We're baby experts – 8 ways to bring on labour that actually work, and what not to do | The Sun

BY the time nine months roll around, most women are just about ready to do anything to welcome the baby sooner.

And while you may have heard of some tips to bring on labour,experts have revealed to Fabulous what really works, and what should be avoided.

First things first, the experts agree that bub will come when he or she is ready, and no amount of modern medicine can predict exactly when they'll arrive.

"The baby knows when it has completely developed and is ready to be born," Lesley Gilchrist, registered midwife and co-founder of My Expert Midwife told Fabulous.

"Labour is a complex process not a single event – it can flow and surge and slow and stall too. Only 4% of babies arrive on the expected date."

Emma Armstrong founder of The Naked Doula agreed saying there's no "secret sauce or signal" to bringing on labour.

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Emma said: "Once their lungs are fully developed they release a protein which acts as a hormone and triggers the labour process!

"Things could be slow or fast from there onwards but the surefire ways are increasing and bringing on labour is your oxytocin levels."

This is the hormone which drives labour and signals the uterus to contract and doing things that make you happy will trigger it.

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Let's talk about sex, baby

"Orgasms are great for a boost of oxytocin," Emma said, and Lesley agreed.

"Having sex floods the system with helpful hormones," she explained.

"Semen contains powerful prostaglandins which soften the cervix so when labour starts it is ready to open."

Dancing also helps boost oxytocin levels, so get those hips moving.

"Have a bloody party! Gravity works in your favour and helps to stimulate the process. So swing those hips!" she explained.

"The rotation of your hips in a figure of 8 is also known to help bring baby lower into the pelvis to really get things going. So put your fav music on and enjoy."

For women in late pregnancy, who are close to, or beyond their due date and would like to give mother nature a helping hand, Lesley said there a few extra things they can try – and nipple stimulation is one.

"Once the due date is close, try rolling the nipple between finger and thumb for a full minute several times a day to stimulate uterine contractions," she said.

Relax and enjoy

"Stay chilled, try to relax and stay as stress-free as possible," Lesley said.

"Adrenaline and cortisol are stress hormones and put the brakes on labour until the stress has passed."

Acupuncture or massage, especially from trained practitioners, promotes relaxation which helps boosts oxytocin.

And if you want another level of self-care, try screaming or crying out loud.

"If you’re not into a bit of secret self-care and you’re actually worried, than speaking your fears out loud can really help trigger the process," explained Emma.

"Need to cry? Cry! Need to shout? shout! Not only does crying also release oxytocin but allowing ourselves to speak our worries out loud has an impact on how our body feels and can literally help to start the labour process."

Meanwhile, you can try jiggling your tummy to get the bub moving.

"Kerb walking with one foot on the pavement and one foot on the road jiggles the baby well down into position in the pelvis," Lesley said.

"You can get a similar effect from walking up and down stairs."

It's a date

Eating dates can help promote labour and Lesley recommends nibbling on them from about 36 weeks.

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"Small studies have shown that this may help start natural labour and dates are a high fibre nutritious snack so worth a try if you like them," she said.

But if you’ve been eating them up until this point then you’ve almost guaranteed yourself "a softer ripened cervix and spontaneous start to labour," Emma added.  

Things to avoid:

There are a few old wives tales that should be avoided, Lesley said. These include:

• Eating pineapples. In a study on rats, bromelain from pineapples did cause contractions, but to get the same amount of bromelain to affect a human, you would need to eat a large amount of whole pineapples every day, including the indigestible woody pulp.
• Eating curry. Similarly, the tip to eat curries due to prostaglandins in onions has no proven evidence. Strong spices can irritate the stomach lining – only eat them if you like them. 
• Avoid castor oil. It will stimulate contractions, but only in the intestines, causing diarrhoea and sickness for many – with no evidence that it starts labour.”

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