While no exercise guarantees labor induction, activities like walking, squatting, pelvic tilts, and using birthing balls (bouncing, figure-eights) help position the baby, open the pelvis, and prepare your body for labor, making contractions more effective; always consult your OBGYN first, especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy, and avoid sharp or strenuous movements.
Gentle exercise
Walking is the most common method used to encourage labour at the end of pregnancy . Rocking on a birthing ball, or climbing stairs are also frequently suggested as ways to encourage labour. The idea is that exercise moves the pelvis, helping the baby to move down and put pressure on the cervix.
Can anything bring labour on?
No specific exercise, squats included, has been shown to induce labor. Squatting is generally considered safe in pregnancy, and it's been shown to improve posture and reduce the risk of falling 1 .
The good news? According to research, walking at least 40 minutes a day for four days a week throughout the third trimester can decrease the likelihood of having an induction, Cesarean section, or instrument-assisted delivery (using vacuum or forceps) and improve your Bishop score at the start of labor [1].
According to the results of the present study, walking during late pregnancy could be an effective, safe, and acceptable method to achieve cervical ripening and spontaneous onset of labor.
There are several signs that labour might be starting, including:
“A butterfly pose isn't going to make you have contractions,” says Cohen, “but it can help tone the pelvic muscles,” which you'll use during labor to push baby into the world. Bonus: This one feels good.
Walking and exercise often make it to the top of the list of things to try. While there's no research that says it will induce labor, 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times a week can be helpful in any stage of pregnancy.
Some exercises to try are supporting squats, gently bouncing on an exercise ball, slow dancing and butterfly pose. Avoid sharp bouncing and twisting movements, as well as inversions. Avoid exercises to induce labor that elevate your heart rate or cause stress on the body.
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.
How to Make Your Water Break
Things you'll want to get done before you go into labour
There are no proven safe ways for a woman to break her water at home. It can be dangerous if the water breaks before natural labor begins or before the baby is fully developed. During the natural process of labor, the water breaks when the baby's head puts pressure on the amniotic sac, causing it to rupture.
Myth #3: Bouncing on a ball will induce labor
Hip circles and aggressive bouncing will not put you into labor.
How to help the baby engage
Squats open the pelvis and can encourage baby to put added pressure on the cervix, which helps with dilation. It's important to have good support when in a squatted position during labor, and to keep your feet as parallel as possible instead of in a "V" shape.
Movement can help: Experts agree that exercising or walking during pregnancy can encourage the baby into a favorable position, which is key when preparing for labor. Your body plays a big role: No method will induce labor unless your body is ready.
Climbing stairs also opens your pelvis, putting pressure on the cervix and helping put the baby in the correct position for delivery. The evidence on whether exercise puts you into labor is mixed. Anecdotally, exercise can be an effective natural induction method.
Nonpharmacologic Cervical Ripening
Signs of labor
Eating dates. Eating dates is one of the few natural methods backed by research. “In one study, women who ate six dates a day starting at 36 weeks were more likely to go into labor on their own and make the beginning stages of labor quicker,” Zimmer said.
The signs of labor will vary for every pregnant person; some symptoms may be more subtle than others. Some early signs of early labor include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased bowel movements, lower back pain, cervical dilation and effacement and the loss of the mucus plug.
These aspects can be remembered using the mnemonic called the 5 P's of Labor that include Power, Passageway, Passenger, Positioning, and Psyche. Being knowledgeable about the 5 P's of labor helps nurses understand the factors that must work together for a successful and safe vaginal birth.
You may need to urinate more often because the baby is pressing on your bladder. For first-time mothers, lightening often happens a few weeks before birth. For women who have had babies before, it may not happen until labor has begun.