If your due date has been and gone, and your doctor has started talking about labor induction, or you are worried that this will happen soon, you might well wonder about how to start labor naturally. There are many ways to get labor going that are said to work only if the baby is "ready" to come out anyway. Some mothers who have tried these methods said it worked great for them, and they got contractions shortly after. Others say that trying natural labor-starting methods did nothing at all for them. Either way, these are some harmless ways to try and get labor going! Walking. Apparently, walking every day (the longer the distance the better) can help your baby "dropping" into the pelvis, or engaging. Pressure onto the cervix is said to "trigger" the release of oxytocin and hopefully the start of labor. Even if this does not help your contractions to start, there is no danger. Other than, of course, your waters breaking at the mall, or something. Sex. This is a popular way of kick-starting things! How to start labor with sex? Well, sperm contains chemicals called prostaglandins that can help to ripen the cervix. Orgasm may help start contractions too. Finally, oxyotcin (yes, again!) can be released during sex. Pineapple. Some sources say eating pineapple can start labor, because it contains the enzyme bromelain. You'd have to eat an enormous amount for this to have an effect, but it might just work as a laxative before that, which brings us to the next method... Eating spicy foods, or anything else that makes your digestive system work over hours. Diarrhea can start labor.
Stay away from more serious "natural" induction methods like castor oil or black cohosh and blue cohosh, unless they are administered under the care of a midwife.
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