Natural Ways to Induce Labor

Tired of being pregnant? I get it. The last couple weeks of pregnancy suck sometimes. There are some natural ways to induce labor you can try if you want to avoid a medical induction.

Before you read on , though, I really recommend first checking out my page on inducing labor. I know what it feels like to be willing to do just about anything to get that baby out. I still encourage you to ask yourself: What's the rush?

It's important to keep in mind that natural labor induction usually only works if your body is ready to go into labor anyway. It's common to hear things like "I tried this and went into labor 3 hours later" or, "My sister tried that and still didn't have her baby for another 2 weeks"....

The likelihood of natural labor induction working really depends on the state of your body. If your cervix is not ripe at all, probably none of these things will work. If your cervix has started to dilate and is very soft and thinning out, many of these natural ways to induce labor could easily get your body going. Keep in mind that if this is the case, you'll likely go into labor very soon anyway!

If you're at the point where you're ready to tear your hair out, here's a list of all the natural ways to induce labor....

List of Natural Ways to Induce Labor

Herbs to Induce Labor
Black and Blue Cohosh are the most common herbs that are thought to stimulate labor. Click above to learn about these and other herbs to induce labor.

Pressure Points to Induce Labor
There are several pressure points in the body that may stimulate the onset of labor. These points can be stimulated through acupuncture or acupressure.

Castor Oil to Induce Labor
Taking castor oil can be an effective way to start labor. It acts on the bowel, causing diarrhea. This frequent activity of the digestive system can cause labor contractions. Click on the link to learn more about this method.

Sex to Induce Labor
Having sex can cause labor to begin after semen has been deposited near the cervix. Semen contains prostaglandins, which soften the cervix. Orgasm also causes the body to release oxytocin (the love hormone), which drives labor.

Nipple Stimulation
Stimulating the nipples causes the body to release oxytocin, which causes contractions. Not sure how to do it? Use a breastpump, or a warm washcloth, or roll your nipples between your fingers. You have to do it for a while for it to do any good. Want a not so boring way? Include it with the natural induction method directly above ;)

Essential Oils to Induce Labor
Clary Sage essential oil is sometimes used to try to induce labor. You can apply it topically to the acupressure points on your inner ankles, rub on your belly or bottoms of your feet.

Foods to Induce Labor
Some have thought certain foods induce labor. There has not been research to show that this is true. If you want to give it a shot anyway, some possible options include spicy food, eggplant parmesan, pineapple, and black licorice. It's wise to keep in mind that whatever you eat right before labor, you may be dealing with again during labor, if you know what I mean...

Note of Caution

One last note of caution about natural labor induction: Don't try to induce your labor if you aren't at the very end of your pregnancy. Like I said before, if your body isn't ready, these things probably won't work anyway. But it isn't worth risking any danger if you are too early to deliver.

Sometimes it may be easier to avoid stressing yourself out about naturally inducing labor. You can try a few things and see if that gets your body into some labor action. Keep peace of mind that your baby will come when he or she is ready. Do the best you can to relax during your last little bit of pregnancy! Enjoy those last few movements you'll feel in your womb from this precious baby.

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