7 Ways to Induce Labor “Naturally”

D.I.Y. Induced Labor

Guide to Naturally Inducing your labor by Dr. Jennifer Dorn

Published June 17, 2021

So your 39-40 week mark has came and went? What’s next? The dreaded waiting game. Women often get overwhelmed and overly anxious at this point and are looking for ANY way to get their baby out and into their arms. They are often at max capacity of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing; they simply want their body back and are losing patience fast. Here are 7 ways to get you closer to holding the precious being that you created!

Let’s be honest though, the only way to naturally induce labor is to be patient and allow the body to do what it was made for: physiological birth. In most cases, it’s best to let baby set their own birth date, even if it means waiting another week or two. The average gestation time for a mother’s first baby is 40 weeks and 4 days. I always say plan on 42 weeks (even though I didn’t believe that advice for myself). As moms, we feel huge and ready and hopeful for an early arrival, but this is definitely not the case. However, there are plenty of perks to waiting until your body naturally decides to go into labor — including recovery.  Women who weren’t induced typically recover more quickly than those who are. 

Exercise

https://boisetrails.com/trail/harrison-hollow-loop/

Anything that gets you moving and gets your heart rate up (in moderation) is actually beneficial to you and the baby’s overall health. Try going for a walk or a swim; if you’re feeling up to a challenge, attempt a hike. My own labor was induced by hiking up the very steep Harrison Hollow Trailhead, begrudgingly.  My husband said “we are going up here”, and I exclaimed “NO WAY!” already huffing and puffing from the walk. However, he looked at me with the “I know you want this baby out” look and so I conceded, and it worked, I went into labor shortly after going home!

Malasana, or squatting, pose. From FITSRI.

If that is out of your comfort zone, yoga is a great option too, especially Malasana (also known as squatting pose). Nothing crazy here, just some poses that requires you to widen your legs and gently release any tension in your lower back, like these stretches from BoDo Chiropractic. Any light exercise is a great way to open your pelvis and help to adjust the baby in the correct position. In fact, exercise is the top trigger for expecting parents according to the