Many women think about speeding up their labor when their due date is approaching. It is a common behavior for pregnant mothers to induce labor at home. Labor induction is only suitable for women that have been pregnant for longer than 9 months. Before attempting to induce labor at home, you should consult your doctor. Some of the ways to induce labor at home include nipple stimulation, walking, eating fruits, acupressure, and taking herbal supplements.
Nipples stimulation can encourage the body to release a kind of chemical called oxytocin. The oxytocin is responsible for stimulating the uterus. If you over stimulate the uterus, you may suffer from harmful side effects. The nipples can be stimulated by using the hands or breast pump. By stimulating the nipple, you can speed up the labor process.
Walking can also help to induce the labor. When you walk, the baby will slowly move in the direction of the birth canal. It is recommended that you walk at least thirty minutes per day. Walking helps to put pressure on the head of your baby and cause it to press on your cervix. Emptying your bladder can also cause stimulation to the uterus. Besides walking, you can try other activities such as skipping, and swimming. If you plan to perform skipping, make sure you don’t jump with too much force otherwise you could injure the baby.
Eating fruits such as mango, pineapple and kiwi are effective in inducing labor at home. The fruit will release a type of enzyme into your body when it is being digested. The enzyme helps to tone up the cervix and make it ready for labor.
Acupressure is a well known method for inducing labor. The first acupressure point is located in between the thumb and first finger. There is also another acupressure point located above the ankle. It is situated about 5 finger widths away from the ankle bone. If you don’t know how to massage yourself, you can ask an experienced friend to help you.
Taking herbal supplements can also help to induce labor. Examples of herbal supplements include evening primrose oil, black cohosh and blue cohosh. You are advised not to take the herbal teas such as red raspberry leaf tea and nettle tea unless your doctor suggests them. The tea may cause your baby to feel discomfort in the uterus and suffer from complications. If the complication is very severe, your baby can die.
