Induction – the natural way…
When your due date looms near, the daily wait for labour to begin can be all consuming and arduous, especially if D-Day comes and goes without even the smallest of contractions! The old adage of ‘babies come in their own time’ is true in the majority of cases, as once mother and baby are both ready, labour generally progresses naturally. For some women however, inducing labour may become a necessity.
Induction is where labour is started artificially; however this doesn’t necessarily mean through medical intervention – there are more natural, gentle ways which are perfect for helping to get things going if baby is all too comfy in there!
Doctors may want to intervene if there is a risk to yours or your baby’s health or if your waters have broken early, and your midwife may offer a medical induction if you haven’t naturally gone into labour by 42 weeks. Whilst a medical induction may be recommended by your midwife or doctor, do remember that it is your choice whether to go ahead with it or not. Depending on your personal circumstances this may be the best route, but your midwife or doctor will discuss all the advantages and disadvantages with you.
If there is no immediate risk to your or your baby’s health, you might want to try some more natural forms to induce labour either with the help of complementary health professionals or at home.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one possible route for safely inducing labour and can offer a more gentle process to the medical alternative. By stimulating specific points in the body, acupuncture aims to induce the contractions of muscles to allow labour to begin.
It is a very gentle form of acupuncture as pregnancy often makes women more sensitive to stimulus. We make sure you are in a comfy position on the couch with your back raised and supported by blankets and cushions. The obvious points in an acupuncturists mind are Hegu and SanYinJiao. This combination of points is in fact forbidden throughout pregnancy because of the supposed strong action on the uterus so it is important treatment does not begin until after your due date. The only other time these might be used is straight after embryo transfer in IVF – before implantation. Hegu is on the fleshy mound between the thumb and index finger. SanYinJiao is just above the ankle of the inside of each leg.
Other points can be added in depending on the tongue and pulse diagnosis, and once they are all in it is just a case of lying there and relaxing! It can take between 1-3 acupuncture sessions to get things going – though our acupuncturist Kate rarely needs to do more than two. Treatment starts at 39/40 weeks, repeated at 41 weeks with a final session at 41 plus 4 weeks if baby has still not made an appearance.
For an acupuncture ‘induction’ you need to make sure baby’s head is down and that the placenta is not covering the cervix. You also need to have been cleared for a vaginal delivery by your midwife.
Reflexology
Reflexology applies pressure to specific points on the hands and feet. It is a very gentle way of stimulating your body to release oxytocin, the hormone in charge of uterine contractions.
Some of the benefits of using reflexology to induce labour include cervical dilation and ripening, stimulating uterine contractions and helping you to de-stress and calm your mind to prepare you for birth.
Other natural ways to induce labour
From spicy curries to sex and nipple stimulation, there are several ways to help start labour naturally. If you’re near your due date and can’t wait to meet your little cherub, why not give these things a go…
Sex – Whilst this may be the last thing you feel like doing, sex is a commonly suggested method of natural induction for a couple of reasons. Firstly, semen contains prostaglandins which help to ripen the cervix and secondly, when a woman experiences an orgasm she produces oxytocin – the hormone responsible for uterine contractions, softening and dilating the cervix.
Curry - Spicy foods release prostaglandins throughout the digestive process. These hormones ripen the cervix and stimulate contractions in the uterus.
Nipple Stimulation – Rubbing or rolling your nipples (in a way to mimic a breastfeeding baby) helps the body to release oxytocin. This hormone is released when a baby breastfeeds and after labour helps to return the uterus to its normal size.
How NNFP can help…
For more information or to make an appointment for acupuncture or reflexology, please call us on 01603 665173.