How to Naturally Induce Labor

It is very tempting to want to help move your baby along, and speed up the his or her birth day. Either because your legs hurt, your back hurts, you can’t sleep, and all those cute little onesies are folded and put away just WAITING to be worn. Or you are days, maybe even a week, past your estimated date of delivery and just ready to be DONE. Or you have a planned medical induction and want to help speed things along at home prior to arriving at the hospital. So, of course, you want to help make things happen!

The most important thing to remember is your baby will arrive when he or she is ready, when your body is ready, or both. Eating this, drinking that, poking and prodding there, or walking all around town may help if it is time, but they may make something worse happen if you are not in communication with your medical team.

So what to do we tell our clients to do help induce labor?

Relax. And that it is.

By relaxing, your muscles are naturally going to loosen which can allow your baby and body to better prepare for labor. Plus, the end of pregnancy can be stressful. You may have been worrying about the latest news from the you doctor or midwife, or getting frustrated with your family for asking for the 100th time if the baby has arrived yet, but try to relax and enjoy the process. And always take an extra nap or two; no one ever regrets a nap.

If relaxing to you is getting a massage, great! We know a great massage therapist.
If a stroll through your neighborhood, hand in hand with your partner while you watch your other children or fur babies skip ahead is relaxing, keep walking. Movement is always great in pregnancy, until you are too sore to move comfortably. Listen to your body during your walks.
If having sex is relaxing, go for it. But, do not feel bad if you are not up for it.

So why is our list so short when there are so many other options online? Simple. We are not doctors, we are not midwives, and we have no medical training. Our job it to simply talk through the benefits and risks of the various choices and decisions that you are facing through your pregnancy and birth. We also do not want you to feel like because you did not do every single thing listed here, you somehow “failed” and are thus responsible for your birth differing from what you intended.

So, go take that nap, even if it is your second or third of the day. We aren’t in the business of judging.