Would you believe the most common reason for induction of labour (IOL) in the UK is a first time Mom going ‘overdue’. Each hospital has a slightly different policy, however they all average at an IOL for post maturity falling between 40+10 to 40+14 days over-due.

As this is such a common occurrence, we felt it might be a nice to share some little at-home hints and tips that our midwives have picked up over the years which may just help get things moving:

Sexual Intercourse

This one is hard to measure… so we don’t have any hard evidence (pardon the pun). But what we do know is that usually the first step in an IOL is the insertion of a synthetic prostaglandin pessary. Prostaglandin is one of the first labour hormones your body produces, and its job is to soften and ripen your cervix so that when contractions do start it will be ready to thin out and open. Would you believe that there is prostaglandin in male semen? You can thank mother nature for this, as it might encourage a little bit of late pregnancy ‘intimacy’!!

Raspberry Leaf Tea

We get plenty of queries about the effectiveness of this not so delicious tea. It’s a very popular method of IOL but there has been no official evidence to back up these claims. However, it does have plenty of anecdotal evidence… lots of women in labour pass through our hospital doors swearing that this magic tea is to be thanked for the arrival of their long-awaited contractions. Be sure to buy a good quality Raspberry Leaf Tea from any health food shop, and you would be aiming to drink approx. 3-4 cups a day from week 37.

Medjool Dates

Bizarre as this might sound these sweet little fruits, can help encourage your cervix to ripen and soften (which is the aim of the game). Research shows that women who eat 7 medjool dates a day, from 36 weeks are more likely to be in established labour when they reach the hospital, and those who do require an IOL will usually have a shorter less complicated IOL as a result. Unfortunately, for those on a diabetic diet these sugary little fruits would be a ‘no go’!!

Acupuncture

Evidence shows that acupuncture when used from 37 weeks can increase the likelihood of your cervix being soft and ripe when labour begins, which as you now know means that you’re starting out in a very good position… in a similar fashion to that of the medjool dates. This is a good option for everyone, as obviously trying everything simultaneously can be very effective. And for gestational diabetic women who cannot chow down of sugary dates from 37 weeks this is a lovely alternative.

Acupressure

This acupressure website https://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/acupressure/ is in my opinion a must read!! It will give you all the tools you need to teach yourself and your partner a few necessary acupressure points which can be used to help bring on labour (and help keep you comfortable during contractions once they start). With the use of YouTube videos and a downloadable booklet it will give you the confidence to perform this very useful skill. Disclaimer: these pressure points should not be used until at least 36 completed weeks.

A Sweep

And finally, a sweep!! A sweep is a procedure that your midwife or doctor might offer to perform once you are overdue. While internally examining you, he or she will ‘sweep’ a finger around the neck of the womb (also known as your cervix), and this aims to separate the membranes or amniotic sac from your cervix hopefully releasing some prostaglandins which may… I’m sure you know it by now… soften and ripen the cervix and in some cases kick start labour.

We hope these little tips help keep you busy in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

We never know how our pregnancies, labours and births will unfold. However, a ripe and soft cervix is the ultimate goal when things are getting started and all the tips above can help with this!! It’s also worth remembering that an unexpected or indeed an expected induction might run smoother with a soft cervix to begin with…. So this advice is for everyone.

Online Antenatal Classes from The Baby Academy UK

We got this question recently during one of our Online Antenatal Classes. We will be answering more questions and if you have one you can join us for one of our free classes.