Secrets to Shortening Your Labour (BEFORE it Begins!)

What can I say? Nothing motivates me to sit down and blog more than having my kids home for Springbreak 🤪 Interested in potentially shaving some time off your overall birth? There’s not shame in that, sister. Most of us are! Well, here are some proactive steps you can take, before your birth begins, to maybe, just maybe, make that happen!

Red Raspberry Leaf

When taken prenatally, red raspberry leaf has been shown to help strengthen and tone the uterus. It is most commonly consumed via capsule or tea - although capsule is said to be a more potent (read: effective) dosage. You might be thinking “A tea? To shorten my labour? “ Sounds weird, right? Not so weird when you consider that red raspberry leaf works as a uterine toner. In other words, it strengthens your uterus and subsequent contractions. And a strong uterus is an efficient uterus!

Dates

The research on dates to shorten labour is actually pretty impressive. Studies have found that those who ate 6 dates daily from 36 weeks had, pretty significantly, shorter labours than their non-date-eating counterparts. They also had a higher instance of spontaneous labour onset! If you’re like me and can’t stand the taste, you can mask the taste by blending them up in your daily smoothie!

Exercise

As a doula, I always get a little giddy when I work with a client who is committed to exercising both throughout her pregnancy and during the lead up to her birth. I have seen, first-hand, the benefits of women who maintained their fitness during pregnancy and how that positively impacted their births (highly recommend!). And studies have found that women who maintained regular antenatal exercise can shorten their labour by up to one hour. Plus, there are all the other residual benefits of maintaining your exercise program during pregnancy: less likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, more physical comfort during pregnancy, healthy weight gain, better sleep during pregnancy; more stamina for labour, more likely to have a spontaneous onset of labour, less likely to need a cesarean, less likely to use pharmaceuticals - and all the other things that come along with those!

Your Little Passenger’s Position

It’s more than just head down, people. Some birth basics: part of the labour process involves the rotation of the baby to a position that is considered “optimal” for birth (your baby’s head is facing your back, their chin will be tucked). And to be fair, it is this position that nearly all babies end up in order to facilitate their subsequent birth. But… what if babe STARTS labour already in that optimal position? A-ha moment, right? Starting your labour with babe already in that optimal position will mean you don’t have to spend the time labouring while baby rotates. The end result is going to be a shorter, likely easier, labour. Read my post How to Help a Posterior Babe Rotate Before Birth Begins for tips and tricks to get your baby into an optimal position before your birth starts.

Chiro Adjustments

Spend any time reading any of my other birth prep posts and you will notice a recurring theme: regular chiropractic care is a must in the lead up to your delivery. Adjustments, with an experienced chiropractor licensed to work on pregnant bodies, will help with body balancing and creating room in the pelvis to help baby get into that good position pre-birth (if you’re still wondering why that matters, re-read the point above!). For the record, “regular” adjustments equates about 1-2 a week, if you can manage.

Pelvic Floor Therapy

By now you know how significant a role our pelvic floor plays in the birth process. Too tight a pelvic floor and we may baby may have trouble navigating it. So, if t’s a muscle we’re going to depend so heavily on during our births, we really need to A) be familiar with not only its role in the process, where exactly its located within our pelvis and how it functions from a biomechanical standpoint and B) we must be able to connect to it almost as if it’s second-nature. A Pelvic Floor therapist is going to check all these boxes!

Squatting

Ina May Gaskin once said: "squat 300 times a day and you're going to give birth quickly." And while I have questions (Why is 300 the magic number? Does it really have to be 300 squats a day? Where did she get that number from? What happens if it’s only 100 a day?) the fact is that, regardless of the specific number: doing a few sets daily can help lengthen and strengthening your pelvic floor, aligning and opening up your hips AND stretching tight muscles. Plus, there’s a good chance you’ll spend some of your labour in some form of a squat position so, some training beforehand means your muscles are less likely to seize up and fatigue.

Massage Therapy

Regular massage therapy with a registered massage therapist, licensed to work on pregnant bodies, will help promote muscle relaxation. You’ll reap the benefits of these sessions during labour as your body and muscles will be able to relax, and loosen, more quickly, in between labour sensations. Loose muscles means easier passage.

Actively Reduce Birth Anxiety

Stress, or anxiety, causes our adrenaline to spike. And in the birth process, adrenaline is not our friend. Is it because we’re mean people? No. It’s because adrenaline slows labour. Spend time intentionally shaping your mindset as your birth approaches. The easiest way to do this is to learn about birth so that it’s not new, scary territory when you find yourself in it.

Hire a Doula

It’s not even a bias, it’s SCIENCE! Research shows that having a doula attend your birth shaves off, on average, 40 minutes from your birth. You might not think 40 minutes is anything to write home about but, hey, when you're in labour, every minute counts!

There you have it. 10 easy steps that can help you shorten your labour. Before signing off, one last thing I want to do is to encourage you to approach the potential length of your labour with a realistic mindset. The reality is, for the large majority of us, especially first-time birthers, birth is long. While these steps are shown to help reduce some of the time we spend in the labour process, we are not talking about shaving days or hours off of our birth. My suggestion? When your labour starts, approach it as you’re playing a “long game.” Try to refrain from putting any expectations on how long you’ll be “here” for. If anything, assume it will be several days and if it’s less than that - whoop, whoop, bonus!

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.