Labor Inducing
Eggplant Parmesan
One
of the methods of self-inducing labor that's been sweeping
the internet in recent years is the myth that eggplant will
send you into labor. This myth started when a news
story began circulating the country about a restaurant in
GA, named Scalini's. Apparently over 300 babies have
been born in the past 23 years, within 48 hours after their
mothers had eaten the eggplant parmegiana.
The
funny part is, it may just be that the dish causes the women
to go into labor, but it's not the eggplant. The herbs
Oregano and Basil have properties that may cause
contractions, though it is not yet known how or in what
quantities. This is why, in aromatherapy circles,
these herbs and essential oils are to be avoided whenever
possible during pregnancy.
Sex
to Induce Labor
Semen contains prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins cause the cervix to "ripen", or soften and
prepare to open. While it is debatable whether there are
enough prostaglandins in semen to have any effect, it is not
a terrible way to keep hope alive and while away the last
weeks of your pregnancy. Another great thing, orgasm
produces oxytocin, the hormone that causes contractions.
So, between the two, there is a pretty good recipe for
labor.
Evening Primrose Oil and Red
Raspberry Leaf Tea
Neither will induce labor.
I will repeat this at the end of
this section, to make sure you
understand this, as there is a
lot of confusion and
misconception surrounding these
two substances.
Evening primrose oil is an
excellent source of
prostaglandins, which we already
determined readies your cervix
for labor. It can be taken
orally as soon as 34 weeks, and
can be applied directly to the
cervix at full term (36 weeks).
The general recommendation is
two 500mg capsules per day until
week 38, at which time you
increase to 3-4 per day.
The entire capsule can be
inserted vaginally (inserted
just before bed, it will
dissolve before the first time
you wake to use the bathroom),
or you can use the oil on your
fingers for your perineal
massage, then also rub on your
cervix (assuming you can reach
it). Applying directly to
the cervix is great, but the
beneficial ingredients are
absorbed through the external
skin or the stomach also.
Red raspberry leaf tea is a
uterine tonic used by Native
Americans for thousands of
years. It tones your
uterus by helping to "focus"
your Braxton Hicks contractions.
It helps your uterus do more
effective exercising while you
are pregnant, if you will.
It does not "cause"
contractions and can be safely
used throughout pregnancy.
It is contraindicated for
those having complications "just
in case", however, by most
doctors who do not understand
its use. I safely used it
from the moment I learned I was
pregnant at six weeks until
months after I delivered, with
both of my children. (It helps
to tone the uterus after
delivery as well, shrinking it
back to size more quickly and
reducing bleeding.)
Again, neither of these actually
causes labor to start!
Castor Oil to Bring on Labor
First let me just say that I do
not recommend this method.
That is because I used it with
my second child (Eva) and it was
just about the most horrible
mistake I could have made (other
than maybe getting another
epidural, anyway). Read
my birth story for details.
The theory behind this induction
method is that the castor oil
causes diarrhea (boy, does it
ever!) and the diarrheal cramps
cause sympathetic cramping in
your uterus. This is
another of the methods that
"won't work if you're not
already ready anyway", as the
sympathetic cramping will be
ineffectual if all conditions
are not already optimal for
labor. In my case, my
contractions began 10 minutes
after my first dose of oil,
hours before the diarrhea began.
Therefore, it could not have
been the castor oil that brought
on labor in my case, and I
caused myself all that trouble
for nothing.
There has been much debate over
whether taking castor oil to
induce labor will cause the baby
to have its first bowel movement
in the womb before birth.
This pre-birth bowel movement,
called meconium, can be
dangerous, because if baby
inhales some of it it can
cause pneumonia in the lungs.
It is also a widely-held signal
that the baby is in some sort of
distress. I am the
self-professed queen of research
on any and all pregnancy and
breastfeeding-related topics,
and in all my scouring I've
found that most professionals
agree that this is untrue.
They have found that there is no
increased occurrence of meconium
in castor oil induced labors
over spontaneous labors.
Nipple Stimulation to
Self-induce
This
is a practice often recommended
by midwives when a woman is long
past due or when labor is
stalled. Nipple
stimulation causes the release
of oxytocin, the same hormone
that causes uterine contractions. Many women report,
however, that the contractions produced from this method are
much stronger and more painful than natural labor, but are
not any more effective. Please note: In order to use
this method for induction, you must stimulate the nipples
for long periods of time. The usual recommendation is
15 minutes of continual stimulation on each nipple each hour
for several hours. So, the amount of stimulation
you may get during foreplay, or while nursing an older child
or pumping your breasts while pregnant will not cause you to
go into labor.
Acupressure/Acupuncture for
Inducing or Augmenting Labor
There are two points on your
body that will cause uterine
contractions. They are
always warned against during
pregnancy, though they are
widely believed to be another
labor inducing method that will
not work if you are not already
ready to deliver. I used
them many times during my final
weeks of off and on labor, to
try to keep things moving when
it would start. While it
kept the contractions coming,
they never got any more intense
and would just peter out after I
would stop the stimulation.
These points are about four
finger-widths above the inner
ankle on your calf, and in the
webbing between your thumb and
forefinger. You will know
when you've found the spot
because it will be very sore.
You rub your calf, or pinch the
webbing on your hand, in a
circular motion for 30-60 second
at a time, taking 1-2 minute
breaks in between.
Read
Natural Pain Relief Techniques
for Childbirth Using Acupressure
Stripping Membranes
There is a procedure your doctor
or midwife can perform called
"stripping" or "sweeping" your
membranes. The healthcare
professional will insert their
finger(s) into your cervix and
sweep from side to side, pulling
the membranes (bag of water)
away from the mouth of the
cervix and the lower uterus, and
in the process stretching and
irritating your cervix.
Sometimes this will generate
local production of
prostaglandins and enough of the
necessary hormones to start
labor. Sometimes it takes
3 or 4 attempts to begin labor.
Many women find this to be a
very uncomfortable, if not
painful, procedure. This
is a medical intervention and
should be taken as seriously as
any medical induction method.
Herbs and Homeopathic Remedies
All
substances that would fall in
this category, such as Blue and
Black Cohosh are general
considered to be as unsafe as
medical interventions, and if
they are to be used must be used
only under the recommendation
and supervision of your doctor
or midwife.
This is my official disclaimer
that I am not a medical
professional and in no way am I
advocating any of the above for
any of my readers for any
reason. I have compiled
this information from many
different authoritative sources,
and I provide the above for
informational purposes only. |
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