Bringing on labour: an overview

If you’ve got to the magical 40-week mark and there’s still no sign of your baby, you’re probably wondering how to bring on labour. There is something to be said for being patient though. If you can manage to stay relaxed, your body is more likely to produce the right hormones to get labour started when your baby is ready to come. It's also possible that your labour may progress more smoothly and with fewer complications. But if an induction date is looming, you may feel like giving your baby a gentle nudge.

Alternative ways to get labour started

There are many theories about how to kickstart labour naturally. Some of them have a little scientific evidence behind them. Others are just myths with no evidence at all. One or two are actually unsafe and should be avoided. Here's an overview of the methods you may come across:

Acupuncture

There's no clinical evidence that acupuncture works to bring on labour but some women who are overdue might like to try it. It’s generally considered safe in late pregnancy for both you and your baby.

Acupuncture involves a practitioner inserting very fine needles just under the skin, or slightly deeper to reach muscle tissue. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, this gets energy going within the body to reach a certain organ or system. In pregnant women, acupuncture is thought to help soften the cervix to induce labour.

You will have to pay for acupuncture treatment, so decide whether it’s worth a try. It’s best to have a chat with your midwife or doctor before going ahead.

To try acupuncture, you need to find a qualified practitioner. The British Acupuncture Council has a searchable list.

Eating curry

Spicy food is often suggested as a means of bringing on labour, and many women swear by it. But it’s based on hearsay, rather than evidence.

The theory is that a spicy curry can stimulate your gut, thereby stimulating your womb (uterus) to kickstart labour. But there's no proof this works.

If you’re not used to very spicy foods, you may find they give you heartburn and irritate your tummy. You’re particularly prone to heartburn while you’re pregnant, because of hormonal and physical changes. So don’t order a vindaloo if you usually have a korma!

Otherwise, eating spicy curry is harmless, so go ahead if you fancy trying it. It could be a good excuse for a night off from cooking, if you have a takeaway near you. Or you could find a spicy recipe in our third trimester meal planners.

Pineapple

Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which is thought to help soften your cervix and bring on labour. In theory, eating large amounts may help to get things going.

Test-tube experiments using concentrated pineapple extract appear to show that bromelain works. But a technical scientific study is very different to the reality of eating pineapple and it’s unlikely that it would actually help to bring on your labour. In fact, one pineapple contains a very small amount of bromelain. You would need to eat as many as eight pineapples for it to have any effect. And the most likely side-effect of eating such large amounts of pineapple would be indigestion followed by a bout of diarrhoea!

Another theory why pineapple is thought to help start labour is that eating large amounts of it stimulates your gut, which could also stimulate your womb (uterus). This, in turn, could get your labour going.

But again there's no evidence that this works. And a upset tummy is the last thing you need when labour is approaching.

Nipple stimulation

Nipple stimulation is when you gently rub or roll your nipples to encourage the start of contractions. The idea is to mimic the suckling of your baby. This releases oxytocin, a hormone that causes contractions to start.

Nipple stimulation could work if you’ve had a straightforward pregnancy and your body is ready for labour. But it’s best not to count on it to kickstart labour. There’s only a small amount of evidence to show that it works. It’s also time-consuming, so you’ll have to think about whether you want to invest the effort.

If you want to try it, gently rub or roll your nipples. Massage the darker area around your nipple (areola), not just the tip of your nipple. You can do this by placing your palm over the areola and moving it in a circular motion, firmly and gently. Stimulate your breasts for an hour a day. Spend 15 minutes continuously stimulating one breast, and then alternate to the other breast for 15 minutes until the hour is up.

The idea is to trick your body into thinking you are feeding your baby. This releases oxytocin, a hormone that helps contractions to start. Oxytocin also helps your labour to progress. Nipple stimulation will only work if your body is ready and primed to go into labour. If your body is ready, your cervix will have started to soften, thin and open ready for labour.

However, we don’t know how safe repeated nipple stimulation is for women whose pregnancies have complications. So it’s best not to try this if you’ve had any problems during your pregnancy, like gestational diabetes, high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia.

Sex

Sex can be tricky when you have a big bump. But enjoying sex and having an orgasm could trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone that in large quantities causes contractions. Many women believe it helped get their labour going.

Find out more about how sex may bring on labour.

Walking

It is possible that walking could help to bring on labour. It's thought that the rhythmic pressure of your baby’s head on your cervix could stimulate the release of oxytocin, a hormone that triggers contractions.

If your baby’s head has not moved down into your pelvis (engaged), when you are at, or close to, your due date, walking could encourage your baby into a better position for labour. This means labour is more likely to start on its own.

Walking is safe in late pregnancy, but be careful not to wear yourself out. Labour can be exhausting and you don’t want to use up all your energy before you’ve even started.

A gentle stroll down round the block is probably your best bet. This may not be the moment to take up power walking, particularly if you’ve not done much exercise throughout your pregnancy.

Once you’re in active labour, staying upright and moving around can help your labour to progress.

Hypnosis

Hypnotic relaxation has long been used to reduce pain perception in labour but there is no evidence that it works to get things going.

The theory is that it may help women who are extremely anxious about giving birth. This is because feeling very stressed may prevent us from producing oxytocin, a hormone that’s needed to start labour and help it progress.

Hypnotic relaxation is therefore thought to help women with high levels of anxiety relax so labour can start. But more research is needed into how effective it is.

At the very least, using self-hypnosis podcasts, apps or downloads may help to relax you and take your mind off things if you’re frustrated with being overdue.

Ways to induce labour which may be harmful

Although some mums swear by these methods, health professionals warn against their use in bringing on labour, as they all carry potential risks for you and your baby. If you’re interested in any of these options, always discuss them with your midwife or GP.

Castor oil

Castor oil is not recommended for bringing on labour as it can cause nausea and diarrhoea. Having a tummy upset is the last thing you need during labour.

And, while this traditional method of inducing labour has been around for centuries, there’s still no evidence to prove that it works.

There are reports of castor oil being used to bring on labour as far back as the ancient Egyptians. The theory behind it is that it may act as a powerful laxative that stimulates your gut and then also stimulates your womb (uterus) to start labour. The little research that has been done shows that, although castor oil had no lasting harmful effects either to the mums who took it or to their babies, all the women felt sick afterwards.

For this reason, castor oil is not recommended by health professionals. On top of that, it tastes revolting, even if you mix it with fruit juice, and is very oily to drink. So that may be enough to put you off trying it anyway!

Homeopathic remedies

Homeopathic remedies, such as pulsatilla and caulophyllum, are often used to try to kickstart labour. Though some mums say they found them helpful, there’s no evidence they work.

Research into the use of these remedies in labour has not found any cases where they have caused harm to mum or baby. If you want to give them a try, consult a registered, qualified homeopath as well as your midwife or doctor.

You can find a registered homeopath by contacting The Society of Homeopaths.

Herbal remedies

When it comes to herbal remedies to bring on labour, experts advise against it.

Two particular ones have been used in the past. However, the science shows that they may harm you and your baby and you shouldn’t take them during pregnancy. These herbal remedies are:

• blue cohosh (caulophyllum thalictroides)
• black cohosh (cimicifuga racemosus)

These herbal remedies are much stronger than homeopathic remedies based on the same herbs.

Blue cohosh is thought to be particularly harmful, as it has been linked to heart problems and strokes in babies at birth. It is no longer used by medical herbalists in the UK. You may also hear of evening primrose oil being used to induce labour. However, it's not safe to use in pregnancy and there's no evidence that it works anyway.

If you want to try any kind of herbal remedy while you're pregnant, talk to your midwife or doctor. Also make sure you consult a qualified, registered medical herbalist. You can find one via The National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

Raspberry leaf tea

Another herbal remedy that some women swear by is raspberry leaf tea but it’s not safe to use raspberry leaf to start labour when you’re already due. The sudden stimulation can cause overly strong contractions and may distress your baby.

Raspberry leaf can be taken as a tea or in tablet form earlier in your pregnancy. It's thought to prepare your body for childbirth, by helping to tone the muscles of your womb (uterus). There's little scientific evidence that it works and you would need to take it from 32 weeks in gradually increasing doses.

Find out more about raspberry leaf and labour.

BabyCentre mums’ unusual methods to bring on labour

Here’s a selection of quirky methods that other mums said they found helpful – although frankly we’re not convinced!

• Blowing up balloons: the theory is that the build-up of abdominal pressure encourages labour to start.
• Bouncing on your birth ball or driving your car down a bumpy road would seem to rely on the same theory of shaking things up a little.
• Watching a weepy film and having a good cry. The release of hormones is supposed to help.
• Wearing your best knickers (sod’s law will ensure that your waters break in them!)