Many expectant parents get hung up on their “due date” during pregnancy, thinking that this is the day that they will get to meet their baby. When they go over this date, they feel disappointed and if baby arrives before this date, they feel unprepared. However, due dates are just an estimated date and really it should be a due month, rather than a due date. Only about 5% of babies are actually born on their due date, around 8% of babies are born before 37 weeks gestation and 10% of mothers are still pregnant two weeks after their due date.
Babies arrive, when babies are ready. However, if you are feeling really fed up with waiting to meet your baby and you want to try and go into labour naturally, without intervention or induction, there are a few things that you could try.
How to start labour naturally, when you go over your due date in pregnancy - without being induced
1. The key thing for labour to start and progress well, is for you to feel safe, calm and supported. Listening to your midwife talk about intervention, such as stretch and sweeps or induction at every appointment, is not going to make you feel calm. This is going to perhaps increase fear, create stress and make you feel like time is running out for you and you will need to go down the induction route. Remember though, that you can say no to induction and you can read more about this on my blog “Can I say no to induction?”. Due to feeling under pressure, stressed and anxious about going into natural labour soon, you probably won’t go into labour naturally and as a result, you feel like you have no choice but to be induced. – You do have a choice by the way!
So, what could you do? Well, you could start by making yourself feel safe, protect your privacy and surround yourself with only those that you love and trust. This will increase oxytocin, the love hormone and the key hormone to getting your labour started and helping it to progress.
2. Keep walking and keep active. Gravity can help to bring baby down and push against your cervix, triggering all of the key hormones needed in labour and help your cervix to start dilating.
3. Get a birthing ball and sit on it as often as you can, bouncing and rocking. Not only does a birthing ball help to keep your back straight, increase blood flow, open the pelvis and encourage cervical dilation, but it can also help babies to get into good optimal fetal positions, ready for birth. Birthing balls are also really useful for when you are in labour.
4. Watch a good comedy on TV, laugh and get the oxytocin flowing.
5. Have sex if you feel up for it. Semen contains prostaglandins, which helps to ripen your cervix and can help to speed up labour.
6. Have some romance time with your partner. Kissing, hugging, sex and orgasms are great for increasing that all important oxytocin hormone.
7. Nipple stimulation is a proven way to kick start labour. Twiddle and massage your nipples alternately for 15 minutes each side, for around 3 hours. Maybe try squeezing out some colostrum or harvest some colostrum, ready for when baby arrives. There is a direct connection between the nerves of the breasts and the womb.
8. Try eating a curry. Although there is no proven evidence that this works. The idea is to loosen the bowels, which can stimulate the womb.
9. Eat fresh pineapple. Again, this is not proven to work, but the thought is that the enzymes in fresh pineapple can ripen the cervix.
10. Drinking raspberry leaf tea from 32 weeks onwards can help tone up your womb. DO NOT DRINK BEFORE 32 WEEKS!
You can try all or some of the above options, but the best thing to really do, is to let your body and baby decide when labour will start. Don’t be pressured into doing anything that you don’t want to do and read up about your Birth Rights during labour and birth. Try and enjoy those last few days or weeks of being pregnant. Enjoy living in the here and now, rest and make the most of the peace and quiet. Your baby will be born eventually and one way or another, they have to come out!
If you would like any antenatal support, do a hypnobirthing course with me, help with planning and preparing for your labour and birth or if you would like me to support you during labour and birth or postnatally, please contact me for a free online 30 minute consultation, where you can find out more.
Julia xx