What Triggers Labor?

Greetings,

 

If you’re here, you might be feeling ready—body, heart, and spirit—for labor to begin. First, let me remind you: your body knows.Your baby knows. And this waiting season, while tender and sometimes frustrating, is part of the sacred unfolding.

 

Before you begin to think about all the things you can consume and buy to jump start your labor, find your peace mama. According to the National Institutes of Health “the stress hormone, catecholamines, has the potential to stop labor.” Therefore, it is vital to find the proper support systems that help you feel more secure economically, emotionally, socially, and physically. That means taking care of yourself, consuming well-balanced diets and adequate water intake, finding emotional support via therapy and support groups, selecting the proper healthcare team in preparation for your birth, ensuring your home feels safe and welcoming, feeling supported by family and friends, and having the ability to obtain supplies needed for baby’s arrival.

That said, if you’re full term (past 39 weeks) and want to encourage labor to start naturally, here are 8 gentle, doula-approved ways to support the process—without forcing it.

1.Oxytocin

Being able to alleviate stressors increases your ability to be able to relax and trust in your body’s ability to labor and deliver your child. Practice centering yourself daily with positive affirmations and deep breathing. This will help you start to build confidence as you approach your big day.

2. Sex

Once you’re feeling relaxed, you may start to feel a lot more aroused and to your benefit sperm contains prostaglandins, hormones, that help to further thin (efface) and dilate your cervix. Sex is not guaranteed to send you to the labor and delivery unit, however, if you are full or post- term, and your body is ready and ripe for labor, it could further progression. Unless told by your doctor, sex is not a risky activity in the last weeks of pregnancy.

3. Nipple Stimulation

Alternatively, self-play nipple stimulation, and cuddling also, triggers the body to release oxytocin from orgasms and can be used to start labor.  

Stimulating the nipples also releases natural oxytocin, which can trigger contractions. This can be done manually, or with a breast pump (on low and for short sessions). Do this only if you’re full term and under provider guidance, as it can bring on strong contractions. Additionally, intimacy & connection,  if it feels good and safe, intimacy can help in more ways than one. Semen contains prostaglandins (which help ripen the cervix), and orgasm releases oxytocin. Even cuddling or emotional closeness can signal safety and readiness to your body.

4. Exercise

Furthermore, physical activity in general is good to keep you progressing to your goal of natural induction, just ensure to not over exert yourself. Walking is a great way to utilize gravity to lower baby further into your pelvis.  Add a twist, with curb walking, this will help the pelvis to further open and allow baby’s head to descend.  Make sure to stay well hydrated, dehydration can cause your uterine muscles to contract, triggering Braxton Hicks. Similarly, sitting on a birth ball and doing hip circles, figure-8s, or pelvic tilts, can help encourage engagement and get things moving.

Think of it like a dance between you and baby.

 

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5. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

 Red raspberry leaf tea has been used for years in women’s health to strengthen the uterus and shorten labor. Red raspberry leaf tea works to prime the uterus by increasing blood flow and potentially softening the cervix, inducing labor. All in all, consuming this tea could possibly have a positive impact on labor, but there is no 100% guarantee.

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6. Evening Primrose

Additionally, evening primrose may also help to soften and thin (efface) the cervix. This herbal supplement can be found in a soft gel form, look for 500mg and take one capsule up to three times a day once you reach 38 weeks. The soft gel can also be placed in the vagina preferably at night, to work directly on the cervix. As always, consult with your provider before using any new medications or herbal supplements. 

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7. Body Balancing & Optimal Positioning

 

Sometimes, baby just needs to rotate into a more favorable position. Body balancing and gentle movements can help align body and baby aiding in smoother labor and birth readiness. As a Body Ready Method Pro, I assist women in all stages of pregnancy through 1:1 body prep session aiding in optimal alignment,  mobility, and strength. Movements such as pelvic tilts, rebozo sifting, and forward-leaning inversions are great starting points to get things moving!

 

8. Acupressure

Moreover, acupressure, similar to acupuncture, is a massage technique applying manual pressure to specific parts of the body. Try applying pressure on the webbing between the thumb and index finger or on the inside of the leg just about four finger- widths above the ankle bone. Applying these techniques may shorten the length of labor and reduce labor pain. Certain points in the body (like SP6 or LI4) are believed to
stimulate uterine activity. You can try gentle pressure at home—or seek a
trained acupuncturist who specializes in prenatal care.

Note: always work with someone trained in pregnancy-safe techniques.

 

How the Doctor or Midwife can Artificially Start Labor

 There are many different methods your doctor or midwife can use  to induce labor, and often times a combination of methods are used to start labor. After an cervical exam your provider will recommend the best method for you. Once you agree to the labor induction method, your written consent will be needed prior to the procedure. Induction of labor, when the labor process is started artificially may involve: 

1. Stripping or sweeping membranes

   Once an expecting woman begins to dilate, a OB-GYN or Midwife can insert a gloved finger through the vagina and into the cervix, to separate the amniotic sac from the uterus without breaking the sac. This prompts the body to release the hormones prostaglandins that stimulate labor. After the procedure, the cervix may soften and contractions may begin. 

2. Mechanical dilation with a balloon catheter

   A balloon attached to a catheter is inserted into the cervix and inflated with saline, which puts pressure on the cervix and causes it to open. The balloon catheter can stay in place up to 15 hours. 

3. Hormones

   A synthetic version of the hormone prostaglandin is inserted into the vagina in gel form in several doses every 6-8 hours, or in a pessary and tape form that slowly releases the hormone over 12-24 hours, to soften the cervix and prepare the body for labor. Similarly, a synthetic version of the hormone oxytocin; pitocin is administered via IV drip to start contractions and can take up to several hours. The dosage of oxytocin is adjusted once contractions start to maintain regular contractions until the birth of baby.

4. Artificial Rupture of Membranes A doctor or midwife can insert a small hook-like instrument in the vagina to make a hole in the membrane sac holding the amniotic fluid if an expectant mothers water has not broken on its own. 

When is Labor Induction Recommended?

Ideally, labor will start between 37 and 41 weeks, causing contractions that softens and opens the cervix, and/ or a breaking of the waters. If labor does not occur naturally, your provider will begin discussing  scheduling a labor induction method.

Who is Not a Good Candidate for Induction of Labor?

• Previous cesarean section or planning a repeat cesarean
• Placenta previa; placenta covering cervix
• Breech fetal position; lying sideways
• Serious maternal and/ or fetal medical complications
• Active herpes infection

Takeaway

As you approach your due date, I know you are likely feeling more than ready to have your baby out and in your arms. Remember to consult with your provider to discuss any possible risk and complications before you begin any new regimens. Likewise, castor oil may stimulate contractions and promote labor but it is not without risk. This oil can be taken orally but should be used with caution after approval from your provider. Castor oil can
cause unpleasant side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, contracting not related to labor, increased heart rate, and fetal distress. Some practitioners do not recommend castor oil and in my opinion for good reason. Enduring these side effects could deplete your energy stores, causing labor to be longer and more difficult.

A Loving Reminder:

Natural induction methods work best when baby and body are already ready. None of these are guaranteed, and that’s okay. Trust the divine timing—and reach out if you’d like doula support through the waiting and unfolding.

 

You were made for this. And your baby is coming—right on time.

 

With love and presence,

 

Happy waiting and well wishes!

-Jas

State Certified Full Spectrum Doula

 

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