My Personal Tips for Encouraging Labor
Hey there! I know why you’re ready this blog and let me start with…ABSOLUTELY NO JUDGEMENTS MOMMA. I’ve been where you are now….twice. I went to 42 weeks with both of my beautiful girls and it was MADDENING. I was online looking up all the crazy things I could do to encourage things to get going, or how to get the surges I was having stronger. Ugh. So, I decided to make a list of the things I tried and how they might benefit you. In the end they didn’t put me into labor BUT BUT BUT they did make my cervix nice and thin and slightly open. Which is incredibly helpful when going in for an induction. Instead of needing cervadil or misoprostal to ripen and soften my cervix, I only needed pitocin to get the surges started. And with both girls I was able to do a small amount of pitocin and then turn it off and allow my body to labor on it’s own. Can I get an amen!? So here are my tried and true things I did. I hope it helps, momma! And remember, nothing we do will make it happen unless things are actually ready to happen.
1.Spinning Babies- is the baby in an optimal position? Check out “belly mapping” section of
www.spinningbabies.com to figure that out before trying to encourage active labor. This can put the right pressure on your cervix to help labor begin. Or if your labor pattern in irregular it can help to get babe into a better position so labor can advance.
2. Fear Release- sometimes emotions and fears that we have can hold us back from letting go and
allowing labor to begin. Fear release and keeping up with daily relaxation practice keeps your
body and mind relaxed and ready for active labor.
3. Good Old Fashioned Orgasm- intimacy with our partner in general is ideal for an oxytocin
release but did you know that the orgasm can actually start active labor? Semen also helps, it
contains prostaglandin, which softens the cervix to be ready for labor.
4. Miles Circuit- it might seem strange looking but trust me and countless other mommas who
have used it. www.milescircuit.com
5. Breast Pump- nipple stimulation can give your body a boost of oxytocin and start contractions.
Try 15 minutes with the pump on one breast, 5 minute break, 15 minutes on the other side, 5
minute break, 15 again on the other side, 5 minute break, and 15 minutes again on the other
side. If you start to have contractions during this, remove the pump from breast but continue the
timer. You can continue with the breast pump after each contraction.
6. Membrane sweep- this is an option that a lot of people have an opinion on. I personally had no issue giving it a try, especially with my second daughters birth because that was my VBAC. If I had needed to stand on my head to go into labor, I would have. Talking with your provider about this option can help you make this decision.