What will throw you into labor

In fact, the study mentioned above concluded that it seems to be safe for both you and baby to eat dates in late pregnancy. Or, like many, you may be suffering from heartburn or acid reflux that makes the idea of eating spicy food or rich food sound pretty unappetizing — and maybe even uncomfortable or downright painful.

Good news: You have other options. These might include:. You may be ready to welcome your new baby, so you may be eager to try anything to get the show on the road. But your medical team might urge a little more caution, depending on how many weeks pregnant you are. At 39 weeks , your body should be making some progress on its own.

Your cervix should be ripening and softening, preparing for labor. Your doctor will likely remind you to keep an eye out for four major signs that labor is on the horizon:. But your body might not be ready to deliver your baby at 39 weeks.

It might need another week or so. The bottom line: No one stays pregnant forever. There are some natural ways to induce labor. If your due date is here, read this and talk to your doctor about what's right for you. The latent phase of labor comes before the active labor stage. We'll tell you what to expect, from how long it lasts to how to relieve the pain.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of your baby? Here are some signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away. Labor induction is a procedure in which your doctor uses methods to help you go into labor. Just make sure to buy the whole, pitted dates, rather than the ones that come diced up and covered in sugar. The verdict: She recommend women drink one to two cups a day starting at 32 weeks.

Perhaps the most important thing to do as you await the arrival of your new baby is the hardest to swallow — have patience. I promise there will be an end. Can pineapple induce your labor? What about castor oil? A certified nurse midwife weighs in on natural tactics that women use hoping to coax their bodies into labor. Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Related Articles. Nurse Midwife vs. Overdue Baby? It helps with the release of oxytocin , which is the hormone that causes your uterus to contract.

If you are at that point and you want to try nipple stimulation to bring on labor, there are a few ways to do it:. Pretty much everyone knows or has been told that having sex is the way to start labor. The reason for that is the act of sex can cause contractions. This prepares your body for labor. I then tell them that having an orgasm can also stimulate prostaglandins. Use gravity to your advantage. Get up and start moving! Try walking for 30 minutes every day.

And if you can walk up a steep hill, even better! This causes you to lean forward at an angle, helping baby move in the right direction. Walking stairs and doing squats have also been said to be very helpful. So go ahead and get that heart pumping! However, there is no evidence to support this. Spicier foods tend to work the best out of them all since it stimulates your colon. Those cramps in your intestines can spread to your uterus, which then can cause you to have contractions and go into labor.

Regularly drinking raspberry leaf tea can strengthen and tone your uterus and help those muscles in your uterus start to contract. You can get raspberry leaf tea at pretty much any grocery store or on Amazon here. You can prepare it hot or make it iced so you can enjoy it year-round. Bottoms up! Getting a labor induction massage is a great way to get contractions going. Women will question if this massage will help them go into labor within 24 hours, but I tell them it should happen within 48 hours.

If nothing happens, they should come back for another massage. This massage allows you to relax your muscles around baby, and it sends signals to your body to start the labor process.