The important thing to remember when trying to start the childbirth process yourself is that a baby will only come when he or she is ready.
If your little one is not ready to come in to the world, sometimes even medical intervention won't encourage them, so it is important to remember that if the methods below do not work that you should not be disheartened.
It isn't guaranteed that they will work, but they are safe methods to try.
There are of course other recommended methods for starting labour naturally, but most of them are 'old wives tales' and those who report success with them have most likely experienced a coincidental reaction, they may have been about to go in to labour anyway and would most likely have done so with or without the methods they tried.
Such methods include eating pineapple, eating spicy food, drinking tonic water and drinking raspberry tea leaf.
When exploring ideas and methods for starting labour naturally you will come across one that you absolutely must not try: castor oil.
Castor oil can cause severe diarrhoea, which in turn can drain your body of nutrients and cause dehydration.
Castor oil has also been known to cause fetal distress, causing the baby to pass meconium, which if inhaled in utero can cause a toxic reaction in your baby and may potentially be fatal.
Above all, it is important to remember that your baby will come when he or she is ready.
No number of methods will encourage a baby that is not ready to arrive yet and it may just be that you have to wait until you reach 42 weeks before you see any magic.
If your little one is not ready to come in to the world, sometimes even medical intervention won't encourage them, so it is important to remember that if the methods below do not work that you should not be disheartened.
- Nipple Stimulation: By stimulating your nipples for around 15 minutes at a time you will produce the hormone oxytocin, a hormone that is vital for starting labour and often used to speed up or initiate contractions.
This is one of the more effective ways to start labour yourself and has actual medical basis to it. - Sex: This is another great way to produce the hormone oxytocin and in addition to this, the hormone prostaglandin can be found in semen.
Prostaglandin is often used to soften the cervix when labour is being medically induced, so a natural dose of this may encourage your body to begin labour by itself. - Marching up the stairs: If you march up and down the stairs you will encourage your baby's head to apply pressure to the cervix, which is known to encourage labour.
Walking can also have the same effect, so try taking a short walk with your partner in the evening.
It isn't guaranteed that they will work, but they are safe methods to try.
There are of course other recommended methods for starting labour naturally, but most of them are 'old wives tales' and those who report success with them have most likely experienced a coincidental reaction, they may have been about to go in to labour anyway and would most likely have done so with or without the methods they tried.
Such methods include eating pineapple, eating spicy food, drinking tonic water and drinking raspberry tea leaf.
When exploring ideas and methods for starting labour naturally you will come across one that you absolutely must not try: castor oil.
Castor oil can cause severe diarrhoea, which in turn can drain your body of nutrients and cause dehydration.
Castor oil has also been known to cause fetal distress, causing the baby to pass meconium, which if inhaled in utero can cause a toxic reaction in your baby and may potentially be fatal.
Above all, it is important to remember that your baby will come when he or she is ready.
No number of methods will encourage a baby that is not ready to arrive yet and it may just be that you have to wait until you reach 42 weeks before you see any magic.