Tried, Tested and True: Natural Induction Strategies to Bring on Baby

The doula in me wants to tell you to leave natural induction at the door. To trust the process because your baby knows the *perfect* time to enter this world. Sigh. Such a beautiful, romantic…. and patient, thought. And, yes, that’s definitely a viewpoint I buy into – provided it’s something the pregnant person also buys into.  On the flip side, aside from being a doula, I’m also a person.  A person who has been pregnant, several times, and who, upon reaching the full term of their pregnancy, knew in my heart-of-hearts, that I was completely, utterly, absolutely, done being pregnant.

Actually, rewind.  If I’m being completely transparent here, I’m a person who finds comfort in being proactive. I always started my preferred natural induction tricks once I was around that 38 week mark, never waiting for that 40 week mark to come (and go).  My thought process was that, if I started early, I would hopefully – at the very least – get my body warmed up in time to have my baby around the time of my due date. 

Was I successful?  I’m fairly (over) confident that I was. Over-confident is kinda the name of my game, though, so take that with a good ole grain of salt. However, I never actually made it to my due date with any of my three kids. Plus Number Two and Number Three were born at 38 weeks, to the day.  I know, I know - you don’t really care when my kids were born, you just want the goods so you can get your baby here. I hear you, loud and clear. First, I’m going to start with a plea. Please, for the love and good of all things holy, DO NOT attempt any natural induction before you are full term. The longer your baby stays inside, the better and that is especially true for babies who have not reached full gestation. As always, please run any and all of your ideas for natural induction by your care provider first. Your care provider, knows your specific situation intimately and might have pertinent information about why the natural induction method you’re interested in trying is not right for you. And with that, let’s start with some of the more well-known natural induction techniques before switching gears and diving into what *I* did to encourage my body to get ready – and maybe even bring on – birth.

The Traditional Techniques

Nipple Stimulation

Exactly as it sounds. For 15 minutes, on each side, up to an hour a day you use your hands to stimulate your nipples (sort of like a breastfeeding infant might). If you feel like living on the edge, use a breast pump. Nipple stimulation releases Oxytocin which can bring on contractions. It’s possible to go overboard with this one - too much nipple stimulation could result in very strong contractions. Follow the guidance of your care provider before embarking on the Nipple Stimulation Express.

Sex

This is my favourite technique to merely suggest to couples (who ask) just so I can get their reaction.  You’re either Team I’ll-Do-Anything or Team Not-A-Friggin-Chance. There are a few ways that sex is said to work to induce labour. Sex releases Oxytocin (a hormone integral to contractions). Semen may help soften the cervix and having an orgasm might push your uterus into action. Have fun, you crazy kids, you!

Castor Oil

I just can’t dress this one up, not even if I wanted to. Is there anything appealing to you about drinking castor oil? The lengths we’ll go to when we’re “done” being pregnant are truly amazing.  From what I’ve heard and read, the success rate of castor oil isn’t awesome at nudging your body towards birth but it IS really good at helping you bank time on the toilet with diarrhea or nausea. And I don’t know about you but, to me, that doesn’t really sound like a worthwhile investment of my time. Please don’t consume castor oil without getting your care provider’s opinion first.

“Midwives Cocktail”

So, a pregnant person walked into a bar and…. Just kidding, you definitely won’t be finding this castor oil based cocktail in a bar. This might be slightly more tolerable than straight up castor oil because it incorporates a few other ingredients - although, at first glance I’m not all that certain how well those, very distinct, flavours blend together… if at all.  Anecdotally, the success rate on this is considered quite good provided you’re over 40 weeks pregnant. Notice how I didn’t give you the specifics?  That wasn’t an oversight.  Ask your care provider for their thoughts on this before moving forward - if you’re passed the 40 week mark, and if you ask really nicely, they might even give you the recipe!

Acupuncture

This is the insertion of fine needles into different points in your body. It is said to help dilate and soften the cervix which is, obviously, important for labour. This is an option that I find intriguing but, if I’m being honest (which I always am!), I’m not a big fan of needles. If you also are not a big fan of needles, you may find it difficult to relax throughout this procedure which could hinder it’s effectiveness.

Stretch + Sweep

Using a (gloved) hand, your doctor or midwife inserts their fingers into your vagina in order to separate your lower membranes from your cervix. Fun… Times.  If that didn’t sell you on a stretch and sweep, my next point won’t either. The success rate of stretch and sweep is neither here nor there but, rather, everywhere.  Some people have had their babies within 24 hours of a sweep while some go for 2 more sweeps with no flippin’ change at all.  There is the risk of increased chance of infection with stretch and sweeps so, if this is a route you’re interested in, make sure you weigh the potential risks with the potential benefit.

My Tried-and-True Natural Induction Techniques:

Here are the goods. I did all five of these things, strategically, with all three of my pregnancies - and all three babies were early!

1. Prenatal Massage

Well, THIS sounds better than drinking castor oil or a stretch and sweep, doesn’t it?! If you’re thinking: “Now she’s talking,” you and I would be a good pair. There are several points in areas throughout our body that are said to induce labour through firm pressure. Schedule a couple of visits to see a prenatal massage therapist and let them spend some time massaging those magical points. Prenatal massage therapists can sometimes be hard to get into so schedule a couple of visits right off the bat.  One for 38 weeks and another for 40 weeks and three days (because three is my favourite number). You can always cancel that 40 week appointment.

Word to the wise?  Be honest about what you’re after when you speak with your massage therapist. Don’t expect them to read your mind or assume they know exactly why you’re there. Also, they will not even consider touching those pressure points if you aren’t full term. Don’t be sneaky - be full term. If I’m being completely forthcoming (and I’d suggest the same for you as well) I did my own research about the general areas where labour-inducing pressure points were located before my appointment so that I would know if the massage therapist was doing right it or not. Yep - it was a test.   And thankfully, my massage therapist passed because she’s one of my best friends (we were bridesmaids at each other’s weddings!) and our lunch date immediately after my appointment would’ve been more awkward than it already was when I ‘fessed up that I’d actually been testing her.

Prenatal Massage is also good for:

• Releasing Stress

• Relaxing muscles

• Promoting blood circulation (and increasing blood volume)

• And more!

2. Exercise

Yes, I’m a sadist who is going to tell you to exercise and move during pregnancy (and outside of it!).  Yes, I know that our natural inclination once we hit that third trimester (and more so the closer we get to term) is to sloooooooow down.  There’s a time and a place for slowing down.  Should you be resting as much as you can in the lead up to your guess date?  Of course. Rest is just as important to your health and wellness as movement is.  But we’re talking about encouraging labour here! And if you’re trying to bring on the main event, it’s not time to be horizontal on the couch binge-watching reruns of Modern Family (side note: that’s a great plan for postpartum!).  I’m not talking about anything overly vigorous or strenuous - I just want you to move your body, in some way because if you want baby to move down, birth boss, you need to be up.

3. Step Ups

This is sort of an extension of exercise, I’ll give you that, but it’s such a fantastic way to nudge baby down that it deserves it’s own mention. This was a trick I learned totally by accident and, sorry, I’m going to share the story with you.  A few days before I was due with Number One, we had ordered a new bedroom set. My maternity leave had just started, so I was home when the set arrived. Seeing absolutely no reason why I should wait for Derek to get home to help me when I was perfectly capable (sort of) of doing it myself, I got busy.  If I’m being honest, making the bed is not something I tend to do very often do so it took me an outrageously long time - over an hour - to complete.  To add to the challenge, the bed was really high so I had to step up onto the blanket box at the end of the bed in order to get on top of it and smooth out the sheets and duvet.  So, picture this:

1. Heavily pregnant woman, stepping up onto a 2 foot high elevated surface (the blanket box)

2. Stepping up to another elevated surface (the bed)

3. And then jumping back down (off the bed) to the floor.  

It should come as a shock, to no one, that Number One was born less than 24 hours later - before his due date.

Don’t have a blanket box? I’m not actually sure why we have one either. You’re smart, get creative! Look around and I’m sure you can find some sort of elevated (and very, very stable) surface that you can hoist yourself up onto. How about a large rock in your yard; a bench at a nearby park; the ledge of a bay window in your home; even a chair from your kitchen table will do.  Step up and land heavily, kind of like a graceful elephant, on your feet on the way down. Wherever you decide to do this, please be safe about it! We don’t need any tumbles right before B-Day.

4. Chiropractor

A good chiropractor is a great tool to have in your pocket.  The key here is finding a Webster’s Certified chiropractor – that means they have specialized training to work on pregnant bodies.  Seeing a chiropractor once you’re full term is amazing for relaxing and aligning the pelvis (just think about how important that must be for birth!).  Plus?  Like an RMT, chiropractors are knowledgeable about those labour-inducing pressure points.  And those pressure points combined with a relaxed pelvis are the perfect combination to nudge your body into the birth process. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: is there anything a chiro can’t help with?!

Are you ready for my number one natural induction trick?  Here it is:

5. Plan (and Want) to Go Passed Your Due Date

HA!  That’s not what you expected me to say, is it? What can I say, I like to keep you on your toes.  Let’s do this little exercise together. Think about your due date.  In your mind, pick a new date about 7-10 days later.  This is the date you now expect to meet your baby.  Then, whenever anyone asks about your due date (‘cause you know they will) you answer, totally casually: “Oh, I’m due on X but I’m probably going to be, like, ten days late.” Make sure everyone in your life hears that you expect to give birth well passed your 40 week mark. Remove the idea of a 40 week “due date” in your mind!

Want to up the ante? Of course you do!

• Plan something really fun. Like, super fun. Something you would really look forward to and something you really want to do. Schedule this super fun activity for around your 40 week mark. 

• Leave something important on your to-do list. And plan to do it in the 40th week of your pregnancy. Betcha it won’t ever end up getting done.

• Murphy’s Law means you probably won’t make it to your scheduled activity. And, even if you do end up making it to your scheduled activity, at least you got to do something really fun!

Full disclaimer: there is absolutely no scientific evidence to back this supposition up, it’s based purely on my own experiences with birth.  I always planned to be “late” with my kids (and actually welcomed it) and was significantly early with all three.

Some things to consider:

Natural Induction is Still…. Induction

While, obviously less invasive than medical or synthetic methods, natural induction is still considered an intervention. Essentially, you are acting to disrupt the physiological cycle of birth by bringing on labour yourself.  If true, physiologic birth is important to you, best leave natural induction out.

Are You Going To Become Overly Invested?

How invested are you in your efforts “working?”  Is your mood or mental state going to be affected if your attempts don’t pan out?  If you answer yes, letting nature play it’s course might be the better option for you.  We want you to head into your birth feeling confident, calm and with a deep trust in your body.  Feeling frustrated that your natural induction strategies “didn’t work” is not conducive to those goals.

If Your Body Isn’t Ready, It Won’t Work

Alright, so, don’t shoot the messenger but someone has to be the barer of bad news and I guess, right now, it’s me.  In order for the car to start, the engine needs to be a little warm.  Hopefully you follow that analogy. If your body isn’t ready at all, there isn’t a natural induction technique on beautiful planet earth that’s going to work (my sister will be nodding her head in agreement as she reads this). And before you go running to your care provider for a medical induction, you should know that if your body really isn’t ready, there’s a chance that strategy may not work either.  If you aren’t getting much response from your body following any of the induction strategies you’ve tried, press pause, decompress and maybe try again in a few days (if you still want to).

A Watched Pot Never Boils

Did you ever have a time where you were anxiously awaiting the arrival of your period?  And, you know, the more you thought about it, the longer is seemed to take to come? Okay, now let’s swap your period for your baby.  Same idea. I know you’re anxious and excited to meet your baby but go about your life, stay busy, focus on other things! Maybe I can’t guarantee that any of these natural induction strategies will be as successful for you as they were for me but what I can guarantee is that your baby will be born. And it’s kind of cool when your baby refuses all of your eviction advances and, instead, chooses their own birthday.

Disclaimer

The information in this post is purely based on my own experiences and should not be taken as medical advice. This post does not aim to diagnose, treat or provide medical advice. It contains only general information based on the writer’s personal experience. Do not attempt to any natural induction strategies before you are considered full term. As always, you are recommended to seek the guidance of a licensed medical practitioner before beginning any attempts induce yourself - even naturally.

The Homebirth of Lucky No. 3

“FUCK.”  It was Good Friday and we were having an early Easter dinner at our house with family. I was 37 weeks and 7 days pregnant with our third baby and had just gotten one of those tell-tale signs that birth was starting. Unlike many (most?) other pregnant women who are at the end of their pregnancies, I was in no hurry to have this baby out.  In fact, I’d been strategizing for months, with my Naturopath, how to stay pregnant passed my due date.  Carter was just over three. Lily almost 18 months. And I wanted all the extra time I could get to have the “big two” grow up just a smidgen more before the new baby came.  “Nana Angel” (Derek’s mom’s) birthday was just 5 short days past my due date.  I would have loved for this baby to share her birthday or, at the very least, her birthday month. With that being said, being Easter weekend, I had a feeling this baby was coming. I’d said as much to the midwife at, what ended up being, our last prenatal appointment. Carter was born on Halloween, Lily was due on Thanksgiving and, despite my best efforts, it seemed fitting that this baby would come on another notable day

37 weeks 7 days with baby #3. He was born 15 hours later (right in that shower behind me!).

I made my way to the bathroom with my sister-in-law close behind me.  She brought me clean clothes, which I changed into. Then, I went into the kitchen, poured myself a glass of wine and, as all three of the other adults in the room stared at me inquisitively, drank it.   I was daring the labour to start but hoping the wine would relax me enough to stop whatever was happening (I know it sounds crazy but this was advice given to me by a midwife when I was pregnant with Lily.  She said if you’re wondering whether it’s the real deal, try to “stop it” by taking a Tylenol, having a bath and drinking a small glass of wine - if you’re still feeling sensations once you get out, it’s happening.  Maybe run this strategy by your own midwife before trying it yourself).

While I had been feeling little crampy sensations all through dinner, they all but disappeared as we put Carter and Lily to bed and got into bed ourselves.  I was feeling more and more optimistic that this was just primordial labour. Primordial labour is like false labour. It starts and stops over a period of days or weeks, usually happening at night, and is quite common with subsequent babies (and something no sane pregnant person actually hopes for!).  We turned off the light.  I tried to go to sleep.

…Aaaaaand was woken up about an hour later.  I was still in denial. Still clinging onto the hope that by morning the sensations would ease up. I woke Derek up and told him I was going downstairs and made my way to the birth ball. It didn’t take me long to figure out there was no denying it. This baby was picking their own date for their own birthday.

A couple hours later, my mom had arrived to sleep in the spare room and be on big kid duty.  The midwife I’d hoped would be on call was and she was on route after I, hesitantly, told her I thought she should start heading over.  I was hesitant because I really wasn’t sure.  I was managing through contractions quite well, yet something told me I still wanted her there (side note: this is ALWAYS the right time to ask your support team to join you).  She slipped inside from the darkness of the night and joined us in our dimly light room, watching as midwives do, to try and get a feel of where I was.  After a few contractions, she asked if I wanted to be checked to have an idea about where things were at.  We were all shocked when she pegged me at around 8 centimeters (“You can hardly tell you’re in labour!” was her response).  Using my crockpot trick (that you can read about on my blog), I was aware that I was managing the sensations quite well but even I was surprised to hear things were that far along. I thought this last little stretch would be just that – little – and that I was nearly done.  Now that I know where I was, dilation-wise, I felt comfortable moving into the shower.  The shower was my was my last-resort coping tool. And once I got in, I wasn’t getting out, so it was really important to time that transfer well.

Of course, sometimes it happens that you have one plan and Birth has another.  That was the case here.  It took me awhile – way longer than I expected – to finish dilating.  The sun was up and I remember wondering why on earth this was taking so long – it was my THIRD baby and I’d, easily, been labouring longer than I had with Lily.  At this point, this thing should just fall out!

A little bit of background here: I did not use a doula with this birth as I had with Carter and Lily.  Why?  Because Derek had a false understanding about the intensity of birth. I attributed this to a doula doing most of the support with my first two births (which, at the time, I’d wanted).  This time, I wanted him to get a really good idea about all the work that birth entailed – so I made him my doula.  You should also know that this decision was a questionable one because Derek doesn’t handle birth well. In fact, if you birth with a certain group of midwives, there’s a chance you’ve heard about the husband who rocked, head-in-hands, in the corner of the bathroom during his wife’s first homebirth. So, now you understand why one midwife openly laughed during our prenatal visit when I shared my plan to have Derek be my doula… before asking if I really thought it was a good idea!

Anyways, in this moment – as the sun is coming up and I’m wondering why this is taking so long and losing steam – is when I really missed having my doula.  I needed someone to remind me that time was not the enemy here. Time was my friend.  Without my doula there to remind me that birth has no timeline, I was in a hurry to have this end. I was ready to move on to the next stage and I wasn’t ready to wait for my body to catch up. So, I fibbed and said the magic words that no one can resist getting excited over: “I feel like I need to push.”  The midwife checked me and said there was still a little bit of lip (cervical) there but I could start pushing if I felt like that was what I needed to do.  So, I did.  And an hour later – longer than both my first and second births – I was still pushing.

The reality is it had not been time for me to start pushing – I jumped the gun because I was tired.  And I was not relaxed in this moment.  Derek’s exhaustion and desire to wrap this little up was written all over his face.  I felt the same.  I knew Carter and Lily were awake downstairs and was worried about what they might be hearing.  By now, I’d been in the shower longer than I had while in labour with Lily and I was TERRIFIED that the hot water would run out.  This decision to start pushing, when I probably would have been better served to hold off until my body was pushing on its own, was a lesson that I pass along to anyone who will listen!  By starting to push early and while tense I (in my opinion) prolonged the pushing stage which exhausted me… which then made the pushing less effective… and so on.

The moment that makes it all worth it

He did join us, that baby of ours.  Just Derek and I in the shower as he came into the world.  We finally got to hear what we’d been dying to know for the last ten months – that he was a he!  The moment I’d been waiting for (besides baby being born, of course) was when I got to hand off the baby so I could stand up, shower everything off and climb into bed.  Anyone who’s birthed at home will tell you this is THE best part – and it really is!

If they’re being honest, I think each time a parent welcomes a second or third or fourth baby, there is a little bit of apprehension about whether they will love the new baby as much as the love the older ones.  And this was true for me, as well.  But when I was settled in bed and able to hold him and just look at him – it was instantaneous.  I was just completely enamored with him.  I remember Derek commenting: “Wow, you REALLY like him, don’t you?!”  And I did.  I felt the bond with him – third baby and all – immediately.  And not at a cost of my affection of the first two, which is really the true beauty of it, isn’t it?  There was absolutely a sense of completeness that hadn’t been there following my first two births. It was like the room was filled with wholeness and unity.

This had been my third birth.   My second homebirth.   And the first birth where I hadn’t used a doula. Where I’d pushed the longest. Where I didn’t feel like I’d conquered the world.  In all honesty, in the days that followed, I felt a little defeated.  When I told my former doula about this, she suggested I talk to the attending midwife and get her perspective. When I did this, her feelings about the birth, namely the pushing stage, was the same as mine: “You were tired, and you weren’t into it.  You weren’t as relaxed.”  Bang on.  I hadn’t been into it from the moment it had started - remember, I’d tried to “stop it.”  We’d been up for over 24 hours and were, rightfully, tired.  My mind was in other places (Derek’s needs, the big kids’ needs, the hot water supply) and it made me tense.  It just goes to show how important the environment and mental component of birth is.

Ultimately, the experience from this birth has significantly shaped how I approach birth as a doula – maybe more so than my first two.  With respect for the process and with a better understanding that birth is an entity distinct to that individual experience.  With the recognition that all births are unique, they don’t necessarily follow a pattern. And with, guess what, I know nothing about the specifics of this particular birth besides the fact that the baby will eventually come out!. 

This birth humbled me and, sometimes, the greatest lessons are ones learned from humility.  In hindsight, this birth was exactly what I needed it to be and, by recognizing this, there are no more feelings of defeat - only appreciation and peace. Now, what life would be like with three kids three and under? Well, that’s a whole different story!