This article is not meant to take the place of medical advice from your provider. Please consult your provider with questions and concerns about the labor process.
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I have been where you are…desperately searching the internet for ways to induce labor because it feels like pregnancy will never end! You’re so eager to meet your little one and get their cozy butt out of your body! With my second baby I went 10 days past her “due date”. Needless to say, I was completely over being pregnant and wondered if my body was ever going to go into labor.
While there are no 100% guarantees that anything will directly put you into labor, there are several things backed by evidence that can help to encourage labor to start.
1. Membrane Sweep
A membrane sweep is when your provider sweeps the area where your amniotic sack is connected to your uterus. Doing so releases prostaglandins, which can help ripen the cervix and cause contractions.
Research has shown that membrane sweeps are effective in starting labor in some women, especially those who go past their due date.1 It is not a guarantee labor will start, but if it works for you, labor will start within 48 hours.
2. Sex.
If there is any advice a very pregnant women is given when she goes past her due date its, “Have sex, it will put you into labor”. There is actually some truth to this! Just as a membrane sweep releases prostaglandins, male ejaculate contain prostaglandins to ripen the cervix. A cervix that is ripe will cause the cervix to slowly dilate.
3. Miles Circuit
Sometimes women can experience prodromal labor (contractions that start and stop for days or weeks on end) because the baby is not ideally positioned to fall in the pelvis. I highly recommend checking the Miles Circuit to help make sure the baby is in the best possible position for birth. This is also an excellent tool to use if labor starts and then slows down.
4. Squats and Walking
If your baby is in an optimal position and has begun to descend into your pelvis, doing exercises like squats will cause the baby’s head to put pressure on your cervix. The pressure on the cervix will cause our body to release prostaglandins and signal your body to start contractions.
If you’re super tired and squats or walks don’t feel like an option, you can bounce on an exercise ball. The up and down bouncing motion will provide the same effect. Sitting on a ball is also great for opening up your pelvis for the baby to descend.
5. Dates
Not going on dates (though that could help get your mind off of things). Eating dates has been shown in studies to help the cervix to dilate more quickly during labor, and it may also help prevent the need for a medical induction.
The recommendation is to eat 60-75 grams of dates a day, which equals about 4-5 large Medjool dates. Studies showed that eating dates was most effective when women ate dates every day from 36 weeks of pregnancy onward. 2 I was never a fan of eating dates, but I was willing to try anything to encourage labor. They actually taste pretty good! One easy way to eat them is to pair them with cheese and crackers. You can also throw them in a blender and incorporate them in a smoothie. A quick Google search will show you a ton of simple recipes that include dates!
I used these Medjool dates from Amazon. They are by far the best dates I found!
In conclusion…
Although it may feel like it, you won’t be pregnant forever. Try to rest as much as possible in the days leading up to labor. Before you know it you will be holding your little one!
If you are interested in receiving 1:1 virtual or in person (depending on location) coaching and birthing classes, get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you!
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Sources:
1.Membrane sweeps: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21900-membrane-sweep
2. Study on dates:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5637148/