How To Induce Labor

I have a story to share that I know will help out other women who are searching for answers about how to induce labor.  Perhaps you are in a similar situation to the one I was in a mere 4 weeks ago.  You see, I was entering my 40th week of pregnancy and my doctor visit revealed that I wasn't progressing at all.  An induction was scheduled for one week later and I was feeling a bit frustrated.  I had been induced in my previous pregnancy and did not want to go that route again.  This time I decided to do a little digging and see if I could find some information on how to induce labor without medical intervention.


How To Induce Labor:  Here's What I Dug Up

Turns out there are a bunch of ideas on how to induce labor floating around the internet.  The ones I read about were:  bumpy car rides, light exercise, walking, nipple stimulation, having sex, and  taking certain herbs.  These methods basically work in one of two ways.  The bumpy car rides, exercise and walking are all methods of using gravity to help the baby drop down lower into the pelvic region thereby speeding up the labor process.  Nipple stimulation causes the release of a hormone called Oxytocin which causes the uterus to contract which starts the labor process.  Actually, the synthetic version of Oxytocin, called Pitocin, is what doctors generally use to induce labor in a hospital setting.
The way that sex helps to induce labor is actually twofold.  When a male ejaculates, the semen  contains hormones called Prostoglandins which help to soften and ripen the cervix which helps get labor started.  Additionally, when a woman has an orgasm, Oxytocin is released which starts contractions as stated before. 

How To Induce Labor:  What Should You Try?

I figured it was pretty easy to do some walking but at 40+ weeks pregnant, I'm sorry but the thought of sex was just not on my mind (maybe you'll feel differently, and if so, good for you!!).  I was a bit afraid to try the nipple stimulation because I read about a couple of warnings where nipple stimulation can cause extreme contractions and this made me a little nervous.  The same for herbs...I really don't like the idea of taking herbs unless prescribed by a naturopath or herbalist, and I wasn't under the care of either of those.  So that left just one more choice, and it's called  acupressure.  Honestly I had never even heard of it before so I had to do a lot of research to get some information about this acupressure technique.  Well, the more I read, the better it sounded.

How To Induce Labor:  What Is Acupressure?

Here's what I read about acupressure.  First and most importantly, it's safe for mom and baby.  Once you learn how to do it, it's very simple.  Basically, you have your partner press on certain parts of your body with his fingertips and it stimulates contractions and helps the cervix to dilate.  There are no side effects whatsoever.  The only real problem I could find with this method is that you need to learn how to do it from someone who knows the technique.  Given my situation, I really didn't have time to go looking for a midwife or doula who knew how to perform this technique.  You can imagine how happy I was to be told of a website that contains an ebook detailing everything you need to know about acupressure in a step by step fashion that anyone can learn.  I was a little skeptical about it, but when I checked out the website I found out that the author offered a 100% money back guarantee if I was not happy with the purchase.  So I figured, I've got nothing to lose, and I really need this to work!!  If you're reading this because you desperately need to know how to induce labor , I'm sure you can relate.  You want something that's going to work and you want it NOW!! 

How To Induce Labor:  Yeah, It Worked

Of course it worked, why else would I be writing this story about it!!  Well, actually I don't know 100% if it worked or it was just a coincidence, but I definitely believe that it worked.  At 1:00 a.m I downloaded the acupressure guide (you gotta love the internet to be able to get stuff in the middle of the night!), and I read it straight through.  In the morning my partner read it and we did the techniques which were really easy to learn.  Believe it or not, I went into labor at 11pm.  Yep, that's right, not even 24 hours later.  And there's a bonus to this acupressure technique that I didn't find out until I read the book.  It also helps to relieve the pain during childbirth.  That means you may not need an epidural or you can hold off for longer in getting one if that's what you choose. 

After this happened to me, I decided I would write out my story for other women who are facing the possibility of labor induction and who want to know how to induce labor at home instead.  I figure, I can save you some of the time I spent digging through all of the information out there and tell you about the method that worked great for me.  Best of luck to you!!