It is important to consult with a healthcare professional (doctor or midwife) before attempting any method to induce labor, as some methods may pose risks to you or your baby.
Can anything bring labour on?
For instance, both castor oil and red raspberry leaf tea have been shown to trigger labor contractions. But castor oil also causes contractions in your intestinal tract, leading to diarrhea, upset stomach and cramping. Its efficacy and safety are in question too.
Getting up and moving around may help speed dilation by increasing blood flow. In a 2022 study , researchers reported that walking for half an hour at a moderate pace (2.5 miles per hour) three times a week from week 38 of pregnancy may help induce labor.
How to induce labor: Natural ways to start the process
Staying in bed isn't likely to delay early labor and delivery, and it could lead to health concerns. When you're pregnant, being told to stay in bed for a few days or a few weeks might seem like just the welcome break you need.
How to Make Your Water Break
Certain drinks like raspberry leaf tea, and even oral sex, are said to help encourage labor contractions. Of course, conventional methods of induction, like Pitocin or Cervidil, which help your cervix to open, are available, too. But both must be administered by a healthcare practitioner.
1 centimeter fits one finger tightly. 2 centimeters fits one finger loosely. 3 centimeters fits 2 fingers tightly. 4 centimeters is 2 loose fingers.
Things you'll want to get done before you go into labour
Prostaglandins can help ripen the cervix, stimulate contractions, induce labor, and accelerate delivery. As a bonus, dates are a fantastic source of fiber and antioxidants! The recommended serving of dates is six dates per day.
What Are the Signs of Labor?
Active labour is when your cervix is 4-8cm dilated with a thin fully effaced cervix AND your contractions are regular, strong and long. If you are a first time parent, you can follow the 3-2-1 rule = consistent contractions every 3-5 minutes, for 2 hours, lasting 1 minute or more.
During active labor, if your cervix has opened and thinned, and the baby's head is deep in your pelvis, your healthcare professional might use a plastic hook to make a small hole in the amniotic sac. This is called amniotomy. It causes the water to break and may start contractions or make them stronger.
The 5-5-5 rule is a guideline for what kind of help a postpartum mom needs: five days in bed, five days round the bed — meaning minimal walking around — the next five days around the home. This practice will help you prioritize rest and recovery while gradually increasing activity.
However, as the pregnancy nears full term, hormone levels drop, triggering a set of events which prepare the uterus for labour. This shift allows the uterus to contract and helps set the stage for delivery. Hormones released by the baby, such as cortisol, may also play a role in signalling the body to initiate labour.
Several common symptoms that may show you that your cervix is dilating are contractions, bloody show, lightening (or the baby's head moving lower in your belly), and your water breaking.
In early labor, dilating from 0 to 6 centimeters can take from a few hours up to about 12 hours (though for some people, up to 20 hours). During active labor, dilating from 6 to 10 centimeters generally takes around 4 to 8 hours. On average, you may dilate about 1 centimeter an hour.
The best time to start walking to induce labour is when you are already in early labour or on the verge of going into labour. It is thought to assist gravity in bringing your baby down and exert pressure on your cervix to cause dilation.
Medications to ripen the cervix
Your healthcare provider may recommend synthetic (artificial) prostaglandins to ripen your cervix. Prostaglandins are naturally occurring chemicals in your body that soften and open your cervix. They can also cause contractions to start.
The original Starbucks labor drink consisted of the brand's signature Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade (which includes ice, water, hibiscus flowers, citric acid, natural flavors, cinnamon, apple, licorice root, lemongrass, fruit juice extract, lemon juice, lemon oil and ice) plus four extra pumps of raspberry syrup.
The key ingredient in Midwives' Brew is castor oil, which stimulates the gut. This irritation leads to the release of prostaglandins, which help soften and ripen the cervix, potentially triggering contractions. The nut butter in the recipe helps slow down absorption so the castor oil doesn't hit too aggressively.
"Water breaking" refers to the amniotic fluid breaking free from the sac that holds your baby. It's most likely to occur between weeks 39 and 40 of your pregnancy, but can happen before or after. If you're unsure if your water has broken, try putting in a pantyliner and sitting down for 30 minutes.
There are often early signs, like your baby dropping, cramping, or a nesting urge that show up days (or even weeks) beforehand. When contractions become stronger, longer, and more regular — especially paired with symptoms like a bloody show or water breaking — you're likely in early or active labor.
How to Get Baby to Drop