dangerous?
A labor cocktail usually consists of a laxative mixed with alcohol and fruit juice. Probably the most well-known contraction cocktail is a mixture of castor oil and apricot juice mixed with schnapps or sparkling wine. The alcohol is necessary so that the castor oil can dissolve in the juice and masks the unpleasant taste of the castor oil. The apricot juice prevents too much loss of potassium. Sometimes essential oils, such as verbena oil, are also added to the mixture, which also promote labor activity.
Contraction cocktails or other laxatives lead to increased bowel activity and diarrhea. This can cause labor, but it can also result in dehydration and damage to the intestines. Other side effects can include nausea, diarrhea and intestinal cramps. If the cervix is not yet ready for birth, your child’s oxygen supply can also be impaired. Premature labor puts your child under a lot of stress. In addition, it becomes dangerous for your baby if you add alcohol to the laxative to soften the taste. You should therefore never take a contraction cocktail on your own. It is best if you do without it completely and just have a little more patience.
Don’t worry if the birth is a long time coming
Many pregnant women find the last few days before giving birth unbearably long. But don’t worry, only about four percent of all children are born on the calculated date. Most children are born in the ten days before or after their due date. A delay of up to ten days is not normally seen as critical. So if your baby is a long time coming, you should just stay calm and really enjoy the time you have to yourself. You can find some tips in the article “Broadcasting: When the baby is late” . Maybe you don’t have to be patient that long and your child will come by itself a little earlier than expected.
Inducing Labor: When and Why?
When should labor be induced?
Some births do not go into labor on their own and need to be induced. Your doctor will discuss a medical induction of labor with you if, for example, there are indications that your baby is unwell or you are more than 10 to 14 days past the expected due date . When this is necessary depends not only on the condition of your child, but also on what week of pregnancy you are in. Your own mental and physical condition also plays a role in the decision.
Births that require induction can be longer than spontaneous births, and women often find them more painful. Birth should therefore only be induced artificially if there is no other option or if there is an acute danger to mother or child.
Common reasons for inducing labour
- Inducing labor when the baby is at risk: If your due date is approaching and a recent check-up found the baby to be at risk, your doctor may recommend that you induce labor. Such dangers are: undersupply of the baby with placental insufficiency, poor quality of the amniotic fluid, abnormal heart sounds or a disease in the baby that needs to be treated.
- Induce labor if the mother is at risk: Even if you are in poor health, for example because of gestational diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy , the doctor can induce labor.
- Inducing labor in a very large baby: If the doctor determines before the 38th week of pregnancy that your baby is too large, inducing labor may be necessary. Because it would probably continue to grow until birth and become considerably heavier, there is a risk of complications during birth .
- Inducing labor in the event of premature rupture of membranes: The risk of infection increases for your child as a result of the rupture of membranes and if the water sac has ruptured, it should be born within the next 48 hours. Sometimes, however, the contractions do not occur if the membranes rupture prematurely and have to be induced artificially.
- Inducing labor in a twin birth: Most twins are born with a cesarean section. But a natural birth is also possible. However, the risk is then greater that one of the children will be undersupplied. Even then, inducing labor is advisable to deliver the children as soon as possible.
- Inducing labor when the mother is under physical and psychological stress: Even if you are suffering from severe psychological stress at the end of the pregnancy, i.e. after the 37th week of pregnancy , the doctor can recommend that you induce labor.
- Inducing labor in a dead baby: This is a particularly difficult case for mothers. Because if the child dies in the womb or is severely disabled and has no chance of survival, the pregnancy is terminated. Labor induction is necessary in this case because the body does not induce labor on its own.
Methods to induce labor
A doctor or midwife can use a variety of methods to induce labour. It is of great importance how ready your body is for childbirth, i.e. whether the cervix is already open or at least soft and whether your amniotic sac has already ruptured. The following can be done to start labor:
- Inducing labor with the IV drip: Infusion of oxytocin through the IV drip is a very reliable method of inducing labor. Oxytocin is the hormone that triggers labor in your body. It is delivered to your body through a needle in a vein in the back of your hand. The contraction drip is inserted when the cervix is already tender or slightly dilated. The advantage of the oxytocin infusion is that the drug can be dosed very precisely. If contractions really start or you need a break, the contraction drip can be easily removed. The frequency and strength of contractions can also be perfectly regulated.
- Induce labor with prostaglandins: If the cervix is not yet ready for childbirth, prostaglandins are used to “after-ripen”, also known as priming. Prostaglandins are tissue hormones that relax the muscles of the uterus and soften the tissue. They are administered in the form of vaginal suppositories, gel or tablets. The effect usually occurs within a few hours; but if you don’t go into labor despite the medication, you’ll start getting prostaglandins again six hours later. Sometimes a contraction drip is also used when the medication has already softened the cervix but the contractions are still not occurring. The disadvantage of using prostaglandins is that the exact dose is difficult to regulate.
- Induce labor with egg solution: This option is only available from the 40th week of pregnancy and then only if your cervix is already slightly dilated. With this method, the midwife massages the inner cervix with a twisting movement, which very carefully loosens the fetal membranes. It usually causes contractions, but it can be quite painful for you and cause bleeding as vessels can be injured. Therefore, the midwife should be very experienced and careful. You should think twice about inducing labor this way.
- Induce labor by opening the amniotic sac: This method can only be performed if your cervix is already open. When the midwife opens the amniotic sac and the amniotic fluid comes out, the volume in the uterus changes. This can cause muscle contractions, which ideally will induce labor. However, this method is not particularly reliable and is therefore hardly ever used today. Once the amniotic sac is open, the birth must take place within 48 hours, otherwise the risk of infection becomes too great.