How to Get Your Body Ready For Labor

I don't like to call these natural induction methods because, above all, nothing will "induce" you naturally, unless your baby & body are ready for it!

However, these are things we can do to HELP our bodies be more ready for labor (or even kick-start labor a little sooner, if baby is ready) which will make our labor process go more smoothly too!

And even if you have to have a medical induction, by helping your body be more birth-ready, a medical induction can be more effective, less aggressive and have smoother results too. 

So you can start doing all of these in hopes of getting your body as ready for labor as possible, AND have a better, vaginal birth experience too!

All of these techniques will help us in one way or another:

1. EFFACEMENT = softening of the cervix. It needs to be 100% effaced for a vaginal delivery.

   
   

2. DILATATION = opening. You need to be at 10cm for vaginal delivery.

   
   

3. UTERUS STRENGTHENING = it's ultimately a muscle and it needs to warm up before labor for strong and efficient contractions that could lead to a faster, shorter birth.

   
   

4. THE RIGHT HORMONES = we need to have the right hormones before and during labor, in order for labor to begin and progress nicely & efficiently too!

   
   

5. BABY POSITIONING = we want our babies in the ideal fetal position for labor, and by helping our babies get in the optimal position, we can kick-start labor sooner, and have a faster birth too.

   
   

So here is everything you can try the last few weeks of pregnancy, which can also help you get busy & distracted (much needed at the tail end). And as always, CONSULT WITH YOUR MEDICAL TEAM before doing anything, even if natural.

• Intercourse (anytime)

• Stress management (anytime)

• Oxytocin: hugs, kisses, laughing, cuddling... (anytime)

• Walking & exercise (daily always!)

• Epsom salt baths (anytime)

• Pineapple (anytime)

• Raspberry leaf tea (28to32w+ one a day, two a day after 37w+)

• Dates (35w+; 3 big ones or 6 small ones per day)

• Acupuncture (start one induction session a week at 37w go to two sessions a week at 39 weeks. Or if you wait until week 39-40w+ to begin, do three back to back sessions)

• Acupressure (37w+)

• Massage therapy (37w+)

• Hip opening stretches at home (37w+)

• Evening prime rose oil (37/38w+ 2 vaginally)

• Reflexology massage (38w+)

• Herbs such as blue cohosh and black cohosh (38w+)

• Inversions (38w+)

• Curb walking (38w+)

• Chiropractor (once at 38w for hip opening)

• TENS unit (39w+)

• Nipple stimulation (39w+)

• Miles circuit (39w+)