7 Things That Won't Induce Labor

All seems well until the baby inside you suddenly grows in your third trimester and begins to weigh upon your pelvic floor. It’s the time when your mobility declines, you walk with the duck-waddle with a little backward arch, your appetite goes down, your regular clothing doesn’t fit you anymore…but most of all, you begin to mark your calendar with the countdown for the due date. Seriously, you are in a hurry to get your baby out of you. Never mind trying out stuff that is said to induce labor – regardless of whether they’re scientifically backed, but that is how desperate you are. Here’s a little warning – your baby might not be equally in a hurry to meet you. It simply loves being cocooned inside. So watch out for what turns out to be futile.

In This Article

1. Acupressure

There is a lot of hoo-ha about acupressure and its ability to induce labor. What you need to know is that acupressure works only at the exact pressure points. The pressure spots to induce labor are uterus and ovaries which occur as hollow areas under your anklebones. However, when it comes to inducing labor, it won’t work until your body is ready.

2. Foods That Won’t Induce Labor

Caffeine, chocolate and spicy foods are known to stimulate contractions, but the contractions happen momentarily. They would rather cause heartburn or bowel movement instead of setting you into labor.

3. Herbal remedies

Using laxatives like castor oil could be a terrible idea. Castor oil is known to be a laxative, you might have bowel movement rather than uterine contraction! Some women also suggest using Evening Primrose Oil that is applied on the cervix. But we wonder if shoving off stuff like these into the vagina is worth risking an infection if it cannot do the job of a suppository. By the way, a suppository has a channel different from the birth canal. So might it as well be that someone who does this has lost her mind?

4. Walking, squatting and other physical exercises

When the cervix isn’t ready, what if gravity can pull your baby through the birth canal? Quite unrealistic, unless it can have elements of a sci-fi film. However, childbirth was never meant to be so easy. Walking just before pre-term might induce labor provided the cervix is already effaced. So whether you walk, squat, swing or bounce, there is no guarantee or a likelihood that you will get into labor until the cervix has effaced. In fact, you might find yourself returning to your birthing ball again in the hope of jiggling off your baby that is pretty much enjoying its cozy space.

5. Talking to your baby

If you are somebody who talks to herself, this won’t be a challenge. But talking to your baby because you are coaxing it to come out into the world soon? It is going bonkers. We agree your baby has begun to recognize your voice already, but asking it to come out is only to be met with, “Not now, mama!” attitude. Guess babies began to have an opinion right there!

6. Yelling at your baby while it’s still inside

You won’t have the heart to yell at the innocent thing, but you will have the urge to let it out. So you go like, “Baby, make an eviction soon. I want you out now. Do you get me?”

7. Stimulating the nipples

Science tells us that stimulating the nipples with fingertips helps release oxytocin which could induce contractions. But it is not something that happens in a jiffy. You need to do so for an hour thrice a day which means it is a very slow process.

So while most of these methods have been fabled bring on contractions, some being not entirely medically wrong, the chances are viable only if your cervix is ripe.

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