It is sometimes said that a day inside the belly is equal to a week outside the belly for a developing baby. A 40+ week baby is better able to gain weight and maintain blood sugar, not to mention for the ability to coordinate breathing and sucking for breastfeeding. A late preterm/early term less-than-40-week baby will have more challenges with temperature, jaundice, and breastfeeding than at 41+ week baby. While you may not personally notice this difference when you haven’t witnessed it yourself, midwives and lactation consultants see it often. Before discussing how to encourage labor, we first should accept that only God knows the healthiest timing of birth for ourselves and our baby, and we must be careful to not do what is, “good in our own eyes.”

I hope these past posts on Journey of a Pregnancy are illustrating how much labor is influenced by choices that are happening much sooner than your full-term season. Most of the time, if mom and dad were well-nourished pre-conception, and mom continues to be well-nourished through pregnancy, spontaneous labor is likely to occur without even thinking about it. Our organs, hormones, and body systems work (or don’t) because of the food we feed them (and the nutrients we are able to digest and utilize with balanced digestion). We must trust this very important part of responsibility in our creation to trust that our body can birth in its own time. Trust… rather, lack of fear… is a vital part of spontaneous initiation and progression of labor.

Fear is the best way to start the cascade of complications because it increases adrenaline, which decreases oxytocin. Oxytocin is one of the main hormones needed to cause contractions (in the uterus, the bowels, the breasts…etc.). When adrenaline rises, it suppresses oxytocin. You could eat all the right things, do all the bodywork, and have stress from fear or just a busy schedule… and the day of labor may linger or prodromal labor follows. So, how do we decrease adrenaline and increase oxytocin?

• Loving words and touch from your husband. Looking into each other’s eyes, kissing, massage, and intimacy are the best, and safest, ways to increase oxytocin
• Get help around the house for cooking, cleaning, and general care of your family so you don’t feel overwhelmed
• Say “no” to too much – these last weeks are a time for reflection and preparation
• Go to bed when the sun goes down and support adequate sleep so your hormones can balance and you feel ready to start each day (not to mention, ready for labor to begin in the wee hours of the morning)
• Get out in the sunshine daily to breathe in the fresh air and move your body

Movement and baby’s alignment are crucial. Sometimes, mom is well-nourished and well-supported, but alignment is imbalanced. Diastasis recti, low core tone, imbalances in the pelvic floor, and tension on the many ligaments that support the uterus can prevent a baby from being well aligned in the pelvis. If baby doesn’t flex their head with their chin to their chest, or their body is hanging off to one side, you may be experiencing a lot of moving contractions that are trying to realign baby and hold everything in place.  Not only does this mean that baby’s head won’t be well-applied to the cervix (which helps trigger contractions), you’ll be exhausted and constantly wondering if today is going to be the day that labor will continue.  This is more likely with someone that sits a lot, stands in one position a lot, doesn’t walk much, has had a prior cesarean, or has had multiple pregnancies without being able to re-tone their body between each one.  A baby can only go where there is room, so it’s up to you to find balance, get bodywork, and wear a support belt when needed.

Supporting these basic aspects of balance are the way we were created to get labor started.

If we can’t achieve this balance by 41 weeks, then we could consider herbs that gently encourage labor while being informed of the increase of chances for complications like hemorrhage and breastfeeding issues.  Risks of induction in a low-resource setting like home must be carefully weighed against the risks of medication in a hospital.  Either way, this is not a decision to take lightly.

If you’re considering induction, you should have a clinical reason – more than just being tired of being pregnant.  Ideally, you would be at least 41 weeks with a baby measuring 40+.  The safest ways to encourage labor will support nourishment, balance hormones, and build body balance.  Strong stimulating inductions, including castor oil, should be performed with a medical team and where there are more resources available.