Kick-starting Labor

39 Weeks, 2 Days
Watermelon


Wow, I'm feeling large. And sore. To elucidate the situation (graphically), I feel as though my pelvis is being ripped apart at the pubic bone. This is rather new, as I do not recall such a sensation in past pregnancies. I expect it's some combination of baby "dropping" into my pelvis more, and old age. My firstborn was already 2 days old by this stage of the game, so I can definitely say that any time the boy wishes to arrive, I'm totally down with that. This brings me to the topic of today: How to start labor "spontaneously."


So, there are lots of wives tales and legends about how to best kick-start labor. Science has weighed in on some of these, and I must fully disclose that results tend to be right around the coin-flip with a large margin of error. In non-science speak, that means basically that you can try it or not, and it may pretty much all come out in the wash. Break even. Be no different at all, had you NOT done any of these tricks. Now, what science hasn't done is verify what might happen to a person who tries ALL of these things. Let's see what they are.

• Spicy Food. Chowing down on some jalapeños have achieved legendary status with regard to stimulating labor. Here's the thing... the stomach is not the uterus. People do it anyway, and maybe it's just good self-care to enjoy some awesome Mexican food (if that's your thing). There's not any solid proof that spicing up your diet will entice your child to GTFO.
• Nipple Stimulation. Go ahead... rub those babies. It stimulates the release of the naturally-occurring hormone oxytocin. Sounds a lot like "Pitocin" doesn't it? That's because Pitocin, the drug used in hospitals to induce labor, is an artificial version of oxytocin, only less fun for you. But be prepared for a commitment to nip-flicking. In one study, moms who stimulated their nipples for ONE TO THREE HOURS DAILY were more likely to spontaneously go into labor than those who didn't.
• Sex. Coitus. Intercourse. Doing the dirty releases hormones (prostaglandins) that may kick-start contractions. It's important that your partner ejaculates inside the vagina for the prostaglandin release and to help soften the cervix. In addition, if mama orgasms, it could also get the uterus to contract. Emphasis on "could." Important: Do not try this if your water has already broken, or you have been advised against sexual activity by your healthcare provider.
• Castor Oil. Remember old cartoons with Henny Penny? She tried to get all her friends to help her work in her corn field, and they all had bellyache and couldn't help... until it was time to eat the corn and they were all about it then. But Henny Penny gave them Castor Oil instead... y'know, to cure that ol' pesky bellyache. So, supposedly this also stimulates the onset of labor by releasing prostaglandin. In actuality, it stimulates your bowels to have some explosive diarrhea. Which could dehydrate you. And also, there's not any evidence to suggest that your bowels rumbling while being next to the uterus will spontaneously cause the uterus to contract.
• Evening Primrose Oil. I haven't heard of this one, but supposedly this herbal acts similarly in the body as other prostaglandin-agonists (i.e., things that make the hormone prostaglandin get active). Thus, it could potentially soften the cervix and get you ready for action. More science needed to back this one up.
• Red Raspberry Tea. The real, red raspberry leaves are used to make this tea. Not black tea flavored like raspberries. Supposedly, this tea reduces uterine "irritability" and helps contractions be more effective. It can also help to ripen the cervix for dilation and effacement, thus making labor onset occur faster.
• Foot Massage. Shiatsu massage therapists have identified several acupressure points (including on the feet) that have been known to start labor. But the jury's still out on this one. Some massage therapists absolutely will not use acupressure unless you're already in labor (to help speed it along).
• Membrane Sweeping. Also known as membrane stripping, stretch-and-sweep, or maternal masochism. It hurts. I'm not going to lie. Essentially, your healthcare provider may use this trick to help release the amniotic sac from your cervix by taking her gloved hand, shoving it up your cooch, and running a couple fingers around your cervix in a circular motion to begin to separate the mucus plug and open 'er up. Your provider won't try this before 38 weeks, to ensure the baby is well-developed enough for the outside world first. But, some women experience natural labor onset within hours-to-days after having this procedure done.
• Acupuncture. This has been done in several Asian cultures for many generations, and they swear by it. Only one small study has been conducted in the US, but with pretty positive results. Women who received acupuncture between 39.5-41 weeks gestation were more likely to go into labor without medical intervention and were less likely to have cesareans than their "un-stuck" counterparts. More science needed to back up the claims, but this looks legit so far.
• Exercise. Specifically, taking a walk is supposed to help with labor. The claims are pretty thin on this one. One thing it can do, however, is help you distinguish between progressive first-stage labor and Braxton-Hicks contractions. If you go for a walk and your contractions get stronger and closer together, it's the real deal. If they go away or become irregular and aren't painful, it's the BH kind.

Have you heard of any other "tricks" to try?