It was supposed to help encourage my little one to move to the ideal position for birth. What the experts say - Recommended by my midwife, this involved standing next to a curb or a step, then stepping up sideways with one foot, then stepping back down. Verdict: Good exercise, and perhaps it kept my core strengthened, but didn’t start labor. How much did I bounce? Probably a combined 1-2 hours every day by the last few weeks. In fact, I think I bounced so much that it’s why she would only fall asleep bouncing for almost a year postpartum! While this became our go-to trick for “rocking” our baby to sleep once she was out of my belly, bouncing did nothing to encourage her to leave when she was inside. What I tried - Sitting on top of an inflatable, yoga exercise ball with feet firmly on the ground, I bounced gently for about 15-30 minutes at a time. My midwife told me to bounce, bounce, bounce! What the experts say - This is one of the most common suggestions for starting labor or encouraging your baby to assume the correct birthing position.
Your results may vary, but this will hopefully give you a good idea of the most common options out there and what they entail.Īffiliate links provided for your convenience full disclosure policy available here. There were a couple that worked, and many that didn’t. The following are all things I did to try to induce labor without medical interventions. Always check with your doctor/midwife before starting any labor induction techniques. My goal is to explain some of the natural ways to induce labor, so you can decide if they are worth trying. Keep in mind that this post is based on my own personal experience, and that results may vary for other mamas. Since I went 8 days past my due date, I attempted a LOT of different “tricks” and techniques recommended by my midwife, childbirth resources, and even online mommy groups. It brought back a lot of memories, so I thought it would be fun and helpful to detail all the things I tried to start labor naturally. Though it’s been a couple years since I went through the whole childbirth thing, I recently read a post by fellow local blogger Paula at Beauty through Imperfection where she talked about the induction methods that worked (and didn’t) for her. We’ll also share what didn’t work as well! What’s inside: A breakdown of popular natural ways to start labor if you are hoping to avoid a medical induction. Practicing these during the third trimester of pregnancy may help kick-start labor and a smoother delivery.