How to Induce Labor Naturally
If you're overdue, these natural methods may help urge your baby to enter the world.
Up next in How to Have a Healthy Pregnancy (21 videos)
Find out what you can do to have a healthy pregnancy -- and a healthy baby -- with the advice in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- Doctor's advice
- Relaxation
- Sex
- Tropical fruits
- Acupressure or acupuncture
- Herbal supplements
- Swing set
- bumpy road
- or stationary bike
Steps
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Consult your doctor about the safety of these labor induction techniques. Do not attempt without medical advice.
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Step 1
Relax
Release tension and stop worrying -- stress and anxiety will impede labor. Relax by soaking in a warm bath, getting a professional massage, or inhaling a soothing scent such as clary sage.
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Step 2
Meditate
Use visualization and meditation techniques. Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, and visualize your cervix gently opening and your baby being born.
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Step 3
Make love
Have sex with your partner. Semen has a labor-inducing hormone, and female orgasm can open the cervix as much as two centimeters.
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Elevate your hips after lovemaking to help the semen stay on the cervix and encourage thinning and dilation.
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Step 4
Enjoy tropical fruits
Eat tropical fruits, such as kiwi, mango, and pineapple, which contain an enzyme that may cause mild contractions.
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Step 5
Apply pressure
Seek out an acupuncture or acupressure specialist -- focusing pressure on key areas of the body has helped some women.
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Step 6
Dial-up activity
Swing in the park or drive down a bumpy road to shift your baby into a delivery position. Take a slow walk or pedal gently on a stationary bike to enlist gravity's help in opening the cervix -- and speeding the arrival of your bundle of joy.
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Did you know? More than 4.3 million babies are born in the U.S. every year -- that's nearly 12,000 new babies every day.
