By Eirian Hallinan
Premature birth may worry you as it worries most expectant
parents but becoming overdue can also bring its own concerns and difficulties.
As you become larger, sleeping can become more challenging. It becomes
increasingly more difficult to get into a comfortable position as does
breathing as your lungs become more crowded due to your overgrown uterus. If
your baby stays in too long then there are risks associated with this, most
commonly that your baby could pass meconium. If you find yourself overdue and
are seeking advice to naturally help induce labour then the following is a list
of ideas to do exactly that.
Sex- is often prescribed by doctors to help induce labour
because the prostaglandins in semen help soften and prepare the cervix to
dilate.
Herbs – hundreds of years ago midwives used herbs to prepare
mothers for pregnancy, labour and birth. This was before the invention of
pitocin. You must be very cautious with herbs of any kind as they can cause
great damage if the correct dosage is not administered. Black cohosh, available
in capsules or teas is commonly used to induce labour and can be with or
without alcohol. During birth, black cohosh can help strengthen and regulate
uterine contractions. Other herbs which have similar effects are red raspberry
leaf and false unicorn root. These particular herbs have natural chemicals
which are released into the woman’s body and stimulate the baby to encourage
her to move and get positioned for birth. Herbs should not be used until the
cervix is ready to open as they will not work until then. Beware of some herbs
which can be dangerous to you or your baby such as aloe vera, bungleweed and
pokeroot as these are some of the herbs that can cause premature birth or birth
defects. Always consult a doctor before self-medicating with herbs. Primrose
oil is used to induce labour as it has a comparable effect to semen in the
cervix by softening and ripening it.
Castor Oil – is taken by some women as a natural method of
bringing on labour. The theory being that the diarrhoea and cramping it causes
also causes contractions that can induce labour. It is unpleasant to taste but
two tablespoons can be mixed into another drink such as a juice. It is advised
to consume castor oil in the morning as you will be woken in the night with the
cramping and diarrhoea if you take it in the evening. There are risks with
taking castor oil such as the expectant mother becoming dehydrated because she
has diarrhoea and also it increases the risk of the baby passing meconium while
still in the uterus.
Nipple Stimulation – for hundreds of years nipple
stimulation has been used by women to help induce labour. It has an effect of
releasing a natural form of pitocin called oxytocin. Similarly to pitocin,
oxytocin triggers contractions that can bring on labour. This method for
naturally inducing labour is only effective near to your due date and when you
are ready to give birth. Before forty weeks, it is not advisable to induce
labour. The nipples can be stimulated manually or a breast pump can be used.
Care needs to be taken as your uterus can become hyperstimulated. Only
stimulate one nipple at a time and rest immediately once you notice
contractions. Wait at least fifteen minutes after the contractions have stopped
before resuming. If you do not get any rest between contractions other problems
can arise.
Be Active – whilst most doctors advise you to slow down and
reduce your activities as you approach your due date, it is also helpful to
remain active as long as you do not cause yourself any stress. Walking a wee
bit more than usual and slowly swinging your hips from side to side can help
induce labour by stimulating your baby and getting her moving into the birthing
position. If you fancy some fun, sex is always a good idea as I mentioned
before because along with semen helping the cervix to soften, the female orgasm
produces a hormone which aids childbirth.
Other methods women have used include acupressure and eating
spicy foods, but watch out for possible nausea with spicy food and medical
research has not yet supported this idea as definitely being beneficial.
Eirian Hallinan has written numerous articles in the baby care field. She
believes in healing naturally, first, especially when it comes to infant reflux.
0 Comments